Bible Strands
2 Samuel 19:13
And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The speaker addresses listeners and commands them to deliver a message to Amasa during the political effort to restore the king to his throne.
The words — The phrase עַצְמִי וּ/בְשָׂרִי ('atzî wûbśârî) literally means "my bone and my flesh," and the oath formula כֹּה יַֽעֲשֶׂה־ (kôh ya‘śeh-) uses "thus may he do" to invoke divine punishment if the promise fails.
The thread — The kinship language parallels the appeal in 2 Samuel 19:12 and the loyalty oath in Ruth 1:17, while the military appointment directly references 2 Samuel 17:25 and 2 Samuel 8:16.
Why it lands — The text requires a public, sworn commitment to replace Joab with Amasa, demanding immediate action on the stated succession without room for delay or negotiation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 17:25 Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, the Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab.
- Ruth 1:17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
- 2 Samuel 8:16 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
- 1 Kings 19:2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like the lives of those you killed!”
- 2 Samuel 3:29 May it whirl over the head of Joab and over the entire house of his father, and may the house of Joab never be without one having a discharge or skin disease, or one who leans on a staff or falls by the sword or lacks food.”
- 2 Samuel 19:5 Then Joab went into the house and said to the king, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives, and of your concubines.
- 2 Samuel 18:11 “You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed. “Why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt!”
- 1 Chronicles 2:16 Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
- 1 Chronicles 12:18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers, for your God helps you.” So David received them and made them leaders of his troops.