2 Samuel 19 · a question people ask
Why would David make Amasa captain instead of Joab?
The chapter doesn't say. It gives David's words: "Aren’t you my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you aren’t captain of the army before me continually instead of Joab" (19:13) (tap instead of). Amasa had been Absalom's captain: "Absalom set Amasa over the army instead of Joab" (17:25). He was also family: his mother Abigail was "sister to Zeruiah, Joab’s mother" (17:25), and Chronicles lists Zeruiah and Abigail as sisters of Jesse's sons (1 Chronicles 2:13-16) (chapter 17 sets out how the two books name the family). What the book places before the promise is also plain. The king had commanded, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom" (18:5), and Joab "thrust them through Absalom’s heart" (18:14). Joab has just told the king, "if you don’t go out, not a man will stay with you this night" (19:7). What comes after is plain too: "He bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as one man" (19:14), though the verse doesn't say who "he" is. The text never gives David's reason, and these notes don't supply one. In the next chapter Joab kills Amasa (20:9-10).
The verses
“Say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you aren’t captain of the army before me continually instead of Joab.’” He bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as one man, so that they sent to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.””
“Absalom set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.”
“and Jesse became the father of his firstborn Eliab, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, and David the seventh; and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.”
“The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” All the people heard when the king commanded all the captains concerning Absalom.”