Tammuz 1 – Asahel the brother of Joab

Tammuz 1, 5785; from sunset June 26, 2025, to sunset June 27, 2025

(The first day of the fourth month)

Our featured image for today is from the top of the fortress Masada. We’ve chosen to use this location when remembering the men whom King David selected to protect the kingdom. As the last hold-out after Rome destroyed Jerusalem, Masada has become a symbol of Jewish resistance. In modern times, IDF recruits would complete a pre-dawn climb to its summit and, there, took an oath of allegiance to the nation of Israel. Though this practice has largely ended, Masada’s symbolism lives on.

This is the name Asahel as seen in the Aleppo Codex, the second chapter of 2 Samuel in verse 20, where Abner asks, “Are you Asahel?”

It’s a new month and that means a new military commander is keeping watch over the kingdom. King David set up a military guard that rotated every month. Each month had a leader and 24,000 men. Today in the Bible, Asahel takes command.

And the children of Israel, according to their number, the heads of fathers’ houses, the captains of thousands and hundreds and their officers, served the king in every matter of the military divisions. These divisions came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division having twenty-four thousand. – 1 Chronicles 27:1

The fourth captain for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him; in his division were twenty-four thousand. – 1 Chronicles 27:7 (NKJ)

The name Asahel means “Made by God” or “Made of God.” The name of his son, Zebadiah, means “The Lord Has Bestowed” or “Gift of the Lord.”

Asahel was a nephew of King David. His mother was one of David’s sisters, Zeruiah. She had two other sons, Joab and Abishai – Asahel’s older brothers.

Jesse begot Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, and David the seventh. Now their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel— three. – 1 Chronicles 2:13-16 (NKJ)

He was one of David’s thirty…

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty… – 2 Samuel 23:24a (NKJ)

After the death of King Saul, there was a long war between the House of Saul and the House of David. It was during this time that Asahel was killed by Abner while pursing him. Abner was the cousin of King Saul and the commander of his army. Even though Abner later switched sides and worked for David, Joab eventually got revenge for the death of his brother and killed Abner at the gate of Hebron (which is listed among the cities of refuge).

Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet of foot as a wild gazelle. So Asahel pursued Abner, and in going he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.

Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Are you Asahel?” He answered, “I am.” And Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

So Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I face your brother Joab?” However, he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the blunt end of the spear, so that the spear came out of his back; and he fell down there and died on the spot. So it was that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.

Joab and Abishai also pursued Abner. And the sun was going down when they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah by the road to the Wilderness of Gibeon. Now the children of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became a unit, and took their stand on top of a hill. Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the latter end? How long will it be then until you tell the people to return from pursuing their brethren?”

And Joab said, “As God lives, unless you had spoken, surely then by morning all the people would have given up pursuing their brethren.” So Joab blew a trumpet; and all the people stood still and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore. Then Abner and his men went on all that night through the plain, crossed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron; and they came to Mahanaim.

So Joab returned from pursuing Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel. But the servants of David had struck down, of Benjamin and Abner’s men, three hundred and sixty men who died. Then they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at daybreak. – 2 Samuel 2:18-32 (NKJ)

Now this is not to say that the events mentioned above happened on this day; rather, a bit of information about Asahel who is captain of the guard for this month. Since this event happened very early on after the death of Saul and before David united the tribes…one wonders if it was actually Zebadiah who was named captain of the guard for this month in the name of his father.

To read all of our posts on King David’s military leaders, please click on the image above.