Nahash נָחָשׁ
Ammonite king who besieged Jabesh Gilead.
Biography
Nahash was the king of the Ammonites, a neighboring nation to Israel, during the early period of the Israelite monarchy. In 1 Samuel 11, Nahash is described as besieging the city of Jabesh Gilead, located in the territory of Manasseh, east of the Jordan River.
Nahash demanded that the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead surrender and agree to have their right eyes gouged out as a sign of subjugation and humiliation. The people of Jabesh Gilead sought help from their fellow Israelites, sending messengers to King Saul, who had recently been crowned as the first king of Israel.
Upon hearing of the Ammonite threat, Saul rallied the Israelite forces and marched to Jabesh Gilead. In a decisive battle, Saul defeated Nahash and the Ammonite army, saving the city and its inhabitants from the cruel fate proposed by Nahash.
The victory over Nahash and the Ammonites was a significant moment in Saul's reign, as it demonstrated his leadership and military prowess. It also served to unite the Israelite tribes under Saul's rule, as they recognized the importance of having a strong central authority to protect them from external threats.
In 1Sa.12.12, the prophet Samuel reminds the Israelites of the threat posed by Nahash and the Ammonites, using it as an example of the dangers they faced and the need for a king to lead and defend them. This reference underscores the significance of the battle against Nahash in the early history of the Israelite monarchy.
In Scripture
1 biblical book1 Samuel 3 verses
- 1 Samuel 11:1
"Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh Gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”"
- 1 Samuel 11:2
"Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make it with you, that all your right eyes be gouged out. I will make this dishonor all Israel.”"
- 1 Samuel 12:12
"“When you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us;’ when Yahweh your God was your king."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | נָחָשׁ | H5176G |
Nahash
in 2 S, where this reference is made, is hopelessly corrupt; for that reason there are various explanations. The rabbis maintain that Nahash is another name for Jesse, David's father. Others think that Nahash was the name of Jesse's wife; but it is not probable that Nahash could have been the name of a woman. Others explain the passage by making Nahash the first husband of Jesse's wife, so that Abigail and Zeruiah were half-sisters to King David.
(2) A king of Ammon, who, at the very beginning of Saul's reign, attacked Jabesh-gilead so successfully, that the inhabitants sued for peace at almost any cost, for they were willing to pay tribute and serve the Ammonites (1Sa 11:1). The harsh king, not satisfied with tribute and slavery, demanded in addition that the right eye of every man should be put out, as "a reproach upon Israel." They were given seven days to comply with these cruel terms. Before the expiration of this time, Saul, the newly anointed king, appeared on the scene with an army which utterly routed the Ammonites (1Sa 11:1), and, according to Josephus, killed King Nahash (Ant., VI, v, 3).
If the Nahash of 2Sa 10:2 be the same as the king mentioned in 1Sa 11, this statement of Josephus cannot be true, for he lived till the early part of David's reign, 40 or more years later. It is, of course, possible that Nahash, the father of Hanun, was a son or grandson of the king defeated at Jabesh-gilead by Saul. There is but little agreement among commentators in regard to this matter. Some writers go so far as to claim that "all passages in which this name (Nahash) is found refer to the same individual."
(3) A resident of Rabbath-ammon, the capital of Ammon (2Sa 17:27). Perhaps the same as Nahash (2), which see. His son Shobi, with other trans-Jordanic chieftains, welcomed David at Mahanaim with sympathy and substantial gifts when the old king was fleeing before his rebel son Absalom. Some believe that Shobi was a brother of Hanun, king of Ammon (2Sa 10:1).
W. W. Davies
(1) A grandson of Esau (Ge 36:13; 1Ch 1:37).
(2) A descendant of Levi and ancestor of Samuel (<ref osisRef="Bibl