Bible Dictionary: Nahash

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Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Nahash

snake; serpent

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Nahash

(serpent).

King of the Ammonites who dictated to the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead that cruel alternative of the loss of their right eyes or slavery which roused the swift wrath of Saul, and caused the destruction of the Ammonite force. (1 Samuel 11:2-11) (B.C. 1092.) "Nahaph" would seem to have been the title of the king of the Ammonites rather than the name of an individual. Nahash the father of Hanun had rendered David some special and valuable service, which David was anxious for an opportunity of requiting. (2 Samuel 10:2)
A person mentioned once only-- (2 Samuel 17:25) --in stating the parentage of Amasa, the commander-in-chief of Absalom's army. Amasa is there said to have been the son of a certain Ithra by Abigail, "daughter of Nahash and sister to Zeruiah." (B.C. before 1023.)

ATS Bible Dictionary

Nahash

1. A king of the Ammonites, defeated by Saul while besieging Ramothgilead, 1 Samuel 11:1-15. He, or as some think, his son of the same name, was on friendly terms with David, 2 Samuel 10:2

2. The father of Zeruiah and Abigail, David's half-sisters, 2 Samuel 17:25 1 Chronicles 2:13-16. Nahash, however, may have been another name for Jesse; or possibly the name of his wife.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Serpent.

(1.) King of the Ammonites in the time of Saul. The inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead having been exposed to great danger from Nahash, sent messengers to Gibeah to inform Saul of their extremity. He promptly responded to the call, and gathering together an army he marched against Nahash. "And it came to pass that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them [the Ammonites] were not left together" (1 Samuel 11:1-11).

(2.) Another king of the Ammonites of the same name is mentioned, who showed kindness to David during his wanderings (2 Samuel 10:2). On his death David sent an embassy of sympathy to Hanun, his son and successor, at Rabbah Ammon, his capital. The grievous insult which was put upon these ambassadors led to a war against the Ammonites, who, with their allies the Syrians, were completely routed in a battle fought at "the entering in of the gate," probably of Medeba (2 Samuel 10:6-14). Again Hadarezer rallied the Syrian host, which was totally destroyed by the Israelite army under Joab in a decisive battle fought at Helam (2 Samuel 10:17), near to Hamath (1 Chronicles 18:3). "So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more" (2 Samuel 10:19).

(3.) The father of Amasa, who was commander-in-chief of Abasolom's army (2 Samuel 17:25). Jesse's wife had apparently been first married to this man, to whom she bore Abigail and Zeruiah, who were thus David's sisters, but only on the mother's side (1 Chronicles 2:16).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

NAHASH

na'-hash (nachash, "serpent"; Naas):

(1) The father of Abigail and Zeruiah, the sisters of David (2 Samuel 17:25; compare 1 Chronicles 2:16). The text 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 (1 Samuel 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 (1 Samuel 11:1), and, according to Josephus, killed King Nahash (Ant., VI, v, 3).

If the Nahash of 2 Samuel 10:2 be the same as the king mentioned in 1 Samuel 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 (2 Samuel 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 (2 Samuel 10:1).

W. W. Davies

Strong's Hebrew

5176. Nachash -- the name of several non-Isr.
... the name of several non-Isr. Transliteration: Nachash Phonetic Spelling: (naw-khawsh')
Short Definition: Nahash. ... NASB Word Usage Nahash (9). Nahash. ...
/hebrew/5176.htm - 6k

5904. Ir Nachash -- "city of a serpent," a city in Judah
... Ir Nachash. 5905 . "city of a serpent," a city in Judah. Transliteration: Ir Nachash
Phonetic Spelling: (eer naw-khawsh') Short Definition: Ir-nahash. ... Ir-nahash ...
/hebrew/5904.htm - 6k

Library

The Nations of the South-East
... Saul had begun his reign by rescuing Jabesh in Gilead from the Ammonite king Nahash,
who had threatened to treat its inhabitants with innate Semitic barbarity. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iii the nations of.htm

How Samuel Found a Leader
... After about a month, Nahash, the Ammonite, came up and besieged Jabesh in Gilead;
and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make terms with us and we will ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/how samuel found a leader.htm

Persistency in Wrong Doing.
... Then he remembered that Nahash the King of Ammon had shown him hospitality,
and he heard also that he was just dead. So David said ...
/.../xliii persistency in wrong doing.htm

Saul's Expedition against the Nation of the Ammonites and victory ...
... 1. After one month, the war which Saul had with Nahash, the king of the Ammonites,
obtained him respect from all the people; for this Nahash had done a great ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 5 sauls expedition against.htm

How the War was Waged against the Ammonites and Happily Concluded.
... About this time died Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, who was a friend of David's;
and when his son had succeeded his father in the kingdom, David sent ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 6 how the war.htm

Barzillai
... Shobi the son of Nahash, and Machir the son of Ammiel, and Barzillai the Gileadite
of Rogelim, brought beds, and cups, and wheat, and barley, and honey, and ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/barzillai.htm

The King after Man's Heart
... And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you,
ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the king after mans heart.htm

The victory of Unarmed Faith
... by Goliath. His interview with David shows him as timid and unlike his
former self, when he dashed at Nahash and any odds. Now he ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the victory of unarmed faith.htm

The First Kings.
... a general. The Ammonites, a mighty and warlike people under king Nahash, besieged
the important town of Jabesh-Gilead. The beleaguered ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/the first kings.htm

A Description of Heart-Purity
... Nahash the Ammonite would enter into covenant with the men of Jabesh-Gilead so he
might thrust out their right eyes (1 Samuel 11:2). Satan leaves men their ...
/.../16 a description of heart-purity.htm

Thesaurus

Nahash (9 Occurrences)
... The inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead having been exposed to great danger from Nahash,
sent messengers to Gibeah to inform Saul of their extremity. ...NAHASH. ...
/n/nahash.htm - 14k

Ir-nahash (1 Occurrence)
Ir-nahash. Irnahash, Ir-nahash. Irna'hash . Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia IR-NAHASH. ur-na'-hash, ir-na'-hash (`ir nachash ...
/i/ir-nahash.htm - 7k

Abigal (1 Occurrence)
... In the first passage she is called David's sister, along with Zeruiah; while in
the second she is called the "daughter of Nahash." Several explanations of this ...
/a/abigal.htm - 10k

Hanun (10 Occurrences)
... Graciously given. (1.) The son and successor of Nahash, king of Moab. ... ha'-nun (chanun,
"favored," "pitied"): (1) A son and successor of Nahash, king of Ammon. ...
/h/hanun.htm - 11k

Abigail (18 Occurrences)
... In the first passage she is called David's sister, along with Zeruiah; while in
the second she is called the "daughter of Nahash." Several explanations of this ...
/a/abigail.htm - 17k

Jabeshgilead (12 Occurrences)
... 21). This city was afterwards taken by Nahash, king of the Ammonites, but
was delivered by Saul, the newly-elected king of Israel. ...
/j/jabeshgilead.htm - 13k

Jabesh-gilead (12 Occurrences)
... 21). This city was afterwards taken by Nahash, king of the Ammonites, but
was delivered by Saul, the newly-elected king of Israel. ...
/j/jabesh-gilead.htm - 13k

Ammonite (22 Occurrences)
... 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 ...
/a/ammonite.htm - 18k

Irnahash (1 Occurrence)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia IR-NAHASH. ... English Versions of the Bible margin
suggests the translation "city of Nahash.". Multi-Version Concordance ...
/i/irnahash.htm - 7k

Serpent (40 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (Hebrews nahash; Gr. ophis), frequently noticed in
Scripture. More than forty species are found in Syria and Arabia. ...
/s/serpent.htm - 46k

Bible Concordance

Nahash (9 Occurrences)

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."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

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 put out; and I will lay it for a reproach on all Israel."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

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.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 10:2 David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me." So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 17:25 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.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 17:27 It happened, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 4:12 Eshton became the father of Beth Rapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash. These are the men of Recah.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 19:1 It happened after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 19:2 David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me." So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Nahash

Nahash: An Ammonite King: Defeated by Saul at Jabesh-Gilead

Nahash: An Ammonite King: Kindness of, to David, and Death

Nahash: Probably Identical With Jesse

Related Terms

Ir-nahash (1 Occurrence)

Abigal (1 Occurrence)

Hanun (10 Occurrences)

Abigail (18 Occurrences)

Jabeshgilead (12 Occurrences)

Jabesh-gilead (12 Occurrences)