ASAHEL ăs’ ə hĕl (עֲשָׂה־אֵ֖ל, ̓Ασαηλ, God has made). 1. The son of Zeruiah, sister of David, and the brother of Joab and Abishai (1 Chron 2:16). As one of David’s thirty mighty men (2 Sam 23:24), he was made commander of a division of 24,000 men in David’s army (1 Chron 27:7). Asahel was noted for bravery and fleetness (2 Sam 2:18; 23:24). In the Battle of Gibeon he pursued Abner, the commander of Ishbosheth’s troops, to kill him. Abner, knowing he was more than a match for Ashael in battle, realized the fleetness of his opponent. He was aware that the hour had arrived for David to lead the nation, and that contention among the military leaders could only be a detriment to the best interests of the nation; he slew Asahel, after warning him, in vain, to forbear (2 Sam 2:18-23). As it turned out, David’s accession to the throne was delayed. When Abner finally effected the union of the nation under David, it cost him his life. At Hebron, ironically enough, in the gate of this city of refuge, years after Gibeon, Joab slew Abner to avenge Asahel’s death (2 Sam 3:26, 27).

A hypercriticism has found fault with the statement in 1 Chronicles 27:7, which mentions Asahel as the fourth of David’s monthly captains, as though it were incompatible with the fact that Asahel had died before David became king. Both Biblical statements are correct. The fourth captain was Asahel, now in the person of his son Zebadiah (1 Chron 27:7). Notice is being taken of a posthumous honor to Asahel, who was represented in this instance by his son.

2. A Levite sent by King Jehoshaphat to instruct the people throughout the realm in the law of Moses (2 Chron 17:8).

3. A Levite overseer of the Temple in Hezekiah’s reign who supervised the offerings (31:13).

4. The father of Jonathan, who was one of the elders aiding Ezra the scribe in purging the Jews, who had returned from Babylonian exile, of their non-Jewish wives (Ezra 10:15; 1 Esd 9:14).

Bibliography E. R. Dalglish, “Asahel,” IDB, I (1962), 244; KB, 741; J. G. G. Norman, “Asahel,” New Bible Dictionary (1962), 93, 94; “Asahel,” Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary (1963), 75.