Nahash

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Nahash is a word that in several semitic languages, including Hebrew, means serpent. It has been used as both an epithet and a personal name, to suggest warrior-like abilities. Nahash may thus refer to:

  • Nahash, king of Ammon, a king of Ammon mentioned in the Books of Samuel as having persecuted the occupants of Jabesh-Gilead, and been an enemy of King Saul.
  • Nahash, a king of Ammon mentioned in the Books of Samuel as being father to Hanun, and was possibly identical with the first. This Nahash was on good diplomatic terms with David, but when Hanun inherited the kingdom of Ammon, the diplomatic relationship turned sour.
  • Nahash, the father of Amasa, the leader of Absalom's army. According to the Book of Chronicles, this Nahash was also the father of Abigail and Zeruiah, and the first husband of David's mother (1 Chronicles 2:16). This Nahash may possibly be one or both of the other two, hence explaining the diplomatic relationship with David.

This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.