Lexical Summary Ammichur: Ammichur Original Word: עַמִּיחוּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Ammihud From am and chuwr; people of nobility; Ammichur, a Syrian prince -- Ammihud (from the margin). see HEBREW am see HEBREW chuwr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originsee Ammihud. Brown-Driver-Briggs עמיחור 2 Samuel 13:37 Kt see עַמִּיהוּד. above Topical Lexicon Scriptural Context “Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihur, king of Geshur; and David mourned for his son day after day” (2 Samuel 13:37). Ammihur appears only here, yet the verse stands at a crucial turning-point in the narrative of David’s household, framing Absalom’s flight after the murder of Amnon and foreshadowing the rebellion that will arise three years later (2 Samuel 15:7–10). Geographical and Political Background Geshur occupied a small Aramean kingdom east of the Sea of Galilee. Although bordered by Israel on the west, it retained its autonomy through much of David’s reign. Scripture previously noted that David had married Maacah “daughter of Talmai king of Geshur” (2 Samuel 3:3), making Talmai David’s father-in-law and Ammihur David’s grandfather-in-law. This alliance suggests that David sought diplomatic ties with neighboring states during the consolidation of his kingdom (cf. 2 Samuel 8:3–12). The presence of a royal marriage accords with common Ancient Near Eastern practice, and it explains why Absalom expected protection in Geshur: he fled to his maternal relatives. Family Connections and Dynastic Alliance 1. Ammihur → Talmai → Maacah → Absalom and Tamar Role in the Narrative of Absalom • Refuge and Asylum: Absalom remained in Geshur “three years” (2 Samuel 13:38). Old Testament law afforded cities of refuge to manslayers (Numbers 35:6–28), yet Absalom, guilty of premeditated fratricide, could not claim that provision in Israelite territory. Geshur supplied the sanctuary Israel’s legal system would have denied. Theological and Pastoral Implications 1. Consequences of Unchecked Sin: David’s passivity toward Amnon’s crime (2 Samuel 13:21) and Absalom’s bloodshed precipitated further turmoil. Ammihur’s remote kingdom becomes a stage upon which sin’s ripple effects play out. Related Themes and Passages • Cities of refuge: Numbers 35; Deuteronomy 19; Joshua 20 Summary Though Ammihur enters Scripture only by name in 2 Samuel 13:37, his lineage frames a pivotal episode in Israel’s monarchy. His kingdom of Geshur provided asylum to Absalom, thereby influencing the cadence of David’s family drama and the nation’s stability. The brief mention of Ammihur serves as a sober reminder that personal alliances, political calculations, and unanswered sin are intertwined realities, all under the sovereign hand of the LORD who brings every deed into judgment and offers lasting refuge in Himself. Forms and Transliterations עַמִּיה֖וּד עמיהוד ‘am·mî·hūḏ ‘ammîhūḏ ammiHudLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 13:37 HEB: [עַמִּיחוּר כ] (עַמִּיה֖וּד ק) מֶ֣לֶךְ KJV: the son of Ammihud, king INT: Talmai the son Ammihud the king of Geshur 1 Occurrence |