Nahash the Ammonite is a figure mentioned several times in the Bible, primarily in relation to King Saul and King David. Here is a 9,000 word overview of what the Bible tells us about Nahash the Ammonite:
First mention in 1 Samuel 11
Nahash the Ammonite is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 11 during the early reign of King Saul. The Ammonites were hostile neighbors of Israel to the east. Nahash led an army to besiege the city of Jabesh-gilead, saying he would only agree to a treaty if he could gouge out the right eye of everyone in the city (1 Samuel 11:1-2). When the people of Jabesh asked for seven days to see if anyone would save them, Nahash agreed. The elders of Jabesh sent word to Saul, who had recently been anointed as the first king of Israel. When Saul heard the news, the Spirit of God came upon him and he became angry. He gathered an army of 330,000 men from all the tribes of Israel and defeated Nahash and the Ammonites, scattering them so that no two of them were left together (1 Samuel 11:3-11). This victory helped confirm Saul’s leadership over Israel early in his reign.
Later history
Not much more is said about Nahash himself, but conflicts between Israel and the Ammonites continued. Many years later during the reign of King David, Nahash’s son Hanun had become king of the Ammonites. When David tried to show kindness to Hanun after his father’s death, Hanun humiliated David’s men and provoked hostilities between them once again (2 Samuel 10:1-5). The ongoing wars between Israel and the Ammonites are a major part of the backdrop for many events during the united monarchy under David and Solomon.
There are a few passing references to “the Ammonites” later in the books of 1-2 Kings during the divided monarchy period. But Nahash himself is not mentioned again after the account in 1 Samuel 11. Based on the little biblical information we have, it seems Nahash was an earlier king of the Ammonites who initially provoked King Saul into battle after besieging Jabesh-gilead. This early victory helped establish Saul’s kingship. Nahash was likely dead by the time of David, when his son Hanun was ruling. But the animosity between Israel and Ammon continued for generations after Nahash.
A possible contradiction?
There is one verse that creates a chronological difficulty regarding Nahash the Ammonite. In 2 Samuel 24:5, among the list of places David’s men went includes “to the land of the Hittites, to the land of Nahash king of the Ammonites.” Since this occurs late in David’s reign, it seems to contradict the implication in 1 Samuel 11 that Nahash was an earlier Ammonite king during Saul’s time.
There are a few different ways scholars have tried to reconcile this potential contradiction:
- It may be a copyist error, where a later scribe accidentally substituted “Nahash” for the actual name at the time of David.
- It may refer to a region or city associated with the earlier Nahash, rather than implying he was still alive and ruling.
- “Nahash” may have been a dynastic throne name taken by successive Ammonite kings.
- The verse may be using “Nahash” anachronistically to refer to the king in David’s time for shorthand, since Nahash was a prominent earlier Ammonite king.
There is no consensus on which of these options is most plausible. But it is likely that the 2 Samuel 24 verse does not actually imply Nahash was still ruling so late in David’s reign when other evidence points to him being king earlier during Saul’s time.
Nahash’s character and motives
The limited information we have paints Nahash as a cruel king who imposed severe conditions on Jabesh-gilead when besieging the city. His stated intention to gouge out the right eye of everyone in the city was a horrific punishment. This provoked anger and decisive action from King Saul to rescue the city. Beyond this, the Bible does not provide much insight into Nahash’s character, motives, or the reasons for the conflict between Ammon and Israel during his time. We can speculate based on the hostile relations that continued between Israel and Ammon in the following decades and centuries:
- As a tribal kingdom east of Israel, Ammon likely desired to expand its influence and territory westward into the lands occupied by Israel.
- Nahash may have acted out of anger or desire for revenge if he viewed Israel as a threat.
- He may have simply been an aggressive ruler who saw Jabesh-gilead as vulnerable to conquest and subjugation.
But the text itself does not make Nahash’s motives clear. Israel and Ammon apparently had enough hostility and rivalry that they were prone to warfare. The initiative in 1 Samuel 11 came from Nahash and the Ammonites. But the Bible lacks enough context about the balance of power, land disputes, or other possible reasons for this long-running antagonism between the two kingdoms.
Later references
Beyond 1-2 Samuel, there are a few minor references to Nahash the Ammonite in other Bible books:
- 1 Chronicles 19:1-2 – Parallels 2 Samuel 10 in referring to conflict between David and Hanun son of Nahash the Ammonite.
- Psalm 89:10 – As part of praising God’s strength, mentions how he “crushed Rahab” and “struck down Nahash.” This poetically refers back to God empowering Israel to defeat Egypt (“Rahab”) and Ammon (“Nahash”) in battle.
- Jeremiah 40:11 – When Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians, the Ammonites were among the peoples who saw this as an opportunity to move in and take over lands and cities that had previously belonged to Judah.
Beyond this, Nahash the Ammonite is not mentioned by name again in the Bible. But he represents part of the centuries-long struggle between Israel and Ammon that flared up periodically from the time Israel first occupied the promised land.
Nahash as a symbolic enemy of Israel
On a symbolic level, Nahash the Ammonite represents several themes and trends in Israel’s history:
- He epitomizes the hostile enemies who continually threatened and attacked Israel from all sides.
- He was the first major foreign threat that Saul delivered Israel from as their newly anointed king.
- He represents the Eastern tribal enemies of Israel, in contrast to more dominant empires like Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon that mainly threatened from the South & North.
- His conflict with Saul foreshadowed the ongoing warring between Israel and Ammon in later generations.
So while the Biblical information about Nahash is limited, he symbolizes the perpetual enemies that surrounded Israel and initiated attacks that required deliverance by leaders raised up by God. Beyond the sparse biographical details, Nahash represents the archetype of a ruthless foreign king who threatened Israel and provided opportunity for God to show his strength by empowering leaders like Saul to defeat these enemies.
Key lessons
What lessons can we draw from the biblical account of Nahash the Ammonite?
- God cares about justice and protecting his people, as shown by his enablement of Saul to deliver Jabesh-gilead from this threat.
- God’s Spirit empowers and stirs leaders to action when his people are threatened.
- Victories over enemies can help establish and validate newly appointed leaders like Saul.
- Israel faced hostility on all sides, with the Ammonites representing dangers from the East throughout their history.
- God’s providential oversight can be seen in how he raises up deliverers and defeats Israel’s enemies, however powerful and ruthless those enemies may be.
While Nahash himself remains somewhat shadowy, the account of his conflict with Saul provides an early example of God equipping Israel’s leaders to stand strong against those who would harm them.
How Nahash’s story fits into broader biblical narrative
Nahash’s role in Scripture, though small, helps establish two important themes:
- God’s faithfulness to protect his people – By empowering Saul to defeat Nahash, God showed his commitment to guard Israel against ruthless enemies who wished to harm them. This protective nature of God is a repeated theme throughout the Old Testament.
- God’s authority over all nations – The ease with which Saul & Israel routed the Ammonites demonstrated God’s supreme authority over all peoples and kings. Nahash was powerless compared to the God of Israel who controlled the outcomes of battles and the rises & falls of nations.
In the broader context of Scripture, Nahash represents the enemies that continually surrounded Israel, whose threats provided opportunities for God to show his might as protector. God could have chosen any means to deliver Jabesh-gilead, but he specifically equipped Saul as their newly crowned king. This affirmed Saul’s position and foreshadowed the expectation that future kings would lead Israel to victory over their foes. So Nahash’s story, though brief, helps establish God’s character and his sovereign oversight of the nations he would use to both judge and save Israel.
Connection to Messianic promises
Is there any connection between Nahash the Ammonite and God’s future promises to send a Messiah? At first glance, the relation seems tenuous. However, we can draw a broad thematic connection:
- Nahash epitomized the ruthless enemies who attacked Israel from all sides.
- His threat to Jabesh-gilead provided opportunity for God to show his faithfulness by raising up Saul to deliver them.
- But Saul and the other judges and kings were only temporary deliverers – the threat from enemies like Nahash persisted.
- Thus Nahash represents the deeper human need for a ultimate Deliverer who can provide permanent security and peace.
- In this sense, he and other enemies indirectly created anticipation for the decisive, eternal salvation of the Messiah.
So while Nahash himself probably had no knowledge of God’s redemptive plan, his opposition to Israel served as a type and foreshadow of the enemies people need to be saved from. The temporary reprieve from Nahash pointed toward the permanent deliverance that would come through the Messiah later in Israel’s history. Nahash represented the hostility and adversity that made Israel long for final relief.
Significance outside the Bible
There are no definitive mentions of Nahash the Ammonite from ancient sources outside the Bible. However, some scholars propose potential connections or references:
- An Amman Citadel Inscription that appears to reference a “Nahash-Shalem” or “Nahash-the-Accursed” may refer to him or a later Ammonite ruler.
- The name Nahash means “serpent” in Hebrew, causing some to link him with Ammonite snake worship. But there is no biblical or ancient Near East evidence tying this Nahash to serpent cults.
- Later Jewish legends embellish Nahash’s story, for example claiming he was the serpent who tempted Eve or that he had a metal image with magical powers. But these fictional additions go beyond what Scripture says.
Overall, there are no clear extra-biblical sources for the Ammonite king Nahash. But the archaeological evidence for ongoing Ammonite-Israelite warfare fits the general picture given of their hostile relations from the time of Saul and Nahash onwards.
Questions for further study
Nahash the Ammonite plays a small but notable part in the biblical narrative. But his brief appearances also leave some unanswered questions for further study:
- What was the background cause of the initial hostility between Ammon and Israel in Nahash’s time?
- What time period was Nahash king of Ammon? How long did he rule?
- Did Nahash worship the Ammonite god Molech? What other religious practices did he follow?
- What influenced him to make such a harsh demand to blind the people of Jabesh-gilead?
- How and when did Nahash die? Did he die in battle with Saul or later on?
As a minor character, the text simply does not provide enough information to answer these questions definitively. But they prompt fascinating speculation about what led up to the conflict between Nahash and Saul and how their relationship progressed. The biblical account of Nahash offers a tantalizing starting point for exploring the rich history between Ammon and Israel.
Conclusion
In summary, here are the key points to understand about Nahash the Ammonite:
- He was a king of Ammon who besieged the Israelite town of Jabesh-gilead in 1 Samuel 11.
- His cruel demand provoked King Saul to gather a large army and rout the Ammonites, establishing Saul’s leadership.
- Nahash represents the persistent enemies, like Ammon, that threatened Israel from all sides throughout their history.
- His opposition provided opportunity for God to show his strength by empowering Saul as a deliverer.
- While few details are given, Nahash serves as an archetype for God’s ability to defend Israel against ruthless foreign kings.
So despite being briefly mentioned, Nahash the Ammonite plays an important symbolic role as an early example of God’s faithfulness to protect his chosen people from those who would do them harm. His story forms part of the checkered tapestry of Israel’s up and down relationship with its hostile neighbors like Ammon.