Hebrew word · H6214

עֲשָׂהאֵל

'asah'el

Asahel

A name built from the verb 'asah ('to make, do') and 'El ('God'): 'God has made'. It celebrates a child as God's work. Similar Hebrew names: Elasah ('God has made'), Asaiah ('YHWH has made').

Appears 24 times in 17 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. · Updated October 31, 2026

What it means

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.2.18; his mother was Zeruiah (H6870);

brother of: Abishai (H0052) and Joab (H3097);

father of: Zebadiah (H2069K)

§ Asahel = "God-made"

1) nephew of David, son of David's sister Zeruiah, and brother of Joab and Abishai; swift of foot he was killed by Abner when he pursued him in battle and caught him

2) a Levite in the reign of king Jehoshaphat of Judah who went through the kingdom giving instruction in the law

3) a Levite in the reign of king Hezekiah of Judah in charge of the tithes and dedicated things in the temple

4) a priest, father of Jonathan, in the time of Ezra

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Chronicles 2:16

Range of meaning: A name built from the verb 'asah ('to make, do') and 'El ('God'): 'God has made'. It celebrates a child as God's work. Similar Hebrew names: Elasah ('God has made'), Asaiah ('YHWH has made').
Against the English: English 'Asahel' hides the two parts. The Hebrew here writes it as two words joined by a hyphen-like mark (עֲשָׂה־אֵל), and YLT's 'Asah-El' keeps that look.
Used elsewhere in the period: 2 Samuel 2:18–32; 3:27, 30; 23:24; 1 Chronicles 11:26; 27:7 (there he is commander of the fourth monthly division, an anachronistic honour since he died early, unless the post was held in his name or by his son Zebadiah).

From the study of 2 Samuel 2:18

Range of meaning: Personal name meaning 'God has made' or 'God made (him)', built from the verb 'asah (to make, do) and El (God). The name occurs for several individuals in the Old Testament.
Against the English: English readers see only a name; the Hebrew audience would have heard its meaning.
Used elsewhere in the period: This Asahel appears in 2 Sam 2:18–32, 3:27, 30, and heads the list of 'the Thirty', David's elite fighters (2 Sam 23:24; 1 Chr 11:26). 1 Chronicles 27:7 lists him as a monthly divisional commander, with his son succeeding him. That list was probably arranged by later writers, since he died before David reigned over all Israel.

Where it appears

2 Samuel · 15

2 Samuel 2:18 וַעֲשָׂהאֵ֑ל וַעֲשָׂהאֵל֙ and Asahel

The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle,

Here: 'God has made.' The youngest-sounding of the three and the one the story is about to follow. He is later listed first among David's 'Thirty' elite warriors (2 Sam 23:24).
2 Samuel 2:19 עֲשָׂהאֵ֖ל Asahel

and he chased Abner, not turning to the right or to the left in his pursuit.
2 Samuel 2:20 עֲשָׂהאֵ֑ל O Asahel

And Abner glanced back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” “It is,” Asahel replied.
2 Samuel 2:21 עֲשָׂהאֵ֔ל Asahel

So Abner told him, “Turn to your right or to your left, seize one of the young men, and take his equipment for yourself.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.
2 Samuel 2:22 עֲשָׂהאֵ֔ל Asahel

Once again, Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?”
2 Samuel 2:23 עֲשָׂהאֵ֛ל Asahel

But Asahel refused to turn away. So Abner thrust the butt of his spear into his stomach, and it came out his back, and he fell dead on the spot. And every man paused when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.
2 Samuel 2:30 וַעֲשָׂה־ אֵֽל׃ and Asah-, -el

When Joab returned from pursuing Abner, he gathered all the troops. In addition to Asahel, nineteen of David’s servants were missing,
2 Samuel 2:32 עֲשָׂהאֵ֔ל Asahel

And they took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.
2 Samuel 3:27 עֲשָׂה־ אֵ֥ל Asah-, -el

When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.

Here: First half of the name Asahel, 'God has made'. It is written as two joined parts.
2 Samuel 3:30 עֲשָׂהאֵ֧ל Asahel

(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
2 Samuel 23:24 עֲשָׂה־ אֵ֥ל Asah-, -el

Now these were members of the Thirty: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

1 Chronicles · 6

1 Chronicles 2:16 וַעֲשָׂה־ אֵ֖ל and Asah-, -el

Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

Here: First half of the name Asahel, here written as two joined words: 'made' (from the verb 'asah, to make).
1 Chronicles 11:26 עֲשָׂה־ אֵל֙ Asah-, -el

Now these were the mighty men: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
1 Chronicles 27:7 עֲשָׂה־ אֵל֙ Asah-, -el

The fourth, for the fourth month, was Joab’s brother Asahel, and his son Zebadiah was commander after him. There were 24,000 men in his division.

2 Chronicles · 2

2 Chronicles 17:8 וַעֲשָׂהאֵ֡ל and Asahel

accompanied by certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah—along with the priests Elishama and Jehoram.
2 Chronicles 31:13 וַעֲשָׂהאֵ֜ל and Asahel

Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei, by appointment of King Hezekiah and of Azariah the chief official of the house of God.

Ezra · 1

Ezra 10:15 עֲשָׂהאֵ֛ל Asahel

(Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this plan.)

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.