Original Word: אַמָּה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Ammah
Pronunciation: ahm-MAH
Phonetic Spelling: (am-maw')
KJV: Ammah
Word Origin: [the same as H520 (אַמָּה - cubits)]

1. Ammah, a hill in Israel

Ammah

The same as 'ammah; Ammah, a hill in Palestine -- Ammah.

see HEBREW 'ammah

I. אַמָּה noun feminine only mother-city, metropolis (compare אֵם 2 Samuel 20:19 & Phoenician); in phrase מֶתֶג הָאַמָּה authority of mother-city 2 Samuel 8:1; see מֶתֶג; compare Dr.

IV. אַמָּה proper name, of a location hill near Gibeon, גִּבְעַתאַֿמָּה 2 Samuel 2:24.

Biblical Occurrence

2 Samuel 2:24 records the single appearance of the name: “But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and the sun was setting when they came to the hill of Ammah, which faces Giah on the way to the Wilderness of Gibeon.”

Geographical Setting

The hill of Ammah stood somewhere northwest of Jerusalem, between the settlement of Giah and the Wilderness of Gibeon. The text locates it on the main track leading out of the Benjaminite plateau toward the western desert edge. Gibeon itself lay on a strategic ridge controlling the watershed route that watched over the approach to the Shephelah; Ammah therefore occupied an elevated lookout that could command the road and offer a rallying point for retreating or pursuing troops.

Historical Context

1. Civil War after Saul’s Death
• Saul has fallen (1 Samuel 31).
• David is anointed king in Hebron over Judah, while Abner sets up Ish-bosheth over the northern tribes (2 Samuel 2:8–10).
• The confrontation at the pool of Gibeon ends with the death of Asahel and sparks a relentless pursuit by Joab and Abishai. The chase reaches its climax at the hill of Ammah.

2. Military Significance
• The steep incline of a hill provided natural defense. Abner uses Ammah as a temporary stronghold from which he can assemble Benjaminite reinforcements (2 Samuel 2:25).
• A high point at sunset offered a psychological advantage: the pursuers were tiring, visibility was diminishing, and elevating oneself gave an aura of control.

3. Turning Point in the Conflict

The stand-off on Ammah arrests the bloodshed for the night. Abner appeals to Joab’s sense of proportionality—“Must the sword devour forever?” (2 Samuel 2:26)—and Joab calls off the chase. Ammah thus becomes the site where vengeance is stayed and fratricidal warfare is checked, if only temporarily.

Archaeological and Traditional Identification

No excavation has firmly fixed Ammah’s location. Proposals range from El-Neby Samwil (Mizpah), to Tell el-Ful (Gibeah of Saul), to a ridge south-west of today’s El-Jib (Gibeon). Each suggestion depends on reconstructing the line of flight from the pool of Gibeon through partially preserved ancient tracks. The absence of physical remains underscores the transitory nature of the event itself: a single evening’s clash remembered only in Scripture.

Intertextual Links

• Gibeon’s earlier history (Joshua 9; Joshua 10:11–14) underlines the region’s strategic weight.
• Later famine because of Saul’s violence against the Gibeonites (2 Samuel 21:1–9) shows that disregard for covenantal obligations in this area had lingering consequences.
• The plea to halt the sword on Ammah anticipates prophetic calls to end internal strife (Isaiah 11:13; Hosea 1:11).

Theological and Ministry Reflections

1. Restraint in Conflict

The exchange on Ammah embodies the biblical principle that vengeance is subordinate to righteousness (Romans 12:19). Even battlefield rivals may recognize limits set by God.

2. Leadership and Accountability
• Joab’s decision illustrates how leaders can defuse situations they helped create.
• Abner’s appeal exposes how easily ambition can embroil whole tribes in needless bloodshed.

3. God’s Sovereignty amid Human Struggle

The clash at Ammah happens during the twilight of the day and the twilight of Saul’s dynasty. The narrative reinforces that God, not human force, determines Israel’s king (Psalm 75:6–7).

4. Unity under the Anointed

The hill’s episode foreshadows the eventual unification of Israel under David. The place where brothers almost destroyed each other becomes a reminder of the cost of disunity and the blessing that follows loyalty to God’s chosen rule (Psalm 133).

Lessons for the Church

• Guard the tongue—and the sword—lest zeal for a cause eclipse love for brothers (James 4:1).
• Seek high ground spiritually: vantage points that afford perspective, enabling reconciliation over retaliation.
• Remember obscure places. Even a hill named only once can testify that God registers every act, every word, and every decision in the unfolding of redemption history.

אַמָּ֔ה אמה ’am·māh ’ammāh amMahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts