Commentators focus on Amasa's father, Jether, being called an "Ishmaelite." This contrasts with 2 Samuel 17:25, which calls him an "Israelite." Scholars suggest he was either an Israelite who had lived among Ishmaelites, a proselyte to Israel's faith, or that the Chronicler's "Ishmaelite" label is correct, reflecting a time when marriages to foreigners were more accepted than in later periods.