Zeruiah

Zeruiah was the mother of three of David's most prominent military commanders: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel (2 Samuel 2:18; 1 Chronicles 2:16). She was a sister of David (1 Chronicles 2:16), making her sons his nephews. The consistent scriptural designation of these commanders as sons of Zeruiah rather than identifying them by their father (who is never named) has been noted as unusual; it may reflect that Zeruiah was the more prominent or formidable parent, or that her husband died early. David repeatedly lamented that the sons of Zeruiah were too hard for him (2 Samuel 3:39; 16:10; 19:22) — acknowledging their fierce loyalty but recognizing that their methods sometimes exceeded or complicated his own intentions.