Agee is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Agee was the father of Shammah, one of David’s mighty warriors. He is identified in the text as a Hararite, a designation that likely refers to his place of origin or clan affiliation. Beyond this single identifying detail, Scripture records nothing else about Agee himself—no deeds, no words, no further genealogy. He appears only once in the entire King James Bible, and only in relation to his son.
The setting in which his name appears is a roster of David’s heroic soldiers, men celebrated for their courage and exploits in battle. In 2 Samuel 23:11, the narrative introduces Shammah the son of Agee as the next warrior in this honored list, following Eleazar. The account tells how the Philistines had gathered together into a troop at a piece of ground full of lentiles, and when the people of Israel fled from the enemy, Shammah stood his ground. The text credits him with a great victory, and the surrounding verses make clear that these mighty men were instruments of deliverance for Israel.
What Scripture says of Agee, then, is almost nothing in himself. He is named only as the father of a valiant man. Yet that naming is not without significance: in a record of Israel’s heroes, Agee is remembered as the one who gave Shammah life and a place among the people of God. His legacy in the biblical text is entirely bound up with the son who fought when others fled.
The Name
The name Agee is of uncertain meaning. It is not clearly recoverable from the Hebrew text, and no well-established definition is attested for it. Some have proposed connections to words suggesting a fugitive or one who flees, but such suggestions are speculative and not firmly grounded. It is better to say plainly that the meaning of this name is not clearly known than to assign it a meaning the text does not support.
A Closing Thought
Agee never speaks in Scripture, never fights, never appears except as a father’s name attached to a son. Yet his son stood firm when everyone else ran. There is a quiet encouragement here for those whose lives feel hidden: faithfulness in raising, shaping, and simply being present to the next generation can bear fruit we never see. Agee’s one verse is not about Agee—but without Agee, there would be no Shammah. Much of our labor for God is like that, unseen now, remembered in those who come after us.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 2 Samuel 23:11 — And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.