Hadadezer
Hadad is help; called also Hadarezer, Adod is his help, the king of Zobah. Hanun, the king of the Ammonites, hired among others the army of Hadadezer to assist him in his war against David. Joab, who was sent against this confederate host, found them in double battle array, the Ammonities toward their capital of Rabbah, and the Syrian mercenaries near Medeba. In the battle which was fought the Syrians were scattered, and the Ammonites in alarm fled into their capital. After this Hadadezer went north “to recover his border” (2 Sam 8:3, A.V.); but rather, as the Revised Version renders, “to recover his dominion”, i.e., to recruit his forces. Then followed another battle with the Syrian army thus recruited, which resulted in its being totally routed at Helam (2 Sam 10:17). Shobach, the leader of the Syrian army, died on the field of battle. The Syrians of Damascus, who had come to help Hadadezer, were also routed, and Damascus was made tributary to David. All the spoils taken in this war, “shields of gold” and “very much brass,” from which afterwards the “brasen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass” for the temple were made (1 Chr 18:8), were brought to Jerusalem and dedicated to Jehovah. Thus the power of the Ammonites and the Syrians was finally broken, and David’s empire extended to the Euphrates (2 Sam 10:15–19; 1 Chr 19:15–19).
Named in the Bible
8 verses
- 2 Samuel 8:3 David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.
- 2 Samuel 8:5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.
- 2 Samuel 8:7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
- 2 Samuel 8:8 And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.
- 2 Samuel 8:9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,
- 2 Samuel 8:10 Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:
- 2 Samuel 8:12 Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
- 1 Kings 11:23 And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:
From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), by Matthew George Easton.
