2 Samuel 8:5

5 When ¹the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 * * Arameans.

2 Samuel 8:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 8:5

And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king
of Zobah
These seem to have had no king at this time, or, if they had, Hadadezer was their king, which is not improbable; and Nicholas of Damascus ^F15; an Heathen writer, is clear for it, whom he calls Adad, who, he says, reigned over Damascus, and the other Syria without Phoenicia, who made war with David king of Judea, and was routed by him at Euphrates: and he seems to be the first king of Damascus, which he joined to the kingdom of Zobah, and all the kings of Damascus afterwards were called by the same name; though Josephus ^F16, who also speaks of Adad being king of Damascus and of the Syrians, yet makes him different from this Hadadezer, to whose assistance he says he came:

David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men;
that is, of the Syrians of Damascus.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Apud Joseph. ib. (l. 7. c. 5.) sect. 2.
F16 Ibid.

2 Samuel 8:5 In-Context

3 Then David defeated Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went to restore his rule at the River.

4 David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers ; and David hamstrung the chariot horses, but reserved enough of them for 100 chariots.

5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 Arameans.

6 Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the LORD helped David wherever he went.

7 David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Kings 11:23-25

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "smote"