2 Samuel 8:3

3 Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his monument at^[a] the Euphrates River.

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2 Samuel 8:3 in Other Translations

KJV

3 David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.

ESV

3 David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates.

NLT

3 David also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the Euphrates River.

MSG

3 On his way to restore his sovereignty at the River Euphrates, David next defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob the king of Zobah.

CSB

3 David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who went to restore his control at the Euphrates River.

2 Samuel 8:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 8:3

And David also smote Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of
Zobah
Called sometimes Aramzobah, and was a part of Syria, as its name shows. Benjamin, of Tudela ^F8 takes it to be the same with Haleb or Aleppo; Josephus ^F9 calls it Sophene; but that is placed by Ptolemy

FOOTNOTES:

F11 beyond the Euphrates; whereas this country must be between that river and the land of Israel, and was contiguous to it, and near Damascus; and it was so near the land of Israel, and being conquered by David, that it became a controversy with the Jews, whether it was not to be reckoned part of it, and in several things they allow it to be equal to it ^F12. Rehob was the first king of this part of Syria, and then his son the second and last; he is called Hadarezer in ( 1 Chronicles 18:3 ) ; the letters (d) "D" and (r) "R", being frequently changed in the Hebrew tongue: him David fought with, and overcame,

as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates;
which some understand of Hadadezer, so Jarchi and Kimchi, who attempted to recover part of his dominions that had been taken by some one or another from him, which lay upon the river Euphrates; or he endeavoured to enlarge his dominions, and carry them as far as the river, and establish the borders of them; and while he was doing this, or attempting it, David fell upon him, and routed him; or rather this refers to David, who considering that the ancient border of the land of Israel, as given to Abraham, reached to the river Euphrates, ( Genesis 15:18 ) ; he set out on an expedition to recover this border, and whereas the country of this king lay in his way, he invaded that; upon which Hadadezer rose up against him, and was conquered by him, and by this means the border was recovered to the kingdom of Israel, and reached so far, as is plain it did in Solomon's time, ( 1 Kings 4:21-24 ) .

F8 Itinerar. p. 59.
F9 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5. sect. 1.)
F11 Geograph. l. 5. c. 13.
F12 T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 8. 1. 2. Misn. Demai, c. 6. sect. 11. & Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

2 Samuel 8:3 In-Context

1 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.

2 David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.

3 Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his monument at the Euphrates River.

4 David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them.

Cross References 3

1. 2 Samuel 10:16,19; 1 Kings 11:23
2. S 1 Samuel 14:47
3. S Genesis 2:14

Footnotes 1

[a]. Or "his control along"