2 Samuel 8:9

9 When To'i king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadade'zer,

2 Samuel 8:9 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 8:9

When Toi king of Hamath
Which was another small kingdom in Syria, perhaps lately erected to defend themselves against Hadadezer, and this the first king of it, at least the first we hear of; his name is Tou in ( 1 Chronicles 18:9 ) ; where in the Targum he is called king of Antioch. Hamath lay to the north of the land of Canaan; (See Gill on Numbers 34:8): it is said ^F20 to be three days' journey from Tripoli, and that it stands in the midway to Aleppo, on a very goodly plain, replenished with corn and cotton wool, but very much in ruins, and falls more and more to decay: at this day (says my author, who travelled in those parts in the beginning of the seventeenth century) there is scarce one half of the wall standing, which hath been very fair and strong. The king of this place

heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer;
the news of which soon reached him, he being in the neighbourhood.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Cartwright's Preacher's Travels, p. 6.

2 Samuel 8:9 In-Context

7 And David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadade'zer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

8 And from Betah and from Bero'thai, cities of Hadade'zer, King David took very much bronze.

9 When To'i king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadade'zer,

10 To'i sent his son Joram to King David, to greet him, and to congratulate him because he had fought against Hadade'zer and defeated him; for Hadade'zer had often been at war with To'i. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze;

11 these also King David dedicated to the LORD, together with the silver and gold which he dedicated from all the nations he subdued,