John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. And David also smote Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah , etc.] Called sometimes Aramzobah, and was a part of Syria, as its name shows. Benjamin, of Tudela takes it to be the same with Haleb or Aleppo; Josephus calls it Sophene; but that is placed by Ptolemy f135 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 f136 . 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).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - David subdued the Philistines. They had long been troublesome to Israel. And after the long and frequent struggles the saints have with the powers of darkness, like Israel with the Philistines, the Son of David shall tread them all under foot, and make the saints more tha conquerors. He smote the Moabites, and made them tributaries to Israel Two parts he destroyed, the third part he spared. The line that was to keep alive, though it was but one, is ordered to be a full line. Le the line of mercy be stretched to the utmost. He smote the Syrians. I all these wars David was protected, for this in his psalms he ofte gives glory to God.
Original Hebrew ויך5221 דוד1732 את853 הדדעזר1909 בן1121 רחב7340 מלך4428 צובה6678 בלכתו1980 להשׁיב7725 ידו3027 בנהר־׃5104
