2 Samuel 10:16
in 2 Samuel 10Hadadezer sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, and they came to Helam with Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the River: and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer at their head.
KJV
And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 10
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd Hadarezer sent,.... The same with Hadadezer, 2Sa 8:3, who was at the head of this confederacy, and to whom the rest of the kings of Syria were servants, 2Sa 10:19, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river; the river Phrat or Euphrates, as the Targum; so the Arabic version and Josephus (y), who says, that he hired them: and they came to Helam; which, according to the same writer, was king of the Syrians beyond Euphrates; but it seems to be the name of a place, where was the general rendezvous of the Syrian army.
This site's exposition
they gathered themselves together
on 2 Samuel 10:15-16
One defeat does not end the war. The Syrians, smitten before Israel, gather themselves again, and Hadarezer draws in reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates, forces he had not needed against Israel before this campaign widened. Gill and Clarke both note this is the same Hadarezer David had already struck at 2 Samuel 8:3, so the second muster is a defeated king trying to reverse an old defeat rather than a new enemy rising.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
The Syrians that were beyond the river - That is, the Euphrates. Hadarezer - This is the same that was overthrown by David, 2Sa 8:3 and there called Hadadezer; which is the reading here of about thirty of Kennicott’s and De Rossi’s MSS. But the ר resh and ד daleth are easily interchanged.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Hadarezer sent and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river--This prince had enjoyed a breathing time after his defeat (2Sa 8:3). But alarmed at the increasing power and greatness of David, as well as being an ally of the Ammonites, he levied a vast army not only in Syria, but in Mesopotamia, to invade the Hebrew kingdom.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Helam - The place is unknown. Some prefer the translation of the Latin Vulgate: “their host came.”
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Shovach the commander of Hadarezer's aray. Because he was very mighty and powerful, he is mentioned by name.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח | vaiyishlach | and he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר | hadadezer | Hadadezer | H1928 → | 12 times |
| וַיֹּצֵ֤א | vaiyotze' | and he brought out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲרָם֙ | ʾaram | Aram | H758 → | 143 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מֵעֵ֣בֶר | meever | [was] from [the] other side of | H5676 → | |
| הַנָּהָ֔ר | hanahar | the River | H5104 → | |
| וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ | vaiyavou | and they came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| חֵילָ֑ם | cheilam | Helam | H2431 → | |
| וְשׁוֹבַ֛ךְ | veshovakh | and Shobach | H7731 → | |
| שַׂר־ | sar- | [the] commander of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| צְבָ֥א | tzeva' | [the] army of | H6635 → | 485 times |
| הֲדַדְעֶ֖זֶר | hadadezer | Hadadezer | H1928 → | 12 times |
| לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ | lifneihem | [was] <to> before them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
וַיִּשְׁלַ֣חand he sent
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶרHadadezer
hadadezerH1928 →12 times
וַיֹּצֵ֤אand he brought out
vaiyotze'H3318 →1067 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲרָם֙Aram
ʾaramH758 →143 times
אֲשֶׁר֙which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
מֵעֵ֣בֶר[was] from [the] other side of
meeverH5676 →
הַנָּהָ֔רthe River
hanaharH5104 →
וַיָּבֹ֖אוּand they came
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
חֵילָ֑םHelam
cheilamH2431 →
וְשׁוֹבַ֛ךְand Shobach
veshovakhH7731 →
שַׂר־[the] commander of
sar-H8269 →421 times
צְבָ֥א[the] army of
tzeva'H6635 →485 times
הֲדַדְעֶ֖זֶרHadadezer
hadadezerH1928 →12 times
לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃[was] <to> before them
lifneihemH6440 →2123 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Chronicles 18:3As far as Hamath, David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah, who had marched out to establish his dominion along the Euphrates River.
it leads to
- Psalms 60:1
You have rejected us, O God; You have broken us; You have been angry; restore us!
- 2 Samuel 8:3
David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River.
- 2 Samuel 10:6
When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zoba, as well as a thousand men from the king of Maacah…
- Psalms 60:1
Through
1 Chronicles 18:5When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand men.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 8:5–6
When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand men.
- 1 Chronicles 19:6
When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.
- Isaiah 8:9–10
Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!
- 2 Samuel 8:5–6
Through
1 Chronicles 19:16When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
it leads to
- Zechariah 14:1–3
Behold, a day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence.
- Micah 4:11–12
But now many nations have assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let us feast our eyes on Zion.”
- Zechariah 14:1–3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.