2 Samuel 8 · Verse 3

2 Samuel 8:3

David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.
2 Samuel 8:3, King James Version

2 Samuel 8:3 in other translations

BSBDavid also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River.
WEBDavid also struck Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion at the River.
ASVDavid smote also Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion at the River.
YLTAnd David smiteth Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, in his going to bring back his power by the River Euphrates;
DARBYAnd David smote Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion by the river Euphrates.
BBEAnd David overcame Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to make his power seen by the River.
WebsterDavid smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.

What does 2 Samuel 8:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. Zobah--(1Ch 18:3). This kingdom was bounded on the east by the Euphrates, and it extended westward from that river, perhaps as far north as Aleppo. It was long the chief among the petty kingdoms of Syria, and its king bore the hereditary title of "Hadadezer" or "Hadarezer" ("Hadad," that is, "helped"). as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates--in accordance with the promises God made to Israel that He would give them all the country as far as the Euphrates (Ge 15:18; Nu 24:17). In the first campaign David signally defeated Hadadezer. Besides a great number of foot prisoners, he took from him an immense amount of booty in chariots and horses. Reserving only a small number of the latter, he hamstrung the rest. The horses were thus mutilated because they were forbidden to the Hebrews, both in war and agriculture. So it was of no use to keep them. Besides, their neighbors placed much dependence on cavalry, but having, for want of a native breed, to procure them by purchase, the greatest damage that could be done to such enemies was to render their horses unserviceable in war. (See also Ge 46:6; Jos 11:6, 9). A king of Damascene-Syria came to Hadadezer's succor; but David routed those auxiliary forces also, took possession of their country, put garrisons into their fortified towns, and made them tributary.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 David smote - Hadadezer - He is supposed to have been king of all Syria, except Phoenicia; and, wishing to extend his dominions to the Euphrates, invaded a part of David's dominions which lay contiguous to it; but being attacked by David, he was totally routed.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 8:1-8

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 than 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…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 8:1-8 →

2 Samuel 8:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּ֣ךְvai.Yakhand he defeatedH5221
דָּוִ֔דda.VidDavidH1732
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הֲדַדְעֶ֥זֶרha.dad.'E.zerHadadezerH1909
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
רְחֹ֖בre.ChoRehobH7340
מֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekh[the] king ofH4428
צוֹבָ֑הtzo.VahZobahH6678
בְּלֶכְתּ֕וֹbe.lekh.Towhen went heH1980
לְהָשִׁ֥יבle.ha.Shivto restoreH7725
יָד֖וֹya.Dohand hisH3027
בִּֽנְהַר־פְּרָֽת\׃bin.har-pe.Ratat [the] river - EuphratesH5104

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 8:3

  • 1 Samuel 14:47

    So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.

  • 2 Samuel 10:16

    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.

  • 2 Samuel 10:19

    And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

  • 1 Chronicles 18:3

    And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.

  • 2 Samuel 10:6

    And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth–rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ish–tob twelve thousand men.

  • Genesis 15:18

    In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

  • Deuteronomy 11:24

    Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.

  • 1 Kings 4:21

    And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

  • 1 Kings 11:23-24

    And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah: And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

  • Psalms 72:8

    He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

  • Psalms 60:1

    To the chief Musician upon Shushan–eduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aram–naharaim and with Aram–zobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand. O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.

  • Exodus 23:31

    And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Hadadezer.
1Ch 18:3
Hadarezer. Zobah.
10:6; 1Sa 14:47; 1Ki 11:23,24; Ps 60:1; *title
at the river.
Ge 15:18; Ex 23:31; De 11:24; 1Ki 4:21; Ps 72:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 8:2

    And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.

  • 2 Samuel 8:3

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

  • 2 Samuel 8:4

    And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.

Read all of 2 Samuel 8

2 Samuel 8:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Asimismo hirió David á Hadad-ezer hijo de Rehob, rey de Soba, yendo él á extender su término hasta el río de Eufrates.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et David frappa Hadadézer, fils de Rehob, roi de Tsoba, comme il allait pour rétablir sa puissance sur le fleuve Euphrate.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und David schlug Hadadeser, den Sohn Rechobs, den König von Zoba, als er hinzog, um seine Macht am Strome wiederherzustellen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et percussit David Adarezer filium Rohob regem Soba, quando profectus est ut dominaretur super flumen Euphraten.