2 Samuel 8:5

2Sa 8:5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

Ver. 5. And when the Syrians of Damascus came.] Either by the command of Hadadezer, who had subdued them - compare 1Ki 11:23 - or else out of a pragmatical humour, to meddle where they had not to do. See Pro 26:17.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Sa 8:5-6. The Syrians of Damascus — That is, that were subject to Damascus, the chief city of Syria. Put garrisons in Syria of Damascus — Hebrew, in Aram Damasek. This was that part of Syria which lay between Libanus and Antilibanus. The Syrians brought gifts — By way of tribute, in token of their subjection. The Lord preserved David whithersoever he went — Kept him from all the dangers to which he was exposed in these wars.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8:5 Hadadezer’s neighbors, Arameans from Damascus, were of no help to him in repelling David. They would later be more successful against Solomon (1 Kgs 11:23-25) but less successful in their attack of Samaria during the days of King Ahab of Israel (1 Kgs 20).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, the Syrians.

Or, of Damascus, that is, which dwelt near Damascus.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(5) Syrians of Damascus.—So called from their capital, this being the most powerful branch of the Syrian race.

Two and twenty thousand men.—Josephus (Ant. vii. 5, § 2) quotes from the historian Nicolaus a mention of the defeat of Hadad at this place by David.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. the Syrians of Damascus] The kingdom of which Damascus was the capital was the most powerful branch of the Aramaeans or Syrians, and played an important part in the history of Israel. It did not long remain subject to them. In Solomon’s reign a certain Rezon established himself at Damascus, and proved a troublesome enemy (1Ki_11:23-25). Benhadad I. was bribed by Asa to break his league with Baasha and invade the Israelite territory (1Ki_15:18), and actually built a Syrian quarter in Samaria (1Ki_20:34). His son and successor Ben-hadad II. besieged Samaria (1Ki_20:1), but was defeated, and compelled to submit to Ahab (1Ki_20:34). But the defeat and death of Ahab at Ramoth-gilead again gave Syria the upper hand (1 Kings 22); and in the reign of Jehoram Samaria was once more besieged by them, and only saved by a miraculous interposition (2Ki_6:24 to 2Ki_7:20). The rising power of Assyria now began to threaten Syria, but in spite of the defeats he suffered from it, the usurper Hazael, succeeding in repulsing the combined forces of Judah and Israel at Ramoth-gilead (2Ki_8:28-29), ravaged the trans-Jordanic territory of Israel (2Ki_10:32-33), captured Gath, and threatened Jerusalem, which only escaped on payment of a heavy ransom (2Ki_12:17-18), and seriously reduced the power of the Northern Kingdom (2Ki_13:3-7). Joash, however, recovered the lost territory (2Ki_13:25), and Jeroboam II. extended his conquests to Damascus (2Ki_14:28). Three quarters of a century later Syria reappears as the ally of Israel against Judah. Rezin, king of Damascus, made a league with Pekah to depose Ahaz and set up a creature of their own in his stead (2Ki_16:5; Isa_7:1-9); but their attempt to take Jerusalem failed, and Ahaz persuaded Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, to attack Syria. Rezin was slain and Damascus destroyed (2Ki_16:7-9). Damascus now disappears from the O.T. history; but by the fourth century b. c. it had been rebuilt. and has maintained its prosperity down to the present day. It is situated in a fertile plain watered by the river Barada, which is probably the Abana of Scripture, to the E. of the great mountain chain of the Anti-Libanus, on the edge of the desert. Travellers describe it as “embosomed in a wide forest of fruit trees, intersected and surrounded by sparkling streams, in the midst of an earthly paradise.” This natural beauty and fertility, combined with its importance as a centre of trade, have secured the permanence of its prosperity for nearly 4,000 years. See Robinson’s Biblical Researches, III. 443 ff; Stanley’s Sinai and Palestine, p. 414 ff.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah,.... These seem to have had no king at this time, or, if they had, Hadadezer was their king, which is not improbable; and Nicholas of Damascus (o); an Heathen writer, is clear for it, whom he calls Adad, who, he says, reigned over Damascus, and the other Syria without Phoenicia, who made war with David king of Judea, and was routed by him at Euphrates: and he seems to be the first king of Damascus, which he joined to the kingdom of Zobah, and all the kings of Damascus afterwards were called by the same name; though Josephus (p), who also speaks of Adad being king of Damascus and of the Syrians, yet makes him different from this Hadadezer, to whose assistance he says he came:

David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men; that is, of the Syrians of Damascus.

(o) Apud Joseph. ib. (l. 7. c. 5.) sect. 2. (p) Ibid.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Syrians of Damascus - The Syrians (Aram), whose capital was Damascus, were the best known and most powerful. Damascus (written Darmesek in marginal references, according to the late Aramean orthography) is first mentioned in Gen 15:2. According to Nicolaus of Damascus, cited by Josephus, the Syrian king’s name was Hadad.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Men. As Adarezer had brought upon himself the arms of David, perhaps by attempting to succour the Moabites, as he afterwards did the children of Ammon; (chap. x.) so the king of Damascus was ruined by coming too late to his assistance. This king may be the Adad mentioned by Nicholaus. (B. 4.) (Salien, the year of the world 2993, the 14th year of David.) See ver. 1 and 3.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The Syrians of Damascus, i. e. who were subject to Damascus, the chief city of Syria.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. Syrians of Damascus — Damascus was the metropolis of the Syrian empire, (see note on Gen_15:2,) and confederate with Zobah. According to Josephus, the king of Syria who reigned at this time at Damascus was called Hadad.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Syrians of Damascus; Hebrew, Aram-Dammesek; that is, Aram-Damascus. The inhabitants of these regions and of Mesopotamia were descended from Aram, the son of Shem, (Gen_10:22) and bore his name. Thus Zobah is called Aram-Zobah in the title of Psalm 60. As members of a kindred race, and speaking the same language, all the clans of the Aramean family would naturally combine to check the growing power of Israel.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Of Damascus - That is, who were subject to Damascus, the chief city of Syria.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

After destroying the main force of Hadadezer, David turned against his ally, against Aram-Damascus, i.e., the Aramaeans, whose capital was Damascus. Dammesek (for which we have Darmesek in the Chronicles according to its Aramaean form), Damascus, a very ancient and still a very important city of Syria, standing upon the Chrysorrhoas (Pharpar), which flows through the centre of it. It is situated in the midst of paradisaical scenery, on the eastern side of the Antilibanus, on the road which unites Western Asia with the interior. David smote 22,000 Syrians of Damascus, placed garrisons in the kingdom, and made it subject and tributary. נציבים are not governors of officers, but military posts, garrisons, as in Sa1 10:5; Sa1 13:3.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

David killed

Here David represents his soldiers. AT: "David and his soldiers killed" (See: Synecdoche)

twenty-two thousand Aramean men

"22,000 Aramean men" (See: Numbers)

put garrisons in Aram

"ordered large groups of his soldiers to remain in Aram"

translationWords

Aram

Damascus

David

servant

tribute

Yahweh

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.