Rehob

Biblical Record

Rehob appears twice in 2 Samuel 8, both times in the phrase "Hadadezer, the son of Rehob." The name is commonly interpreted to mean "broad place" or "open square."

• 2 Samuel 8:3: The text records that David struck down "Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates."
• 2 Samuel 8:12: The text states that David dedicated to God the spoil taken from "Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah," together with what he had taken from Aram, Moab, Ammon, the Philistines, and Amalek.

The text says nothing about Rehob's own deeds, his origins, or whether he ever reigned as king. The title "king of Zobah" belongs to his son Hadadezer. The parallel account of the same events in 1 Chronicles 18 does not mention Rehob by name.

Significance in the Bible

Rehob's name serves only as a patronymic identifying Hadadezer. Second Samuel 8 summarizes how David expanded his kingdom by conquering the surrounding peoples, and within that account Rehob's name helps specify the Aramean power of Zobah. He is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Discussion

The name "Rehob" appears several times in the Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Hangeul), but most occurrences do not refer to this person.

• Place names: "Rehob, as men come to Hamath" in Numbers 13:21 (the place reached by the twelve spies), and a town in the territory of the tribe of Asher mentioned in Joshua 19 and 21, Judges 1:31, and 1 Chronicles 6:75.
• Beth-rehob: In Judges 18:28 and 2 Samuel 10:6 and 10:8, the name refers to an Aramean region or its inhabitants.
• Another person: The Rehob of Nehemiah 10:11 is a Levite who sealed the covenant.

Some scholars suggest that "son of Rehob" may indicate not the actual name of Hadadezer's father but rather a family or place of origin connected with Beth-rehob, which appears alongside Zobah in 2 Samuel 10. This, however, is conjecture; the text simply records Rehob as the father of Hadadezer.

In the Korean Church

Because Rehob is mentioned only by name, he is rarely treated on his own in sermons or Sunday school. He is typically mentioned only alongside Hadadezer when David's victories and his dedication of the spoils in 2 Samuel 8 are discussed.