Hadadezer

Biblical Record

Hadadezer was the son of Rehob and king of Zobah, a kingdom of the Arameans located north of Damascus. His name is commonly interpreted to mean "Hadad (an Aramean deity) is help."

According to 2 Samuel 8 and 1 Chronicles 18, Hadadezer was defeated by David while attempting to extend his power toward the Euphrates River. The Aramean army of Damascus that came to his aid also lost twenty-two thousand men (2 Samuel 8:3-5). David took the gold shields belonging to Hadadezer's servants and brought them to Jerusalem, and he seized a great quantity of bronze from Hadadezer's cities (2 Samuel 8:7-8). 1 Chronicles adds that Solomon used this bronze to make the bronze sea, the pillars, and the vessels of the temple (1 Chronicles 18:8). Toi king of Hamath (called Tou in 1 Chronicles), who had fought many wars with Hadadezer, heard of these events and sent his son to David with gifts (2 Samuel 8:9-10).

2 Samuel 10 and 1 Chronicles 19 continue the account with the war against Ammon. Hadadezer summoned the Arameans from beyond the river, and Shobach, the commander of his army, led them to Helam. David crossed the Jordan River and attacked them, and Shobach was killed. Afterward the kings who had been subject to Hadadezer made peace with Israel and served Israel (2 Samuel 10:16-19).

1 Kings 11:23 mentions Rezon, who had fled from his master Hadadezer. Rezon later took control of Damascus and became an adversary of Solomon.

Significance in Scripture

Hadadezer appears as an opponent whose defeat illustrates how David's kingdom subdued the surrounding peoples and expanded its territory. 2 Samuel 8 sums up these victories with the words "And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went" (2 Samuel 8:6). The New Testament does not mention Hadadezer.

Interpretation and Issues

• Differences between parallel texts: 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles differ somewhat in their numbers and names. Examples include the number of horsemen taken captive (2 Samuel 8:4 and 1 Chronicles 18:4), the names of the cities from which the bronze was taken (Betah and Berothai versus Tibhath and Chun), and the names of the king of Hamath and his son (Toi and Joram versus Tou and Hadoram). Some regard these differences as changes that arose during scribal transmission, while others see them as alternative names for the same persons or places.
• Sequence of the wars: Scholars also differ on whether 2 Samuel 8 is an advance summary of the war recounted in chapter 10 or a record of two separate wars.
• Spelling: The King James Version renders the name as "Hadarezer" in some passages.
• Distinction from another figure: Assyrian records mention a king of Damascus with a similar name. He is, however, regarded as belonging to a much later period and is a different person from the Hadadezer of David's time.

In the Korean Church

Sermons or Sunday school lessons devoted specifically to Hadadezer are rare. His name is usually mentioned only as one of David's defeated opponents in sermons on David's victories in 2 Samuel 8.