Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 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.
15 19. Renewed attack of the Syrians. Their total defeat
16. And Hadarezer sent, &c.] The correct form of his name is probably Hadadezer. See note on ch. 2Sa 8:3. He now mustered his vassals and tributaries ( 2Sa 10:19) from beyond “the river,” i.e. the Euphrates. “Brought out” = caused to take the field: it is the causative voice of the verb “to go out,” which is the technical term for going out to war (1Sa 8:20; 2Sa 11:1).
and they came to Helam ] The words might be translated and their force came; but on the whole it is preferable to take Helam as a proper name, as in 2Sa 10:17. It has been proposed to identify it with Alamata, a town west of the Euphrates, but it is nowhere else mentioned, and its site is quite uncertain. This clause is omitted in Chronicles, where also in place of and came to Helam in the next verse we read and came upon them, so that the name of the place is altogether omitted there.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Helam – The place is unknown. Some prefer the translation of the Latin Vulgate: their host came.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 16. 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 resh and daleth are easily interchanged.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Hadarezer; the same with Hadadezer, 2Sa 8:3.
The Syrians that were beyond the river; who having engaged themselves in the former expedition, as was noted before, were now obliged to proceed in their own defence, being also persuaded and hired to this second expedition, 2Sa 10:19. Shobach, or Shopach, 1Ch 19:16.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. Hadarezer sent and brought outthe Syrians that were beyond the riverThis prince had enjoyeda breathing time after his defeat (2Sa8:3). But alarmed at the increasing power and greatness of David,as well as being an ally of the Ammonites, he levied a vast army notonly in Syria, but in Mesopotamia, to invade the Hebrew kingdom.Shobach, his general, in pursuance of this design, had marched histroops as far as Kelam, a border town of eastern Manasseh, whenDavid, crossing the Jordan by forced marches, suddenly surprised,defeated, and dispersed them. As a result of this great and decisivevictory, all the petty kingdoms of Syria submitted and became histributaries (see on 1Ch 19:1).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And 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. Junius conjectures that it is the same with the Alamatha of Ptolemy z, which he places with the Trachonite Arabs near the Euphrates:
and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer [went] before them: before the whole combined army, which according to Josephus a, consisted of eighty thousand foot, and ten thousand horse: this general is called Shophach, 1Ch 19:16 the letters “B” and “P” being of the same pronunciation in the Hebrew tongue, as Kimchi observes, though it is there read “Shobach”, in the Syriac and Arabic versions; he was no doubt a very able, valiant, and skilful general, since he is particularly mentioned by name, and whose name was then famous; the Arabic version calls him a spear bearer of Hadarezer.
y Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 6.) sect. 3. z Geograph. l. 5. c. 15. a Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 6. sect. 3.)
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(16) Hadarezer.On the form of the name see Note on 2Sa. 8:3. He felt the importance of the defeat he had sustained, and now evidently made an effort to rally all his forces, even calling together vassal tribes from beyond the Euphrates.
They came to Helam.The Hebrew word here is not necessarily a proper name, and might be translated their host; but as the name unquestionably occurs in 2Sa. 10:17, it is better taken as a proper name here also. It is entirely omitted in Chronicles. Its exact situation is unknown, but from 2Sa. 8:3; 1Ch. 18:3, it is plain that it was in the general direction of the Euphrates and not very far from Hamath.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. Brought out the Syrians beyond the river By which act he seems to have lost his dominion in that border. See 2Sa 8:3. When the Syrian cities beyond the Euphrates learned that their king had been smitten by the army of David they openly renounced their allegiance to the kingdom of Zobah.
Helam A place somewhere beyond the Jordan, and probably near the borders of Syria; but its situation has never been discovered.
Shobach the captain Who was to Hadarezer’s army what Joab was to David’s.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 10:16. The Syrians that were beyond the river Beyond the river Euphrates. Hadarezer is the same with Hadadezer, mentioned chap. 2Sa 8:3. Houbigant says, that he found it wrote Hadadezer in five manuscripts which he consulted. It is probable that Helam was situated upon the banks of the river Euphrates.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Sa 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.
Ver. 16. And Hadarezar sent. ] He is elsewhere called Hadadezar: Daleth and Resh ( and ) being letters very like one to another. Hence some collect probably that the Hebrew letters had the same figure of old as now they have, and therefore were not the same with the Samaritan charactars. The Samaritan Jod is one of the largest; but the Hebrew Jod is one of the least letters, whence that of our Saviour. Mat 5:18 Hebrew Text Note
And they came to Helam.
a Junius.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
river: i.e. the Euphrates.
Shobach. Another name, Shophach (1Ch 19:16).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Hadarezer: 2Sa 8:3-8, 1Ch 18:3, 1Ch 18:5
the river: i.e. Euphrates
Shobach: or, Shophach, 1Ch 19:16
Reciprocal: Psa 48:4 – General Psa 60:1 – when he strove