John Gill's Exposition on 2 Samuel 8:9

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

When Toi king of Hamath, etc.] Which was another small kingdom in Syria, perhaps lately erected to defend themselves against Hadadezer, and this the first king of it, at least the first we hear of; his name is Tou in (<131809>1 Chronicles 18:9); where in the Targum he is called king of Antioch. Hamath lay to the north of the land of Canaan; (see Gill on “<043408>Numbers 34:8”): it is said f144 to be three days’ journey from Tripoli, and that it stands in the midway to Aleppo, on a very goodly plain, replenished with corn and cotton wool, but very much in ruins, and falls more and more to decay: at this day (says my author, who travelled in those parts in the beginning of the seventeenth century) there is scarce one half of the wall standing, which hath been very fair and strong. The king of this place heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer; the news of which soon reached him, he being in the neighbourhood.

Read 2 Samuel 8:9 →Read the full chapter →Jamieson, Fausset & Brown →Barnes' Notes →Tyndale Open Study Notes →Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge →Keil & Delitzsch →

How to use this source
This excerpt is attributed to its named commentary. It is included as a historical study resource and should be evaluated in light of Scripture and other relevant evidence.