MPV Commentary

3. Hadadezer was likely derived from the name of a Syrian deity named Hadad. This name became the official and hereditary title of the rulers of that kingdom.

Zobah's location is determined by its proximity to Hamath, northeast of Damascus. Some believe it may be the same place as Hobah mentioned in Genesis 14:15. Before Damascus rose to prominence, Zobah was the capital of a kingdom that dominated the petty states of Syria.

As Hadadezer went to establish his dominion along the Euphrates River, David took action against him (Genesis 15:18; Numbers 24:17). However, some interpret this verse as referring to David's own expansion towards the Euphrates.

4-8. David conquered Hadadezer and took a thousand chariots from him (2 Samuel 8:3-14). The discrepancy between seven hundred horsemen in 2 Samuel 8:4 and seven thousand here likely resulted from a transcription error, where two Hebrew letters were confused. We cannot determine which number is correct.

David reserved one hundred chariots for a triumphal procession upon his return to Jerusalem, after which he destroyed them like the rest.

8. The places of Tibhath and Chun are mentioned in 2 Samuel 8:8 as Betah and Berothai. It's possible that these were different names for the same towns, with one being the Jewish name and the other the Syrian name. Their exact location is unknown.

9-13. Tou, or Toi, was a neighboring king whose dominions bordered those of Hadadezer (1 Kings 11:15). His relationship to David is described in 2 Samuel 8:9-12.

17. The Cherethites and Pelethites formed the royal bodyguard. The Cherethites were likely skilled archers who accompanied David during his time among the Philistines (1 Samuel 30:14; Ezekiel 25:16; Zephaniah 2:5). They may have derived their name from this people. The Pelethites, on the other hand, joined David at Ziklag and were expert sling users as Benjamites (1 Chronicles 12:3).