Syria Defeated

Hadarezer, the Syrian king of Zobah, was embarrassed by the cowardly behavior of his troops against the Israelites. Surely the Syrian army was stronger than that of Israel.

To be driven from the field of battle in disorder was unacceptable.

“Previously the Syrians had entered the conflict only as hired auxiliaries, but now they determined to fight to restore their lost prestige. Hadarezer’s influence extended beyond the Euphrates, into territory that later was distinctly Assyrian, and thence he drew additional forces to bolster his strength.” David now faced the most solemn crisis of his reign.

A call went out to muster the entire nation to arms, and David took the field himself. Shobach, the commander of the Syrian host, gathered his army east of the Jordan River.

David crossed the Jordan and opposed the Syrian host.

David’s forces destroyed “seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen” (2 Samuel 10:18). The book of 2 Samuel emphasizes the cavalry, while the book of 1 Chronicles stresses the infantry (1 Chronicles 19:18).

Both accounts tell of a humiliating Syrian defeat.

Through the blessing of God, David defeated the Syrians, and they became tributary to Israel. While the Ammonites had joined Syria in an alliance for strength, David had relied on strength from God, and that made all the difference.

The “vassal kings who had been tributary to Hadarezer now transferred their allegiance to David and paid tribute to him. God had predicted through Abraham (Gen. 15:18) and Moses (Deut. 11:24) that the dominion of Israel would extend to the Euphrates, and these prophecies were now fulfilled. Israel had become a mighty power that was to be reckoned with by the nations about. The countries that had arrayed themselves against Israel had been laid low, and the efforts to crush David served only to enhance his power and prestige. No weapon directed against God or the people of God can prosper.” “There may be periods of trial and difficulty, but from every trial the cause of God will emerge victorious.”