2 Samuel 10:15

THE FINAL RALLY OF SYRIANS AGAINST DAVID WAS REPULSED

"But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. And Hadadezer sent, and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates; and they came to Helam, with Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians arrayed themselves against David, and fought with him. And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and wounded Shobach the commander of their army, so that he died there. And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel, and became subject to them. So the Syrians feared to help the Ammonites any more."

"And they came to Helam" (2 Samuel 10:16). This place is somewhere west of the Jordan River, probably northward in the direction of Syria; but, "Its location is not known."[17] Hadadezer, the dominant ruler of the whole Mesopotamian area was stung by the defeat of his mercenaries by Joab; and, through pride, he gathered an even greater army and confronted David at Helam. With the defeat of this great force and the slaying of their commander, David at last established the Euphrates River as the eastern boundary of God's Israel. Hadadezer and the petty kings tributary to him made peace with Israel and paid tribute to David. Some have suggested that Hadadezer might not have submitted to David, but Keil stated that this passage, "Shows very clearly that Hadadezer also made peace with Israel and submitted,"[18] to David's rule. Still, all of this left the problem of Rabbah unresolved.

Some have been perplexed by the discrepancies in the numbers (of casualties, etc) here as compared with the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 19, but D. F. Payne attributed this to, "Textual corruption,"[19] which may very well be the true explanation.

This rather extended account here is understood by many scholars as a more complete account of the abbreviated narrative in that 8th chapter summary of all of David's wars. This could be true, but we do not consider it as certain.

It is significant that David himself commanded this expedition against Hadadezer. It would have been far better for David if he had likewise personally led the siege against Rabbah and not have stayed in Jerusalem, where great temptations overwhelmed him.