Beth-rehob (Rehob) was an Aramean city and region, allied with the Ammonites against David, located near the northern border of Israel.
Also known as Beth Rehob · Rehob
Beth-rehob, also known as Rehob, was an Aramean city and region located in the north of Israel, near the border with Aram (Syria). It is mentioned in the context of the Israelites' conquest of Canaan and later during the reign of King David.
In Numbers 13:21, the spies sent by Moses to explore Canaan are said to have gone as far north as Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. This suggests that Rehob was located in the northernmost part of the Promised Land, close to the entrance of Hamath, a major city in Syria.
In Judges 18:28, Rehob is mentioned as a reference point to describe the location of Laish, a city that the Danites conquered and renamed Dan. The text states that Laish was situated near Beth-rehob, indicating the proximity of the two places.
During the reign of King David, Beth-rehob played a role in the conflict between Israel and the Ammonites. In 2Sa.10.6, the Ammonites, facing an impending attack from David's army, hired Aramean mercenaries from various regions, including Beth-rehob, to help them in battle. The Arameans of Beth-rehob, along with those from Zobah, provided 20,000 foot soldiers to support the Ammonites.
In the subsequent battle at Helam (2Sa.10.8), the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, together with the Ammonites, faced David's army, led by Joab and Abishai. The Israelites defeated the Arameans and Ammonites, and the Arameans made peace with Israel, fearing to help the Ammonites any further.
The exact location of Beth-rehob is uncertain, but it was likely situated in the region of Aram, north of Israel, possibly in the area known as the Beqaa Valley in modern-day Lebanon. Its association with the Arameans and its proximity to Hamath suggest that it was an important city or region in the Aramean kingdom.
Approximate location: 33.219, 35.544 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
BETH-RE'HOB (house of Rehoh), called Rehob, Num 13:21; 2 Sam 10:6, 1 Kgs 15:8; was near Laish, Jud 18:28; possibly Hunin, on the mountain west of the plain of Dan, and about 1000 feet above it.
BETH-RE'HOB (house of Rehoh), called Rehob, Num 13:21; 2 Sam 10:6, 1 Kgs 15:8; was near Laish, Jud 18:28; possibly Hunin, on the mountain west of the plain of Dan, and about 1000 feet above it.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
4 verses in 3 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H1050
So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo-hamath.
There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.
When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zoba, as well as a thousand men from the king of Maacah and twelve thousand men from Tob.
The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.