Hamath, also known as Hamath Rabbah or Lebo-hamath, was a significant city and kingdom in Syria, frequently mentioned in the Bible as a reference point for the northern border of Israel and in the context of political and military events (Num.13:21; Judges 3:3; 2Ki.14.25, 28; Jeremiah 39:5; 49:23; 52:9, 27).
Also known as Hamath Rabbah · Hamath the great · Lebo-hamath · go · entering Hamath,come to Hemath
Hamath, also referred to as Hamath Rabbah or Lebo-hamath, was a prominent city and kingdom located in Syria, north of Israel. It is mentioned numerous times throughout the Old Testament, often serving as a reference point for the northern extent of Israel's territory (Numbers 13:21; 34:8; Joshua 13:5; Judges 3:3; 1Ki.8.65; 2Ch.7.8; Ezk.47.15-17, 20; 48:1; Amo.6.14).
Hamath had its own kings, such as Toi, who sent his son Joram to congratulate David on his victories over Hadadezer (2Sa.8.9-10; 1Ch.18.9-10). The city was known for its military strength and strategic importance, as evidenced by its mentions in the context of conflicts and conquests (2Ki.14.28; 17:24, 30; 18:34; 19:13; Isaiah 10:9; 36:19; 37:13; Jeremiah 39:5; 49:23; 52:9, 27).
During the reigns of various Israelite kings, Hamath served as a marker of the extent of their dominion. Jeroboam II, king of Israel, is said to have restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah (2Ki.14.25). Solomon, known for his expansive kingdom, is described as having ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt, including Tiphsah and Gaza (1Ki.4.21, 24).
The Assyrians conquered Hamath in the 8th century BC and deported some of its inhabitants to Samaria (2Ki.17.24, 30). The fall of Hamath is mentioned in the prophetic oracles of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Amos, often in the context of judgment against the city for its pride and wickedness (Isaiah 10:9; Jeremiah 49:23; Amo.6.2).
In the prophetic visions of Ezekiel, Hamath is mentioned as one of the boundaries of the restored land of Israel (Ezk.47.15-17, 20; 48:1), indicating its continued significance as a geographical marker.
The exact location of Hamath is believed to be near the modern-day city of Hama in western Syria, situated along the Orontes River. Its strategic location along trade routes and its proximity to Israel made it a city of great importance in the ancient Near East.
Approximate location: 35.136, 36.749 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Fortress, the capital of one of the kingdoms of Upper Syria of the same name, on the Orontes, in the valley of Lebanon, at the northern boundary of Palestine (Num. 13:21; 34:8), at the foot of Hermon (Josh. 13:5) towards Damascus (Zech. 9:2; Jer. 49:23). It is called “Hamath the great” in Amos 6:2, and “Hamath-zobah” in 2 Chr. 8:3. Hamath, now Hamah, had an Aramaean population, but Hittite monuments discovered there show that it must have been at one time occupied by the Hittites. It was among the conquests of the Pharaoh Thothmes III. Its king, Tou or Toi, made alliance with David (2 Sam. 8:10), and in B.C. 740 Azariah formed a league with it against Assyria. It was, however, conquered by the Assyrians, and its nineteen districts placed under Assyrian governors. In B.C. 720 it revolted under a certain Yahu-bihdi, whose name, compounded with that of the God of Israel (Yahu), perhaps shows that he was of Jewish origin. But the revolt was suppressed, and the people of Hamath were transported to Samaria (2 Kings 17:24, 30), where they continued to worship their god Ashima. Hamah is beautifully situated on the Orontes, 32 miles north of Emesa, and 36 south of the ruins of Assamea. The kingdom of Hamath comprehended the great plain lying on both banks of the Orontes from the fountain near Riblah to Assamea on the north, and from Lebanon on the west to the desert on the east. The “entrance of Hamath” (Num. 34:8), which was the north boundary of Palestine, led from the west between the north end of Lebanon and the Nusairiyeh mountains.
(fortress), the principal city of upper Syria, was situated in the valley of the Orontes, which it commanded from the low screen of hills which forms the water-shed between the source of the Orontes and Antioch. The Hamathites were a Hamitic race, and are included among the descendants of Canaan. (Genesis 10:18) Nothing appears of the power of Hamath until the time of David. (2 Samuel 8:9) Hamath seems clearly to have been included in the dominions of Solomon. (1 Kings 4:21-24) The “store-cities” which Solomon “built in Hamath,” (2 Chronicles 8:4) were perhaps staples for trade. In the Assyrian inscriptions of the time of Ahab (B.C. 900) Hamath appears as a separate power, in alliance with the Syrians of Damascus, the Hittites and the Phoenicians. About three-quarters of a century later Jeroboam the Second “recovered Hamath.” (2 Kings 14:28) Soon afterwards the Assyrians took it, (2 Kings 18:34; 19:13) etc., and from this time it ceased to be a place of much importance. Antiochus Epiphanes changed its name to Epiphaneia. The natives, however, called it Hamath even in St. Jerome’s time, and its present name, Hamah, is but slightly altered from the ancient form.
HA'MATH (fortress, citadel), one of the most important cities of Syria, and one of the oldest in the world. It was founded by a son of Canaan, Gen 10:18; Num 34:8, and was situated in the valley of the Orontes, between its source and the site of the city of Antioch. It thus commanded the route to the Euphrates from Phoenicia, and may be called the "key" of northern Palestine. It was 165 miles in a straight line north of Jerusalem, and was the capital of a kingdom or province of which little is known. It was visited by the spies, Num 13:21, and it is frequently noticed as the northern boundary of Palestine. Num 34:8; Josh 13:5. Its king, Toi, blessed David for his victory over Zobah, 2 Sam 8:9-12; Solomon extended his kingdom to Hamath, 1 Kgs 8:6; 2 Chr 8:4, and built store-cities in that region; afterward the city and country became independent, but were again subdued by Jeroboam II., 2 Kgs 14:25, 2 Kgs 14:28. It was taken by the Assyrians, 2 Kgs 18:34; Isa 10:9; Amos calls it "Hamath the great," and speaks of its desolation. Am 6:2. Later History-The name of Hamath was changed by Antiochus Epiphanes to Epiphania, though the old name does not appear to have been lost, since it was known as Hamath in the time of Jerome. The place was taken by the Moslems, a.d. 639; by the Franks, a.d. 1108; by the Turks, a.d. 1115; was destroyed by an earthquake in which 15,000 persons perished, a.d. 1157; and taken by Saladin, a.d. 1178. Its modern name is Hamah, and it is now a place of 30,000 inhabitants. Porter regards it as a town where life has been at a standstill for 30 centuries. It, how Inscription discovered at Hamath. (From a report of the Am, Palestine Exploration Society.) ever, has large bazaars, baths, mosques, and hydraulic works, and carries on an active trade with…
HA'MATH (fortress, citadel), one of the most important cities of Syria, and one of the oldest in the world. It was founded by a son of Canaan, Gen 10:18; Num 34:8, and was situated in the valley of the Orontes, between its source and the site of the city of Antioch. It thus commanded the route to the Euphrates from Phoenicia, and may be called the "key" of northern Palestine. It was 165 miles in a straight line north of Jerusalem, and was the capital of a kingdom or province of which little is known. It was visited
by the spies, Num 13:21, and it is frequently noticed as the northern boundary of Palestine. Num 34:8; Josh 13:5. Its king, Toi, blessed David for his victory over Zobah, 2 Sam 8:9-12; Solomon extended his kingdom to Hamath, 1 Kgs 8:6; 2 Chr 8:4, and built store-cities in that region; afterward the city and country became independent, but were again subdued by Jeroboam II., 2 Kgs 14:25, 2 Kgs 14:28. It was taken by the Assyrians, 2 Kgs 18:34; Isa 10:9; Amos calls it "Hamath the great," and speaks of its desolation. Am 6:2. Later History-The name of Hamath was changed by Antiochus Epiphanes to Epiphania, though the old name does not appear to have been lost, since it was known as Hamath in the time of Jerome. The place was taken by the Moslems, a.d. 639; by the Franks, a.d. 1108; by the Turks, a.d. 1115; was destroyed by an earthquake in which 15,000 persons perished, a.d. 1157; and taken by Saladin, a.d. 1178. Its modern name is Hamah, and it is now a place of 30,000 inhabitants. Porter regards it as a town where life has been at a standstill for 30 centuries. It, how Inscription discovered at Hamath. (From a report of the Am, Palestine Exploration Society.) ever, has large bazaars, baths, mosques, and hydraulic works, and carries on an active trade with…
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.
34 verses in 13 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H2574
So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo-hamath.
and from Mount Hor to Lebo-hamath, then extend to Zedad,
the land of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath.
the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.
When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,
So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him—a great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt—kept the feast before the LORD our God for seven days and seven more days—fourteen days in all.
This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word that the LORD, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.
As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, along with all his accomplishments and might, and how he waged war and recovered both Damascus and Hamath for Israel from Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.
The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”
And Pharaoh Neco imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he could not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land.
So David assembled all Israel, from the River Shihor in Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.
When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah,
So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him—a very great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt—kept the feast for seven days.
He built Tadmor in the wilderness, in addition to all the store cities that he had built in Hamath.
“Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”
But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him.
Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, for they have heard a bad report; they are agitated like the sea; their anxiety cannot be calmed.
The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on Zedekiah.
There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land.
This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side it will extend from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon through Lebo-hamath to Zedad,
Berothah, and Sibraim (which is on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.
So the border will run from the Sea to Hazar-enan, along the northern border of Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary.
And on the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western boundary.
“Now these are the names of the tribes: At the northern frontier, Dan will have one portion bordering the road of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath and running on to Hazar-enan on the border of Damascus with Hamath to the north, and extending from the east side to the west side.
Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to the great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?
For behold, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD, the God of Hosts, “and they will oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.”
and also against Hamath, which borders it, as well as Tyre and Sidon, though they are very shrewd.
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.