David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.
Zobah - (cf. 1 Chronicles 18:3.) This kingdom was bounded on the east by the Euphrates, and it extended westward from that river, perhaps as far north as Aleppo. Its exact situation cannot be determined; but it is supposed to lie between the Euphrates and the Orontes, toward the northeast of Damascus. It was long the chief among the petty kingdoms of х 'Araam (H758)] Syria, and its king bore the hereditary title of Hadadezer, or Hadarezer (Hadad, helped).
As he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates - in accordance with the promises God made to Israel, that He would give them all the country as far as the Euphrates (Genesis 15:18; Numbers 24:17). In the first campaign David signally defeated him, and, besides is great number of foot-prisoners, took from him an immense amount of booty in chariots and horses: reserving only a small number of the latter, he hamstrung the rest. The text says "seven hundred"; but in 1 Chronicles 18:4 the number is stated at "seven thousand." The reason of this mutilation was, that horses being forbidden by the Mosaic constitution to the Hebrews, both in war and agriculture, it was of no use to keep them; and their neighbours, placing much dependence on cavalry, but having, for lack of a native breed, to procure them by purchase, the greatest damage that could be done to such enemies was to render their horses unserviceable in war (see also Genesis 49:6; Joshua 11:6; Joshua 11:9). A king of Damascene-Syria х 'Aram (H758) Dameseq (H1834), i:e., the highlands above Damascus, in later times called simply 'Araam (H758), Syria (1 Kings 15:18; Isaiah 7:1-8; Amos 1:5)] came to his succour; but David routed those auxiliary forces also, and having acquired immense booty, took possession of their country, put garrisons into their fortified towns, and made them tributary.