1 Kings 11:24
New International Version
When David destroyed Zobah’s army, Rezon gathered a band of men around him and became their leader; they went to Damascus, where they settled and took control.

New Living Translation
and had become the leader of a gang of rebels. After David conquered Hadadezer, Rezon and his men fled to Damascus, where he became king.

English Standard Version
And he gathered men about him and became leader of a marauding band, after the killing by David. And they went to Damascus and lived there and made him king in Damascus.

Berean Standard Bible
and had gathered men to himself. When David killed the Zobaites, Rezon captained a band of raiders and went to Damascus, where they settled and gained control.

King James Bible
And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

New King James Version
So he gathered men to him and became captain over a band of raiders, when David killed those of Zobah. And they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus.

New American Standard Bible
And he gathered men to himself and became leader of a marauding band, after David killed those of Zobah; and they went to Damascus and stayed there, and reigned in Damascus.

NASB 1995
He gathered men to himself and became leader of a marauding band, after David slew them of Zobah; and they went to Damascus and stayed there, and reigned in Damascus.

NASB 1977
And he gathered men to himself and became leader of a marauding band, after David slew them of Zobah; and they went to Damascus and stayed there, and reigned in Damascus.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he gathered men to himself and became commander of a marauding band, after David killed some of them; and they went to Damascus and stayed there, and reigned in Damascus.

Amplified Bible
Rezon gathered men to himself and became leader of a marauding band, after David killed those in Zobah. They went to Damascus and stayed there and they reigned in Damascus.

Christian Standard Bible
and gathered men to himself. He became leader of a raiding party when David killed the Zobaites. He went to Damascus, lived there, and became king in Damascus.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and gathered men to himself. He became captain of a raiding party when David killed the Zobaites. He went to Damascus, lived there, and became king in Damascus.

American Standard Version
And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a troop, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

English Revised Version
And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a troop, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
after David killed the men of Zobah. Rezon gathered men and became the leader of a troop of warriors. They went to Damascus, settled there, and ruled a kingdom in Damascus.

Good News Translation
and had become the leader of a gang of outlaws. (This happened after David had defeated Hadadezer and had slaughtered his Syrian allies.) Rezon and his gang went and lived in Damascus, where his followers made him king of Syria.

International Standard Version
He raised an army and commanded a gang of raiders after David had eliminated those who lived in Zobah. Rezon and his army moved to Damascus, remained there, and Rezon ruled from Damascus.

Majority Standard Bible
and had gathered men to himself. When David killed the Zobaites, Rezon captained a band of raiders and went to Damascus, where they settled and gained control.

NET Bible
He gathered some men and organized a raiding band. When David tried to kill them, they went to Damascus, where they settled down and gained control of the city.

New Heart English Bible
He gathered men to himself and became leader of a marauding band when David killed them. And they went to Damascus, and lived there, and reigned in Damascus.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he gathered men to him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt in it, and reigned in Damascus.

World English Bible
He gathered men to himself, and became captain over a troop, when David killed them of Zobah. They went to Damascus and lived there, and reigned in Damascus.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and gathers men to himself, and is head of a troop in David’s slaying them, and they go to Damascus, and dwell in it, and reign in Damascus;

Young's Literal Translation
and gathereth unto himself men, and is head of a troop in David's slaying them, and they go to Damascus, and dwell in it, and reign in Damascus;

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will gather to himself men, and he will be chief of a troop in David's killing them; and they will go to Damascus and dwell in it and reign in Damascus.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he gathered men against him, and he became a captain of robbers, when David slew them of Soba: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt there, and they made him king in Damascus.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he gathered together men against him. And when David put those of Zobah to death, he became a leader of robbers. And they went away to Damascus, and they lived there. And they appointed him to be king of Damascus.

New American Bible
when David was slaughtering them. Rezon gathered men about him and became leader of a marauding band. They went to Damascus, settled there, and made him king in Damascus.

New Revised Standard Version
He gathered followers around him and became leader of a marauding band, after the slaughter by David; they went to Damascus, settled there, and made him king in Damascus.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he gathered men to him, and became captain over a band, when David slew the people of Zobah; and they went to Damascus and dwelt in it, and Hadad reigned in Damascus.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And men gathered to him and he was Captain of a band of robbers, and when David killed them, they went to Darmsuq and they dwelt in it, and Hadad reigned in Darmsuq.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a troop, when David slew them [of Zobah]; and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Rezon's Hostility
23And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah, 24and had gathered men to himself. When David killed the Zobaites, Rezon captained a band of raiders and went to Damascus, where they settled and gained control. 25Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout the days of Solomon, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled over Aram with hostility toward Israel.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 8:3-8
David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River. / David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and he hamstrung all the horses except a hundred he kept for the chariots. / When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of their men. ...

2 Samuel 10:18
But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach the commander of their army, who died there.

2 Samuel 8:13-14
And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. / He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.

2 Samuel 10:6-19
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. / On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men. / 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. ...

1 Chronicles 18:3-8
As far as Hamath, David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah, who had marched out to establish his dominion along the Euphrates River. / David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and he hamstrung all the horses except a hundred he kept for the chariots. / When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of their men. ...

1 Chronicles 19:6-19
When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. / So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and marched out for battle. / On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men. ...

1 Chronicles 18:12-13
Moreover, Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. / He placed garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.

2 Kings 8:20-22
In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king. / So Jehoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. When the Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, he rose up and attacked by night. His troops, however, fled to their homes. / So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled at the same time.

2 Kings 8:16-19
In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab over Israel, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat succeeded his father as king of Judah. / Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. / And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD. ...

2 Chronicles 21:8-10
In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king. / So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his officers and all his chariots. When the Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, he rose up and attacked by night. / So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled against his hand at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers.

2 Chronicles 21:4-7
When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened himself by putting to the sword all his brothers along with some of the princes of Israel. / Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. / And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD. ...

Isaiah 7:1-9
Now in the days that Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram marched up to wage war against Jerusalem. He was accompanied by Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel, but he could not overpower the city. / When it was reported to the house of David that Aram was in league with Ephraim, the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled like trees in the forest shaken by the wind. / Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct that feeds the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field, ...

Isaiah 7:17-25
The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since the day Ephraim separated from Judah—He will bring the king of Assyria.” / On that day the LORD will whistle to the flies at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bees in the land of Assyria. / And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines and clefts of the rocks, in all the thornbushes and watering holes. ...

Isaiah 16:1-5
Send the tribute lambs to the ruler of the land, from Sela in the desert to the mount of Daughter Zion. / Like fluttering birds pushed out of the nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon: / “Give us counsel; render a decision. Shelter us at noonday with shade as dark as night. Hide the refugees; do not betray the one who flees. ...

Isaiah 16:6-14
We have heard of Moab’s pomposity, his exceeding pride and conceit, his overflowing arrogance. But his boasting is empty. / Therefore let Moab wail; let them wail together for Moab. Moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth, you who are utterly stricken. / For the fields of Heshbon have withered, along with the grapevines of Sibmah. The rulers of the nations have trampled its choicest vines, which had reached as far as Jazer and spread toward the desert. Their shoots had spread out and passed over the sea. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And he gathered men to him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelled therein, and reigned in Damascus.

to Damascus

1 Kings 19:15
And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

1 Kings 20:34
And Benhadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.

Genesis 14:15
And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

Jump to Previous
Band Captain Collected Damascus David Destroyed Dwelt Gathered Gathereth Head Killed Leader Marauding Outlaws Rebels Reigned Settled Slaughter Slew Therein Together Troop Zobah
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Band Captain Collected Damascus David Destroyed Dwelt Gathered Gathereth Head Killed Leader Marauding Outlaws Rebels Reigned Settled Slaughter Slew Therein Together Troop Zobah
1 Kings 11
1. Solomon's wives and concubines
4. In his old age they draw him to idolatry
9. God threatens him,
14. Solomon's adversaries were Hadad, who was entertained in Egypt
23. Rezon, who reigned in Damascus
26. And Jeroboam, to whom Ahijah prophesied
41. Solomon's acts, reign, and death. Rehoboam succeeds him














Rezon
Rezon, whose name means "prince" or "ruler" in Hebrew, is a significant figure in the narrative of 1 Kings. His role as a leader of rebels highlights the political instability during the latter part of King Solomon's reign. Historically, Rezon's opposition to Israel can be seen as part of the broader geopolitical struggles in the region, where various leaders sought to assert their independence from larger empires.

leader of a band of rebels
The phrase "leader of a band of rebels" indicates Rezon's position as a commander of a group of insurgents. This reflects the turbulent times in which local leaders often rose against established powers. The Hebrew term for "rebels" can also imply marauders or raiders, suggesting that Rezon's group engaged in guerrilla warfare tactics, which were common in the ancient Near East.

when David killed the Zobahites
This reference to David's military campaigns against the Zobahites situates Rezon's account within the larger narrative of Israel's expansion under King David. The Zobahites were a powerful Aramean kingdom, and David's victory over them is recorded in 2 Samuel 8. This historical context underscores the ongoing conflict between Israel and its neighbors, which continued into Solomon's reign.

he went to Damascus
Rezon's move to Damascus is significant, as Damascus was a major city in the ancient Near East and would later become the capital of the Aramean kingdom. This relocation suggests a strategic decision to establish a power base in a city with considerable influence and resources. Archaeological evidence supports Damascus's prominence during this period, highlighting its role as a center of trade and military power.

where they settled and took control
The phrase "settled and took control" indicates that Rezon and his followers not only found refuge in Damascus but also established dominance there. This act of taking control reflects the shifting power dynamics in the region, as local leaders like Rezon capitalized on opportunities to assert their authority. Scripturally, this development foreshadows the challenges Solomon would face from external adversaries, as God allowed adversaries to rise against him due to his disobedience (1 Kings 11:14-25).

(24) When David slew them of Zobah.--The account of this war is found in 2Samuel 8:1-13. The kingdom of Zobah was evidently a powerful state at that time, at war with the Syrian kingdom of Hamath, but holding supremacy over the Syrians of Damascus, and the "Syrians beyond the river" Euphrates; and (as the record shows) accumulating vast treasures of gold, silver, and brass. The establishment of Rezon (and Hadad?) at Damascus must have taken place later; for at the time we find that David "put governors in Damascus," and reduced its inhabitants to a tributary condition. Possibly there may have been some rising early in the reign of Solomon; for in 2Chronicles 8:3, we find that Solomon had to "go up against Hamath-zobah," with which expedition the foundation of Tadmor seems to be connected. But it is probable that the establishment of an independent power in Damaseus dated only from the later days of Solomon.

Verse 24. - And he gathered men unto him and became captain over a band [either of rebels before or of fugitives after the defeat], when David slew them of Zobah [Of Zobah, not in Hebrews "Them" must mean the Syrian army]: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein [As David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus (2 Samuel 8:6), this must have been some time after the defeat of the Syrians. But Keil argues that it cannot have been in the middle or later part of Solomon's reign, inasmuch as Solomon must have been lord of Damascus, or he could not have built Palmyra. But it is not so incontrovertibly settled that Solomon did build Palmyra (see on 1 Kings 9:18) as to make this argument of much weight. And even if it were, we might still fix the reign of Rezon at an earlier period of Solomon's sway. See below], and reigned. [i.e., the band or troop of Rezon, either in the confusion of the defeat, or in some subsequent time of anarchy, took possession of Damascus, and he, it would seem, usurped the crown. The word "reigned," however (plural), is somewhat remarkable. It may perhaps be accounted for by the plurals which precede it. The insertion of one "yod" (וימליכו for וימלכו) gives the sense "they made him king," which would certainly be preferable, if the emendation were not purely conjectural.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and had gathered
וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ (way·yiq·bōṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6908: To gather, collect

men
אֲנָשִׁ֔ים (’ă·nā·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

to himself.
עָלָיו֙ (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

When David
דָּוִ֖ד (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

killed
בַּהֲרֹ֥ג (ba·hă·rōḡ)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent

the Zobaites,
אֹתָ֑ם (’ō·ṯām)
Direct object marker | third person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

[Rezon] captained
וַיְהִ֣י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a band [of raiders]
גְּד֔וּד (gə·ḏūḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1416: A band, troop

and went
וַיֵּלְכ֤וּ (way·yê·lə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to Damascus,
דַמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ (ḏam·me·śeq)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1834: Damascus -- a city in Aram (Syria)

where they settled
וַיֵּ֣שְׁבוּ (way·yê·šə·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

and gained control.
וַֽיִּמְלְכ֖וּ (way·yim·lə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 4427: To reign, inceptively, to ascend the throne, to induct into royalty, to take counsel


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OT History: 1 Kings 11:24 He gathered men to him and became (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 11:23
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