◄ 2579. Chamath Rabbah ►
Lexical Summary
Chamath Rabbah: Hamath the Great

Original Word: חֲמַת רַבָּה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Chamath Rabbah
Pronunciation: khah-MAHT rah-BAH
Phonetic Spelling: (kham-ath' rab-baw')
Word Origin: [from H2574 (חֲמָת - Hamath) and H7237 (רַבָּה - Rabbah)]

1. Chamath of Rabbah
2. Chamath-Rabbah (probably the same as H2574)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Chamath-Rabbah

From Chamath and Rabbah; Chamath of Rabbah; Chamath-Rabbah, probably the same as Chamath.

see HEBREW Chamath

see HEBREW Rabbah

see HEBREW Chamath

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from Chamath and rab, see Chamath and rab.

Topical Lexicon
Name and Meaning

Hamath Rabbah, literally “Great Hamath,” designates the principal city of the Aramean (Syro-Hittite) kingdom that controlled the Orontes River valley in what is today central Syria (modern Ḥamā). The qualifier “Rabbah” distinguishes this metropolis from the smaller surrounding settlements that bore the simpler name “Hamath.”

Location and Geography

• Situated on the banks of the Orontes about 120 miles north of Damascus.
• Commanded the fertile plain between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges and the crucial north–south trade route linking Egypt, Israel, and Mesopotamia.
• Referred to in Scripture as “the entrance of Hamath” (1 Kings 8:65), marking the northern gateway into the Promised Land.

Historical Background

1. Canaanite Origins – Genesis 10:18 lists the “Hamathites” among the descendants of Canaan, indicating early ethnic links with the peoples dispossessed by Israel.
2. Aramean Kingdom – From the twelfth to the eighth centuries B.C., Hamath Rabbah rose as the capital of an independent Aramean polity. Royal stelae and reliefs recovered at Hama portray kings such as Zakkur and Irhuleni, who interacted with Israel, Phoenicia, and Assyria.
3. Assyrian Conquest – Tiglath-Pileser III annexed Hamath about 738 B.C.; Sargon II crushed its rebellion in 720 B.C. Afterward it became an Assyrian provincial seat, frequently mentioned in Assyrian annals alongside Damascus and Samaria.
4. Hellenistic and Roman Eras – Renamed Epiphania under the Seleucids, the city remained a regional center through the Roman and early Christian periods.

Hamath in the Narrative of Israel

Although the precise compound “Hamath Rabbah” is not preserved in the extant Old Testament text, the plain term “Hamath” (over three dozen occurrences) refers to the same entity. Key moments include:
• Boundary Promise – Numbers 34:8 fixes “Lebo-Hamath” as the northern border of the land allotted to Israel; Ezekiel 47:15-20 renews that promise in the eschatological vision.
• Davidic Friendship – 2 Samuel 8:9-12 records how Tou king of Hamath sent his son to bless David after the defeat of Hadadezer, forming a rare peaceful alliance.
• Solomonic Celebration – 1 Kings 8:65 notes that Solomon’s dedication feast stretched “from Lebo-Hamath to the Brook of Egypt,” depicting covenant blessing across the full scope of the promised territory.
• Prophetic Warnings – Amos 6:2 points to “Calneh and see… go to Hamath the great,” using the city’s fall as a cautionary parallel for Israel’s complacency. Likewise, Isaiah 10:9 and 37:13 cite Hamath among vanquished capitals to highlight Assyria’s temporary triumph under God’s sovereign allowance.

Prophetic Vision and Future Restoration

Ezekiel’s temple prophecy (Ezekiel 47–48) re-affirms Hamath as the northern marker for the re-apportioned land. The inclusion of so distant a landmark anticipates the full and final realization of God’s territorial promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:18), assuring that no earthly power can permanently erase what God has ordained.

Theological Themes

• Covenant Boundaries – Hamath Rabbah serves as a tangible reminder that the Lord sets borders (Deuteronomy 32:8). Israel’s ultimate security lies not in walls or alliances but in fidelity to the covenant-keeping God.
• Sovereignty over Nations – From Canaanite city-state to Aramean kingdom to Assyrian province, the changing fortunes of Hamath illustrate Daniel 2:21: “He removes kings and establishes them.”
• Judgment and Mercy – Prophets employ Hamath’s downfall as a sermon illustration of judgment, yet the city’s friendly stance toward David foreshadows the gathering of Gentiles under the Davidic Messiah.

Applications for Ministry

1. Preaching God’s Promises – Hamath Rabbah encourages believers to trust God’s unbroken promises even when present borders appear to contradict them.
2. Global Missions – The inclusion of far-flung Gentile cities in the biblical storyline points to the universal reach of the gospel (Acts 1:8).
3. Warning Against Pride – Amos invokes “Hamath the great” as an object lesson that worldly greatness cannot shield a nation from divine accountability.

Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Data

• Basalt royal inscriptions (e.g., the Zakkur Stele) confirm a flourishing literate culture that used a Northwest Semitic dialect closely related to Biblical Hebrew.
• Assyrian annals (e.g., Sargon’s Nimrud Prism) repeatedly list Hamath among conquered capitals, corroborating the prophetic references to its fall.
• The city’s tell layers reveal successive rebuildings, mirroring the biblical pattern of judgment and restoration.

Conclusion

Though the compounded form חֲמַת רַבָּה does not surface in the received Hebrew text, it captures the stature of the city that functioned as Israel’s northern landmark, a stage on which God displayed both his wrath against arrogance and his faithfulness to covenant. From the patriarchal promise to the prophetic horizon, Hamath Rabbah stands as a witness that the Lord’s purposes for His people, His land, and the nations will ultimately prevail.

Links
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