Rezon

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Rezon . According to the Heb. text of   1 Kings 11:23-25 , Rezon, son of Eliada, was one of the military officers of that Hadadezer, king of the little realm of Zobah (cuneiform, Subiti ), S. of Damascus and not far from the Sea of Tiberias, whom David overthrew (  2 Samuel 8:3 ff.). For some unknown reason he deserted Hadadezer, gathered a band of freebooters, seized Damascus, and founded there the dynasty which created the most powerful of the Syrian kingdoms. He was a thorn in Solomon’s side, and his successors were bitter adversaries of Israel. Unfortunately, the text presents a suspicious appearance.   1 Kings 11:23-25 a have evidently been interpolated between   1 Kings 11:22 and   1 Kings 11:25 b, and in the best MSS of the LXX [Note: Septuagint.] the story, with some variations, follows   1 Kings 11:14 . In either position it interrupts the course of the narrative, and the best solution of the difficulty is to regard it as a gloss, embodying a historical reminiscence. There is not sufficient evidence for the view maintained by Thenius and Klostermann, that the name should be spelled Hezron and identified with Hezion (  1 Kings 15:18 ).

J. Taylor.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Rezon ( Rç'Zon ), Prince. Son of Eliadah, a Syrian, who when David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah, put himself at the head of a band of adventurers and set up a petty kingdom at Damascus.  1 Kings 11:23. He harassed the kingdom of Solomon during his whole reign.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Re'zon. (Prince). Son of Eliadah, a Syrian, who when David defeated Hadadezer, king of Zobah, put himself at the head of a band of freebooters, and set up a petty kingdom at Damascus.  1 Kings 11:23. He harassed the kingdom of Solomon, during his whole reign. (B.C. 1043-975).

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

(See Hadarezer .)  1 Kings 11:23-24. Gathered the Syrian remnant, after David's slaughter of his master Hadadezer ( 2 Samuel 8:3-8), and set up a petty kingdom at Damascus, and thence harassed Solomon's kingdom. See also Josephus, Ant. 8:7, section 6.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The founder of a dynasty in Syria-Damascus in the time of David, and a great annoyance to Solomon,  1 Kings 11:23-25 . He had been an officer under Hadadezer king of Zobah.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Son of Eliadad and a subject of Hadadezer king of Zobah: he fled to Damascus, and established himself as king. God stirred him up against Solomon.  1 Kings 11:23-25 .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 1 Kings 11:23-25 2 Samuel 8:3-8

Holman Bible Dictionary

 1 Kings 11:23-25Damascus

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

rē´zon ( רזון , rezōn  ; Ῥάζων , Rházōn ): Son of Eliadah, and a subject of Hadadezer, king of Zobah (  1 Kings 11:23 ). The name appears to be given as חזיון , ḥezyōn  ; Ἁζείν , Hazeı́n ( 1 Kings 15:18; see Hezion ), where he is the father of Tabrimmon, whose son Ben-hadad I is known through his leaaue with Asa, king of Judah. When David conquered Zobah, Rezon renounced his allegiance to Hadadezer and became powerful as an independent chief, capturing Damascus and setting up as king. Along with Hadad, the noted Edomite patriot, he became a thorn in the side of Solomon, the one making himself obnoxious in the South, the other in the North, of the kingdom of Israel, both being animated with a bitter hatred of the common foe. It is said of Rezon that he "reigned over Syria" ( 1 Kings 11:25 ), and if the surmise adopted by many scholars is correct that he is the same as Hezion ( 1 Kings 15:18 ), then he was really the founder of the dynasty of Syrian kings so well known in the history of this period of Israel; and the line would run: Rezon, Tabrimmon, Ben-hadad I, and Ben-hadad II.

Burney on  1 Kings 11:23 and   1 Kings 15:18 in Notes on Hebrew Text of Books of Kings  ; Winckler, Alttest. Untersuchunaen , 60 ff.

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Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(b) The statement of Nicolaus of Damascus (Josephus, Ant. 7:5, 2) that from the time of David for ten generations the kings of Syria were one dynasty, each king taking the name of Hadad, "as did the Ptolemies in Egypt." But this would exclude not only Hezion and Tabrimoln, but Kezon, unless we may interpret the last sentence to mean that the official title of Hadad was held in addition to the ordinary name of the king. Bunsen (Bibelwerk, 1, 271) makes Hezion contemporary with Rehoboam, and probably a grandson of Rezon. The name is Aramaic, and Ewald compares it with Rezin.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Re´zon (prince); an officer of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, who established the independence of Damascus, and made it the seat of the kingdom of Damascene-Syria, so often mentioned in the history of the Hebrew kingdoms [DAMASCUS].