BEN-HADAD (17114, son of Hadad; Sept.
ulbs "..i8ep), the name of three kings of Damascene Syria. As to the latter part of this name, Hadad, there is little doubt that it is the name of the Syrian god ADAD. The expression son of Hadad, which denotes dependence and obedience, not only accords with the analogies of other heathen names, but is also supported by the existence of such terms as 'sons of God' among the Hebrews (cf. Ps. lxxxii. 6).
5. The king of Syria, who was subsidised b) Asa king of Judah to invade Israel, and thereby compel Baasha (who had invaded Judah) to return to defend his own kingdom (1 Kings xv. 18). [Ask] This Ben-hadad has, with some reason, been supposed to be Hadad the Edomite who re belled against Solomon (I Kings xi. 14, seq.) 2. King of Syria, son of the preceding. His earlier history is much involved in that of Ahab, with whom he was constantly at war [AHAB]. He owed the signal defeat in which that war ter minated to the vain notion which assimilated JEHOVAH to the local deities worshipped by the nations of Syria, deeming Him `a God of the hills,' but impotent to defend his votaries in the plains' (t Kings xx. 1-3o). Instead of pursuing his victory, Ahab concluded a peace with the de feated Ben-hadad, which was observed for about twelve years, when the Syrian king declared war against Jehoram the son of Ahab, and invaded Israel: but all his plans and operations were frus trated, being made known to Jehoram by the pro phet Elisha (a Kings vi. 8, ad fin.) After some years, however, he renewed the war, and besieged Jehoram in his capital, Samaria, until the inhabi tants were reduced to the last extremities and most revolting resources by famine. The siege was then unexpectedly raised, according to a prediction of Elisha, through a panic infused into the be siegers, who concluding that a noise which they seemed to hear portended the advance upon them of a foreign host procured by Jehoram, thought only of saving themselves by flight. The next
year Ben-hadad, learning that Elisha, through whom so many of his designs had been brought to nought, had arrived at Damascus, sent an officer of distinction, named Hazael, with presents, to consult him as to his recovery from an illness under which he then suffered. The prophet an swered, that his disease was not mortal, but that he would nevertheless die. This was accomplished a few days after by this very Hazael, who smothered the sick monarch in his bed, and mounted the throne in his stead, B.C. 884 (2 Kings viii. 7-15), [Calmet suggests that the wet cloth which was laid by Hazael on the face of Ben-hadad, was in tended to relieve him from the heat of the fever, and that his death was accidental. This is more probable than the supposition that Hazael was the intentional murderer of the king. Ewald proposes to render the verb ri]+ indefinitely, some one took,' and thinks Ben-hadad was strangled by his servants in the bath; but this is both forced and not in harmony with the context (Thenius, in loc.) Though not intending to murder the king, it is quite in keeping with Hazael's character that he should allow him to die when accidentally exposed to this.] [ELIsm.; HAZAEL; JEHORAM.] 3. King of Syria, son of the Hazael just men tioned [and his successor on the throne of Syria]. He was thrice defeated by Jehoash, king of Israel, who recovered from him all the cities [Jeroboam completed what Jehoash had commenced, and restored to the kingdom of Israel the possession of its former domains beyond the Jordan], which Hazael had rent from the dominion of Israel (2 Kings xiii. 3, 24, 25 ; xiv. 25; Amos i. 4, 5).