HADAD (TM ; Sept. 'AUS) is equivalent to Adad, the name of the chief deity of the Syrians [Arun], and borne, with or without additions, as a proper name, or more probably as a title, like Pharaoh' in Egypt, by several of the kings of Southern Syria.
1. A king of Edom, who defeated the Midia nites in the intervening territory of hloab (Gen. xxxvi. 35 ; Chron. 46). This is the only one of the ancient kings of Edom whose exploits are recorded by Moses. Another king of Edom of the same name is mentioned in Chron. 50, 51.
2. A king of Syria, who reigned in Datnascus at the time that David attacked and defeated Hadad ezer, king of Zobah, whom he marched to assist, and shared in his defeat. This fact is recorded in 2 Sam. viii. 5, but the name of the king is not given. It is supplied, however, by Josephus (An tiq. vii. 5. 2), who reports, after Nicolas of Damas cus, that he carried succours to Hadad-ezer as far as the Euphrates, where David defeated them both.
3. A young prince of the royal race of Edom, who, when his country was conquered by David, contrived, in the heat of the massacre committed by Joab, to escape with some of his father's ser vants, or rather was carried off by them, into the land of Midian. Thence Hadad went into the desert of Paran, and eventually proceeded to Egypt. He was there most favourably received by the king, who assigned him an estate and establishment suited to his link, and even gave him in marriage the sister of his own consort, by whom he had a son, who was brought up in the palace with the sons of Pharaoh. Hadad remained in Egypt till after the death of David and Joab, when he re turned to his own country in the hope of recover ing his father's throne (I Kings xi. 14-22). The Scripture does not record the result of this attempt farther than by mentioning him as one of the troublers of Solomon's reign, which implies some measure of success. After relating these fa.cts the text goes on to mention another enemy of Solomon, named Rezin, and then adds (ver. 25), that this was besides the mischief that Hadad did ; and he abhorred Israel and reigned over Syria.' On this
point the present writer may quote what he has elsewhere stated—` Our version seems to make this apply to Rezin ; but the Septuagint refers it to Hadad, reading torn.; Edon, instead of C-IN Aram or Syria, and the sense would certainly be im proved by this reading, inasmuch as it supplies an apparent omission ; for without it we only know that Hadad left Egypt for Edom, and not how he succeeded there, or how he was able to trouble Solo. mon. The history of Hadad is certainly very obscure. Adopting the Septuagint reading, some conclude that Pharaoh used his interest with Solo mon to allow Hadad to reign as a tributary prince, and that lie ultimately asserted his independence.
Josephus, however, seems to have read the Hebrew as our version does, Syria' not Edom.' He says that Hadad, on his arrival at Edom, found the territory too strongly garrisoned by Solomon's troops to afford any hope of success. He there fore proceeded with a party of adherents to Syria, where he was well received by Rezin, then at the head of a band of robbers, and with his assistance seized upon part of Syria and reig,ned there. If this be correct, it must have been a different part of Syria from that in which Rezin himself reigned, for it is certain, from verse 24, that he (Rezin) did reign in Damascus. Carrieres supposes that Hadad reigned in Syria after the death of Rezin ; and it might reconcile apparent discrepancies, to suppose that two kingdoms were established (there were move previously), both of which, after the death of Rezin, were consolidated under Hadad. That Hadad was really kin,r of Syria seems to be rather corroborated by the 'fact, that every subsequent king of Syria is, in the Scripture, called Ben Hadad, son of Hadad,' and in Josephus simply Hadad ; which seems to denote that the founder of the dynasty was called by this name. We may observe that, whether we here read Aram or Edorn, it must be understood as applying to Hadad, not to Kezin' (Pictorial Bible, on 2 Kings xi. 14).—J. K.