Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Recovered Elath to Syria - See the note on 2 Kings 14:22.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Either during the siege, or on breaking up from before Jeruasalem, Rezin made an expedition to the lied Sea coast, and became master of the city which had belonged to Judaea about 70 years (marginal reference). Most moderns render this verse, “Rezin recovered (or restored) Elath to Edom … and the Edomites came to Elath.” On the resemblance of the words Aram and Edom in the original, see 2 Samuel 8:12 note.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria,.... A port on the Red sea, that formerly belonged to Edom, taken from them by David, retaken by them when they revolted in Joram's time, and perhaps taken by Amaziah again, since his son Azariah rebuilt it, and restored it to Judah, 2 Kings 14:22 and it seems by this that it had been in the hands of the Syrians, who now recovered it; unless instead of Aram, rendered Syrians, we could substitute Edom, which Le Clerc has ventured to do without any authority:

and drave the Jews from Elath; who were in possession of it. This is the first time that the inhabitants of the kingdom of Judah are called Jews, from the name of their original patriarch, and principal tribe; though some think^F13Polydor. Virgil. de Invent. l. 4. c. 1. they had this name from the time this tribe went up first against the Canaanites, Judges 1:1, however, it is a mistake of R. Elias Levita^F14Tishbi, p. 143. So David de Pomis Lexic. fol. 83. 4. , that it is never found in the Bible they were called Jews, but from the time the ten tribes were carried captive, and not before; and a greater mistake still it is of Tacitus^F15Hist. l. 5. sect. 2. , that they were called Jews or Judaeans, as if they were Idaeans from Mount Ida in Crete, from whence he supposes they came:

and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day; the marginal reading is Edomites; and so read the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions; and Kimchi observes that it is written "Aramim", Syrians, because the king of Syria took it, and by his means the Edomites returned to it, but is read "Edomim", Edomites, because it belonged to the children of Edom; and it is certain the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, 2 Chronicles 28:17.

Geneva Study Bible

(d) Which Azariah had taken from the Syrians and fortified, (2 Kings 14:22).

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day — The Septuagint version has “the Edomites,” which the most judicious commentators and travelers [Robinson] prefer.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Kings 16:6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

Ver. 6. At that time.] When he came against Jerusalem.

Recovered Elath.] Josephus calleth it Aria by the Red Sea.

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible

2 Kings 16:6. Recovered Elath to Syria— Elath, or Elam, was a famous port on the Red Sea, which David in his conquest of the kingdom took, and there established a great trade to divers parts of the world.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Recovered Elath, i.e. took it from the Jews, who had not long since taken it, 2 Kings 14:22. It lay in the land of Edom, upon the Red Sea, very conveniently for navigation; of which See Poole "1 Kings 9:26".

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

6.At that time — During the course of this Syro-Israelitish war.

Rezin’ recovered Elath to Syria — Rezin appears throughout all this war against Judah as more powerful than his Israelitish ally. Elath, on the Red Sea, had been taken from the Edomites and attached to the kingdom of Judah in the reign of Uzziah. See on 2 Kings 14:22. The word recovered [השׁיב ] does not necessarily imply that Elath had formerly belonged to Syria, but here it simply means that it now changed hands, turned from one possessor to another.

The Syrians came to Elath — The Hebrew is without the article, Syrians came — that is, a colony of Syrians. Rezin, having captured this ancient commercial town, at once settled a Syrian colony there, probably for purposes of commerce, and to open for himself a new source of revenue, and though Syria was soon afterwards conquered, and Rezin slain, this colony dwelt there unto this day, that is, at the time when our author wrote. For it is by no means improbable that a Syrian colony remained at Elath long after the home Government had been annihilated. The Keri, Septuagint, Vulgate, and many interpreters, read Edomites instead of Syrians, but that reading would seem to be unsuitable, for it would be strange to say that Edomites dwelt there unto this day, when the Edomites had always dwelt in that vicinity. Besides the losses which Ahaz sustained from the combined armies of Rezin and Pekah, Chronicles informs us that the Edomites and Philistines also invaded Judah on the south and west, occupied many cities, and carried off captives. 2 Chronicles 28:17-18.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Juda. Literally, "Jews," Judæos, (Haydock) which is the first time we find this appellation. (Du Hamel) --- Aila, or Elath, which had been taken by Ozias, chap. xiv. 22. (Menochius) --- It seems never to have belonged to Syria, as it was too far from Damascus. Instead of Aram, we should therefore probably read Edom, which words in Hebrew are extremely similar, and have been often mistaken, (Judges xi. 17.; Calmet) particularly as we find that the Edomites took possession of the city. This latter word is indeed Syrians in Hebrew, &c. (Haydock) --- Josephus and others maintain that the Syrians seized and kept the place. But they were most likely only invited by the Idumeans to come to their assistance. (Calmet)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Syria. Probably Edom (for Aram). See note below.

Elath. It had belonged to Edom (2 Kings 14:22).

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

Rezin ... recovered Elath - which Azariah had gotten into his possession (2 Kings 14:22).

And drave the Jews from Elath. This is the first passage in which the name has occurred. It was only in an advanced period of their history that the Hebrews were called "Jews," from the tribe of Judah, which was honoured to furnish the name, both because it returned in great prosperity from Babylon, while the other tribes were hopelessly dispersed, and because from it was to spring the king Messiah.

The Syrians ... dwelt there unto this day, ['Arowmiym. It is most improbable that the Syrians came from Elath. The Qeri' and very many ancient manuscripts have 'Edowmiym (Hebrew #130), Edomites. The Septuagint version has 'the Edomites,' which the most judicious commentators and travelers prefer.]

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) At that time.—Bähr regards this verse as a parenthesis, so that 2 Kings 16:7 is the strict continuation of 2 Kings 16:5, and “At that time” simply assigns this war as the epoch when Judah lost its only harbour and chief emporium—a grave blow to the national prosperity. It is perhaps impossible to weave the various data of Isaiah, Kings, and Chronicles into a single narrative which shall be free from all objection. But it seems probable that, after the successes recorded in 2 Chronicles 28:5, seq., the confederates advanced upon Jerusalem, and that Ahaz despatched his envoys to Tiglath Pileser. The allies soon despaired of a siege, and Pekah fell to ravaging the country, while Rezin pushed on to Elath, determined not to return home without having achieved some permanent success. The approach of Tiglath Pileser compelled the two kings to give up their enterprise, and hasten to defend their own frontiers.

Recovered Elath to Syria . . . the Syrians.—The words for Syria and Edom, Syrians and Edomties, are very much alike in Hebrew writing, and the Hebrew margin, many MSS., the LXX. and Vulg. read Edomites for Syrians here. If this be correct, we must also restore Edom for Syria, as many critics propose. The meaning then becomes this: Rezin emancipated the Edomites from the yoke of Judah imposed on them by Uzziah (2 Kings 14:22) in order to win their active co-operation against Judah. Bähr, however, prefers the readings of the ordinary text, and supposes that Rezin simply expelled the Jews from Elath, and established there a commercial colony of Syrians.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

recovered

14:22; Deuteronomy 2:8

Elath

Heb. Eloth.

1 Kings 9:26; 2 Chronicles 26:2