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H1031 · Hebrew · Old Testament
בֵּית רְחוֹב
Beth-Rehob
Noun, proper place name
House of the Broad Way; Northern Town

Definition

The Hebrew Beth-Rehob (Strong's H1031) means 'house of the broad street' or 'house of the wide place,' a place in northern Canaan near Dan. It appears in two significant biblical contexts: the spy narrative in Numbers and the account of David's war against the Ammonites. In the spy narrative, the spies reached as far as Rehob, marking the northern extent of the Promised Land.

Usage & Theological Significance

Beth-Rehob's mention in 2 Samuel 10 (in the context of Ammonite military operations against David) illustrates how ancient Near Eastern geopolitics intersected with Israel's covenant history. The Ammonites hired Aramean mercenaries from Beth-Rehob to fight against David — and God delivered Israel against this coalition. The passage demonstrates that no military alliance against God's anointed can ultimately succeed. Beth-Rehob's soldiers and their Ammonite employers were decisively defeated, fulfilling the divine protection promised to the Davidic king.

Key Bible Verses

Numbers 13:21 So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath.
Judges 18:28 There was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob.
2 Samuel 10:6 When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob.
2 Samuel 10:14 When the Ammonites saw that the Syrians had fled, they also fled before Abishai and entered the city.
Psalm 2:1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

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