A town on the Orontes River in Syria; capital of Aramean kingdom; its inhabitants were relocated to Samaria by the king of Assyria.
About Hamath
A city and district located about 201 kilometers (125 miles) north of Damascus, in what is now Syria. It was located on the Orontes River.
At first, the people of Hamath came from the family of Canaan (Genesis 10:18). Later, people from the Semitic peoples (a group that includes Israelites, Arameans, and others) lived there. The Bible sometimes calls the area "the entrance of Hamath"(Numbers 34:7–8; Joshua 13:5). This area marked the northern border of the land promised to Israel. Israel controlled this land during the early kindom of Israel and again during the reign of Jeroboam II, from 793 to 753 BC.
The exact location of the place called "Lebo-hamath" (which means "entrance of Hamath") is not certain. Some scholars think it was a town called Lebweh on the Orontes River, between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountains. Others think it was located somewhere else in Syria.
Hamath was first settled during the Neolithic period (the late Stone Age). Around 1750 BC, the city was destroyed (possibly by a group called the Hyksos). Later, the city was rebuilt. The Egyptian king Thutmose III (who ruled from 1502–1448 BC) took control of it. While Egypt ruled this part of Syria, Hamath became a successful city. Before 900 BC, Hamath became the capital of a small Hittite kingdom. People have found Hittite writings (called inscriptions) that tell about this time.
Hamath in the Bible
David fought Hadadezer, King of Zobah, and defeated him. Then Toi, King of Hamath, sent his son to congratulate David (2 Samuel 8:9–10). Solomon built store-cities in the region of Hamath (2 Chronicles 8:4). This may mean that Hamath became a kingdom that paid tribute (a regular gift of goods or money) to Israel.
During the time of King Ahab of Israel, the king of Hamath was named Irhulini. He joined with kings from Damascus, Israel, and 12 other cities to fight against Shalmaneser III, king of Assyria (who ruled from 860 to 825 BC). They stopped him for a time. But around 846 BC, Shalmaneser defeated them, and Hamath came under Assyrian rule.
In 730 BC, Eni-Ilus, the king of Hamath, paid tribute to another Assyrian king, Tiglath-pileser III. About 10 years later, in 720 BC, the Assyrian king Sargon II forced 4,300 Assyrians to live in Hamath. He also moved many people from Hamath and other places to Samaria (2 Kings 17:24). Some people from Israel may also have been sent to live in Hamath (Isaiah 11:11). Other Old Testament verses that mention Assyria’s control of Hamath include 2 Kings 18:34, 19:13, Isaiah 10:9, 36:19, 37:13, and Amos 6:2.
Later, Hamath seems to have come under the control of Damascus (Jeremiah 49:23). Some of the prophets predicted that Israel would one day extend its boundaries once again to Hamath (Ezekiel 47:16–17; 48:1; Zechariah 9:2).
During the time of the Maccabees, Jonathan Maccabeus and his army met the army of King Demetrius at Hamath (1 Maccabees 12:25). According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Antiochus Epiphanes changed the cities name to Epiphania (Antiquities 1.4.2). This was the name used by the Greeks and Romans.
See also Hamath, Entrance of.
Key References
He built Tadmor in the wilderness, in addition to all the store cities that he had built in Hamath.
When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,
he sent his son Joram to greet King David and bless him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, who had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze,
All Scripture References (36)
Numbers (2)
So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo-hamath.
and from Mount Hor to Lebo-hamath, then extend to Zedad,
Joshua (1)
the land of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath.
Judges (1)
the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.
2 Samuel (1)
When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,
1 Kings (1)
So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him—a great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt—kept the feast before the LORD our God for seven days and seven more days—fourteen days in all.
2 Kings (8)
This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word that the LORD, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.
As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, along with all his accomplishments and might, and how he waged war and recovered both Damascus and Hamath for Israel from Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.
The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”
And Pharaoh Neco imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he could not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land.
1 Chronicles (3)
So David assembled all Israel, from the River Shihor in Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.
As far as Hamath, David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah, who had marched out to establish his dominion along the Euphrates River.
When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah,
2 Chronicles (3)
So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him—a very great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt—kept the feast for seven days.
Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it.
He built Tadmor in the wilderness, in addition to all the store cities that he had built in Hamath.
Isaiah (4)
“Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”
Jeremiah (4)
But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him.
Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, for they have heard a bad report; they are agitated like the sea; their anxiety cannot be calmed.
The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on Zedekiah.
There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land.
Ezekiel (5)
This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side it will extend from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon through Lebo-hamath to Zedad,
Berothah, and Sibraim (which is on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.
So the border will run from the Sea to Hazar-enan, along the northern border of Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary.
And on the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western boundary.
“Now these are the names of the tribes: At the northern frontier, Dan will have one portion bordering the road of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath and running on to Hazar-enan on the border of Damascus with Hamath to the north, and extending from the east side to the west side.
Amos (2)
Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to the great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?
For behold, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD, the God of Hosts, “and they will oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.”
Zechariah (1)
and also against Hamath, which borders it, as well as Tyre and Sidon, though they are very shrewd.