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REZON.—According to the Heb. text of 1Ki_11:23-25, Rezon, son of Eliada, was one of the military officers of that Hadadezer, king of the little realm of Zobah (cuneiform, Subiti), S. of Damascus and not far from the Sea of Tiberias, whom David overthrew (2Sa_8:3 ff.). For some unknown reason he deserted Hadadezer, gathered a band of freebooters, seized Damascus, and founded there the dynasty which created the most powerful of the Syrian kingdoms. He was a thorn in Solomon’s side, and his successors were bitter adversaries of Israel. Unfortunately, the text presents a suspicious appearance. 1Ki_11:23-25 a have evidently been interpolated between 1Ki_11:22 and 1Ki_11:25 b, and in the best MSS of the LXX [Note: Septuagint.] the story, with some variations, follows 1Ki_11:14. In either position it interrupts the course of the narrative, and the best solution of the difficulty is to regard it as a gloss, embodying a historical reminiscence. There is not sufficient evidence for the view maintained by Thenius and Klostermann, that the name should be spelled Hezron and identified with Hezion (1Ki_15:18).
J. Taylor.