Lexical Summary Beth-rechob: Beth-rechob Original Word: בֵּית רְחוֹב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Beth-rehob From bayith and rchob; house of (the) street; Beth-Rechob, a place in Palestine -- Beth-rehob. see HEBREW bayith see HEBREW rchob NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bayith and rechob Definition "place of a street," a place near Dan NASB Translation Beth-rehob (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs בֵּיתרְֿחוֺב proper name, of a location (place of street, or market ?) near Dan on road to Hamath Judges 18:28; 2 Samuel 10:6 (where אֲרַם בֵּיתרְֿחוֺב) = רְחֹב Numbers 13:21; compareאֲרַם צוֺבָא וּרְחוֺב 2 Samuel 10:8; — location dubious (compare Robiii. 371 f.). Topical Lexicon Geographical Setting Beth Rehob lay in the extreme north of ancient Israel, west of Mount Hermon and just north of the Huleh Valley. The site controlled a fertile basin watered by the upper Jordan and its tributaries, providing access to trade routes that linked Phoenicia, Aram-Damascus, and the interior of Canaan. Because the town is mentioned alongside Aramean forces, it is best viewed as an Aramean city-state whose influence extended into the “valley that belonged to Beth Rehob” (Judges 18:28), the plain immediately below Laish–Dan. Possible identifications include Tell el-Burj near modern Banias or Khirbet el-‘Ayoun near the Nahr Iyyun pass, both commanding the natural gateway from Lebanon into Galilee. Biblical Occurrences Judges 18:28 introduces the valley of Beth Rehob when the tribe of Dan attacks the peaceful town of Laish: “There was no one to rescue them … It was in the valley that belonged to Beth-rehob.” The notice places Beth Rehob as the nearest significant population center, yet one either unwilling or unable to intervene—underscoring Laish’s isolation. 2 Samuel 10:6 depicts “the Arameans of Beth Rehob” joining a confederacy with Zobah, Maacah, and Tob to aid Ammon against King David. Their ability to field paid troops (“twenty thousand foot soldiers”) implies a politically organized kingdom and significant resources. The ensuing defeat under Joab (2 Samuel 10:13–19) marks the ascendancy of David’s kingdom over the Aramean hill states and secures Israel’s northern frontier. Historical Context 1. Early Judges Period – The reference in Judges suggests a period when Aramean enclaves penetrated south of the Lebanon range. Beth Rehob’s valley provided pasture and security, enabling it to flourish even as surrounding Canaanite towns fell into decline. Theological Significance • Human strength cannot substitute for divine protection. Laish relied on remoteness; Beth Rehob trusted in military alliances, yet both proved ineffective without the Lord’s favor (compare Psalm 20:7). Lessons for Ministry 1. Isolation invites vulnerability. Congregations or believers detached from covenant community resemble Laish “far from Sidon” and without “alliances with anyone” (Judges 18:28). Biblical fellowship is a safeguard. Archaeology and Later Tradition Limited excavation in the Nahr Iyyun corridor has yielded Early Iron Age ceramics and defensive ramparts matching the biblical horizon. Inscribed seals naming “Rehob” in Aramaic script appear in the tenth–ninth centuries BC, suggesting continuity of the city-state until it was absorbed by the rising kingdom of Aram-Damascus. By Hellenistic times the toponym vanished, although the valley remained a strategic passageway noted by Josephus. See Also Laish (Dan); Zobah; Aram-Damascus; Ammon; Huleh Valley Forms and Transliterations רְח֑וֹב רְח֜וֹב רחוב rə·ḥō·wḇ reChov rəḥōwḇLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 18:28 HEB: אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְבֵית־ רְח֑וֹב וַיִּבְנ֥וּ אֶת־ NAS: which is near Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt KJV: and it was in the valley that [lieth] by Bethrehob. And they built INT: the valley which Beth-rehob rebuilt the city 2 Samuel 10:6 2 Occurrences |
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