Original Word: טַבְרִמּוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Tabrimmown
Pronunciation: tab-rim-MONE
Phonetic Spelling: (tab-rim-mone')
KJV: Tabrimmon
NASB: Tabrimmon
Word Origin: [from H2895 (טּוֹב - well) and H7417 (רִמּוֹן רִמּוֹן רִמּוֹנוֹ - Pomegranate)]

1. pleasing (to) Rimmon
2. Tabrimmon, a Syrian

Tabrimmon

From towb and Rimmown; pleasing (to) Rimmon; Tabrimmon, a Syrian -- Tabrimmon.

see HEBREW towb

see HEBREW Rimmown

Word Origin
perhaps from tob and Rimmon
Definition
perhaps "Rimmon is good," father of Benhaddad, king of Aram (Syria)
NASB Translation
Tabrimmon (1).

טַבְרִמּוֺן proper name, masculine (Aramaic; = Ramman is good, or is wise, see Wkl on טבאל above) — father of Benhadad king of Aram 1 Kings 15:18.

Biblical Profile

Only once named, Tabrimmon appears in 1 Kings 15:18 as the father of Ben-Hadad and son of Hezion, establishing the dynastic line of the early Aramean monarchy seated in Damascus. “King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus” (Berean Standard Bible). Though peripheral, the inclusion of his name authenticates the historical setting and underscores Scripture’s concern for precise genealogies.

Historical Background

Tabrimmon’s lifetime fell in the turbulent early ninth century before Christ, when Aram-Damascus emerged as a regional power contesting Israel’s northern border. His father Hezion is likely identical with Rezon, the Syrian chieftain who “was Israel’s adversary all the days of Solomon” (1 Kings 11:25). Thus Tabrimmon stands between two aggressive rulers, linking Rezon’s guerilla resistance to Solomon with Ben-Hadad’s later expansionist campaigns against Baasha of Israel and, ultimately, against Ahab (1 Kings 20). The name itself contains the theophoric element “Rimmon,” the storm-god worshipped in Syria, highlighting the pagan milieu from which God would later claim victories that magnify His supremacy (2 Kings 5:18).

Covenantal Context

The single reference to Tabrimmon occurs in a narrative where King Asa of Judah empties the treasuries of the LORD’s house to hire Ben-Hadad’s aid against Baasha (1 Kings 15:18-20; 2 Chronicles 16:2-3). Asa’s alliance briefly succeeds but draws prophetic censure: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand” (2 Chronicles 16:7). By mentioning Tabrimmon, the inspired writer grounds Ben-Hadad’s lineage and reminds readers that foreign kings, no matter how formidable, remain secondary actors in God’s redemptive plan.

Political Significance

In the Ancient Near East, dynastic legitimacy rested on a remembered ancestry. Listing Tabrimmon supplied Ben-Hadad with pedigree, strengthening his bargaining position with Judah and Israel. The episode foreshadows later Syrian interventions, culminating in the brutal oppression of Israel under Hazael and Ben-Hadad II (2 Kings 8—13). Tabrimmon, therefore, occupies a strategic point in the unfolding geopolitics that God employs to discipline His covenant people.

Theological Insights

1. Sovereignty of God: Even unnamed within His covenant, Tabrimmon is not outside God’s rule. The Lord raises up and removes foreign fathers and sons to accomplish His purposes (Isaiah 10:5-7).
2. Idolatry Exposed: The element “Rimmon” reminds the reader of Aram’s false worship. When Naaman later asks pardon for bowing “in the house of Rimmon,” the prophet grants it, demonstrating God’s mercy to repentant Gentiles (2 Kings 5:18-19).
3. Faith versus Politics: Asa’s choice to trust Ben-Hadad, scion of Tabrimmon, rather than the LORD, serves as a cautionary tale for all who would place confidence in human alliances.

Lessons for Ministry

• Genealogies Matter: Scripture’s precision, even concerning a single foreign ancestor, assures believers of the historical reliability of God’s Word and encourages teachers to respect every detail.
• Discern Alliances: Church leaders today must weigh partnerships carefully, refusing to sacrifice spiritual treasure for short-lived political relief.
• Evangelistic Horizon: The Aramean line that begins with Hezion and Tabrimmon ultimately meets the Gospel in Jesus Christ, who heals a Syrian leper (Luke 4:27) and commissions a persecutor on the Damascus road (Acts 9). God’s grace reaches beyond Israel through the very nations once raised to chasten her.

Intertextual Connections

1 Kings 11:23-25 – Hezion/Rezon lays the groundwork for later Syrian hostility.

1 Kings 15:18-20 – Tabrimmon cited in Asa’s treaty.

2 Chronicles 16:1-9 – Parallel account highlighting Asa’s misplaced trust.

2 Kings 5:18 – The god Rimmon resurfaces in Naaman’s plea.

Acts 9:1-22 – Damascus, once ruled by Tabrimmon’s line, becomes a birthplace of Christian mission.

Christological Reflection

The genealogical node of Tabrimmon spotlights a kingdom rooted in Rimmon, yet it is the kingdom of Christ—established without human lineage from Aram—that ultimately prevails. Whereas Ben-Hadad accepts temple silver to break covenant, Jesus, “though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9), purchasing an everlasting covenant not with gold but with His own blood.

Practical Application

Believers are warned against the temptation to barter sacred resources for temporal security. They are invited instead to anchor faith in the Lord, who directs the rise and fall of kings like Hezion, Tabrimmon, and Ben-Hadad, turning even their ambitions into instruments of His redemptive story.

טַבְרִמֹּ֤ן טברמן ṭaḇ·rim·mōn ṭaḇrimmōn tavrimMonInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts