Zobah

Zobah (also Aram-Zobah) was an Aramaean (Syrian) kingdom south of Coele-Syria, extending from the eastern slopes of the Lebanon range northward and eastward toward the Euphrates. It was one of several powerful Aramaean states that Israel encountered at the height of its power under Saul and David. Saul fought against the kings of Zobah (1 Sam. 14:47), and David later defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah in a major battle, capturing his officers and taking vast quantities of bronze from the Zobahite cities (2 Sam. 8:3–12).

When the Ammonites hired Aramaean mercenaries against David, the forces included soldiers from Zobah (2 Sam. 10:6). After David's victories, Zobah declined in significance. Psalm 60's title connects the psalm to a war against Aram-Zobah, placing the composition in this period. By Solomon's time, Rezon, a former servant of Hadadezer, had seized Damascus and became Israel's adversary (1 Kings 11:23–25).