1 Kings 19:15

19:15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came and then head for the Desert of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael king over Syria.

1 Kings 20:34

20:34 Ben Hadad ¹  said, “I will return the cities my father took from your father. You may set up markets ²  in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria.” ³  Ahab then said, “I want to make a treaty with you before I dismiss you.” ⁴  So he made a treaty with him and then dismissed him.

Genesis 14:15

14:15 Then, during the night, ⁵  Abram ⁶  divided his forces ⁷  against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north ⁸  of Damascus.

Acts 9:2

9:2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues ⁹  in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, ¹⁰  either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners ¹¹  to Jerusalem. ¹² 

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ben Hadad) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Heb “streets,” but this must refer to streets set up with stalls for merchants to sell their goods. See HALOT 299 s.v. חוּץ.

³ map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.

⁴ tn Heb “I will send you away with a treaty.” The words “Ahab then said” are supplied in the translation. There is nothing in the Hebrew text to indicate that the speaker has changed from Ben Hadad to Ahab. Some suggest adding “and he said” before “I will send you away.” Others prefer to maintain Ben Hadad as the speaker and change the statement to, “Please send me away with a treaty.”

⁵ tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.

⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”

⁸ tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

⁹ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

¹⁰ sn The expression “the way” in ancient religious literature refers at times to “the whole way of life fr. a moral and spiritual viewpoint” (BDAG 692 s.v. ὁδός 3.c), and it has been so used of Christianity and its teachings in the book of Acts (see also 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It is a variation of Judaism’s idea of two ways, the true and the false, where “the Way” is the true one (1 En. 91:18; 2 En. 30:15).

¹¹ tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.

¹² sn From Damascus to Jerusalem was a six-day journey. Christianity had now expanded into Syria.