Lives of Scripture

The Aramean kingdom centered on Damascus, a recurring military rival of Israel and Judah throughout the monarchy period. David subdued Aramean forces allied against him (2 Samuel 8:5-6; 10), and later kings like Ben-hadad and Hazael repeatedly warred with Israel — Naaman, an Aramean army commander healed of leprosy through Elisha, being a notable exception to the hostility (2 Kings 5).

The Arameans

The Arameans take their name from Aram, a son of Shem (Genesis 10:22), and they were close kin to Israel's own ancestors. Rebekah's brother Laban is called an Aramean, and Isaac and Jacob both took wives from his family in Paddan-aram (Genesis 25:20; 28:1-5; 31:20). An Israelite bringing firstfruits was to confess that his forefather had been a wandering Aramean (Deuteronomy 26:5). Balaam came from Aram (Numbers 23:7), and Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim was the first oppressor of the judges period (Judges 3:8-10).

From David's reign on, the Arameans of Damascus were Israel's northern rival. Rezon seized Damascus and opposed Solomon (1 Kings 11:23-25). Elijah was sent to anoint Hazael as Aram's next king (1 Kings 19:15). Elisha led a blinded Aramean raiding party into Samaria and had it fed and sent home (2 Kings 6:8-23), and when Ben-hadad besieged Samaria, four lepers found the Aramean camp deserted (2 Kings 6:24-7:16). Rezin of Aram and Pekah of Israel threatened Ahaz, the crisis in which Isaiah gave the sign of Immanuel (Isaiah 7:1-14). Assyria then took Damascus (2 Kings 16:9).

Aramaic, the Arameans' language, became the common tongue of the empires. Parts of Ezra and Daniel are written in it (Ezra 4:8-6:18; Daniel 2:4-7:28), and the Gospels preserve some of Jesus' own words in Aramaic (Mark 5:41; 15:34).