Who was Hezion in the Bible?

Hezion was the grandfather of King Ben-Hadad I of Aram (Syria) and the father of King Tabrimmon. He is mentioned only once in the Bible as part of the lineage explaining the political context of an alliance (1 Kings 15:18).

Why is Hezion mentioned in the Bible?

Hezion is mentioned to establish the lineage of King Ben-Hadad I, whom King Asa of Judah bribed to break his treaty with Israel and attack them. This historical note explains the political maneuvering during the divided kingdom period (1 Kings 15:18-20).

What was Hezion's significance?

As a forefather of the Aramean kings, Hezion represents the royal line of a significant foreign power that frequently interacted with Israel and Judah. His mention highlights the complex international relations and alliances during the time of the kings.

Hezion

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleKing

Hezion was the grandfather of Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram during the reign of Asa, king of Judah.

Hezion

Biography

Hezion was a king of Aram (Syria) based in Damascus and the founder of a royal dynasty that would figure prominently in Israelite history. He is known from 1 Kings 15:18, where he is identified as the grandfather of Ben-Hadad I, the Aramean king with whom Asa of Judah entered into a military alliance against the northern kingdom of Israel. Hezion is also thought by many scholars to be identified with Rezon, the Aramean adversary of Solomon who seized Damascus and established an independent Aramean kingdom (1 Kings 11:23-25). If this identification is correct, Hezion-Rezon was one of the thorns God raised against Solomon's kingdom in judgment for his idolatry, and the founder of the Aramean dynasty that would trouble Israel for generations.

Significance

Hezion's significance lies primarily in his dynastic role: as the progenitor of the Ben-Hadad line, he stands at the origin of one of Israel's most persistent geopolitical antagonists. The Aramean kingdom centered in Damascus would repeatedly challenge both the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel throughout the divided monarchy period. If Hezion is indeed Rezon, then his rise was itself an act of divine providence, God using a foreign adversary to discipline His people (1 Kings 11:23). This pattern of God sovereignly raising and directing foreign powers recurs throughout the prophetic literature, demonstrating that even the enemies of Israel serve within the larger framework of God's covenantal governance of history.

Verse Appearances (1)

1Kgs

1Kgs 15:18

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources