REHOB

(Reʹhob) [open space or market].

1. Father of Hadadezer the king of Zobah against whom David warred victoriously.—2 Sam. 8:3-12.

2. One of the Levites or the forefather of one attesting by seal a covenant in the tine of Nehemiah and Ezra.—Neh. 10:1, 9, 11.

3. A place or city mentioned in the exploration of Canaan by the twelve Hebrew spies sent out by Moses. (Num. 13:21) It is probably the same place as “Rehob” and “Beth-rehob” mentioned at 2 Samuel 10:6, 8.—See BETH-REHOB.

4. The name of at least one and perhaps two cities in the territory of Asher. (Josh. 19:24, 28, 30) While some authorities consider both references to denote the same city, other related texts appear to indicate separate sites. Thus, Judges 1:31, 32 says that “Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of . . . Rehob,” so that the Asherites were obliged to dwell among the Canaanites of the land, whereas Joshua 21:27, 31 and 1 Chronicles 6:71, 75 state that Rehob was given to the sons of Gershom as a Levitical city. Those favoring but one site consider these texts to mean that the task of evicting the Canaanites from Rehob was hindered originally but was accomplished at a later time, thus allowing for its occupation by the Levites. Those favoring two sites suggest one town as remaining in Canaanite hands, the other as among those initially captured by Asher and given to the Levites. For the two, sites, these suggest an identification with Khirbet el-ʽAmri, about two and a half miles (4 kilometers) NE of Achzib, for the Rehob of Joshua 19:28, and for that of the other texts, they suggest Tell el-Gharbi, about six miles (10 kilometers) E-SE of Acco. This latter site is the one preferred by those who consider the name to refer to but one town.