H2431 H2431
Helam, a place east of Jordan where David defeated the Arameans
Helam was a location east of the Jordan River where David achieved a significant military victory over the Aramean coalition under Hadadezer. The site is mentioned in 2 Samuel 10:16-17, with slight spelling variation between the verses (חילם and חלאמה). Some ancient versions and scholars suggest the word should be read as 'their army' rather than a place name, but most accept it as a geographical location somewhere between Damascus and Hamath. Ezekiel 47:16 may also reference this place, though the text is uncertain.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A place name designating a battlefield location east of the Jordan. 2 Samuel 10:16 states that the Arameans gathered at Helam, and verse 17 records that David came to Helam and fought them there. The Septuagint (Αιλαμ) supports reading this as a place name, and the reference in Ezekiel 47:16 (if correctly identified) would place it on the border between Damascus and Hamath. The consistent transliteration across languages (Helam, Jelam) confirms the traditional understanding as a proper noun. 2×
AR["حيلاماً", "حيلامَ"]·ben["হেলামে"]·DE["Helam"]·EN["Helam"]·FR["Helam"]·heb["חילם", "חלאמה"]·HI["हेलाम"]·ID["Helam"]·IT["Helam"]·jav["Hélam"]·KO["헬람에"]·PT["a-Chelam", "a-Chelamah"]·RU["в-Хелам"]·ES["a-Jelam"]·SW["Helamu"]·TR["Helam'a"]·urd["حیلام-میں"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חֵילָם n.pr.loc. E. of Jordan 2 S 10:16 (Th their army, but 𝔊 𝔖 I EwGesch. iii. 211 Anm. 1 = H iii. 155 n.2 We Dr) = חֵלָ֑א֯מָה v 17 (𝔊 Αιλαμ); + חילם Ez 47:16 (𝔊 Ηλιαμ) Co; according to this it lay on the border between Damascus and Hamath.