Aram, Mesopotamia, Syria, Syrians

“Aram” From Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(high). (1) Translated Mesopotamia (Gen. 24:10). The high part of Syria to the N. E. of Palestine. Absorbed by Syria, with capital at Damascus (1 Kings 20:1; Isa. 7:8; 1 Kings 11:24). (2) A descendant of Nahor (Gen. 22:21). (3) An Asherite (1 Chron. 7:34). (4) An ancestor of Christ (Matt. 1:4; Luke 3:33).

“Damascus” From Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

A city of Asia, 133 miles N. E. of Jerusalem (Gen. 14:15; 15:2). Adjacent region called “Syria of Damascus” (2 Sam. 8:5). Taken by David (2 Sam. 8:6); and by Jeroboam (2 Kings 14:28). Scene of Paul’s conversion (Acts 9:1-27; 22:1-16).

“Syria” From Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

The Hebrew Aram
So indefinitely bounded at different times as to have been associated with Assyria (whence its name) and Babylon. More definitely the country to the north of Canaan, extending from the Tigris to the Mediterranean, and northward to the Taurus ranges. Damascus was the capital, and center of wealth, learning, and power. Joshua subdued its petty kings (Josh. 11:2-18); David reduced it to submission (2 Sam. 8; 10). During Solomon’s reign it became independent (1 Kings 11:23-25). The earliest recorded settlers in Syria were Hittites and other Hamitic races. The Shemitic element entered it from the southeast under Abraham and Chedorlaomer. After Syria became independent it was a persistent enemy of the Jews (1 Kings 15:18-20; 20; 22; 2 Kings 6:8-33; 7; 9:14-15; 10:32-33; 13:3,14-25). The attempt of the Syrian king to ally Israel with him for the overthrow of Judah led Ahaz to call in the help of Assyria, and Syria was soon merged into the great Assyrian empire. It was conquered by Alexander the Great, B. C. 333, and finally fell to the lot of Seleucus Nicator, who made it the central province of his empire, with the capital at Antioch. The Syriac language was closely allied to the Hebrew.

“Aram” From Concise Bible Dictionary:

1. Son of Shem (Gen. 10:22-23; 1 Chron. 1:17).
2. Son of Kemuel, Abraham’s nephew (Gen. 22:21).
3. Son of Shamer, of the tribe of Asher (1 Chron. 7:34).
4. Son of Esrom, and father of Aminadab (Matt. 1:3-4; Luke 3:33); called RAM (Ruth 4:19; Chron. 2:9-10).
5. Place in the land of Gilead, east of the Jordan, which Jair captured (1 Chron. 2:23).

“Damascus” From Concise Bible Dictionary:

One of the oldest cities in the world, being mentioned as a known city in the days of Abraham (Gen. 14:15; Gen. 15:2). Josephus says it was founded by Uz, grandson of Shem. It is not again mentioned in scripture until the time of David. It was the capital of Syria (Isa. 7:8). The Syrians of Damascus sided with Hadadezer, king of Zobah, against Israel, but David slew 22,000 of the Syrians (2 Sam. 8:5). David put garrisons in Syria, and they brought him gifts (1 Chron. 18:3-6). Rezon escaped and established himself at Damascus as king of Syria and was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon (1 Kings 11:23-25).
A few years later Ben-hadad was induced by Judah to attack Baasha king of Israel, when all the land of Naphtali was smitten (1 Kings 15:16-20). About 30 years after this Ben-hadad II besieged Samaria; but God wrought for their deliverance, and Ben-hadad was taken prisoner; but Ahab called him “brother” and released him, for which he was rebuked by a prophet (1 Kings 20). About B.C. 890 Hazael murdered Ben-hadad and became king of Syria; and we read that Jehovah began to cut Israel short and He used Hazael as His instrument. He smote all the coasts of Israel, from Jordan eastward, in Gilead and the lands of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh (2 Kings 10:32-33). He took also Gath, and was only diverted from Jerusalem by Jehoash giving up the royal and temple treasures (2 Kings 12:17-18). Ben-hadad III, his son, continued to exercise dominion over Israel, (2 Kings 13:3-7,22); but Jehovah had compassion on Israel, and Joash, according to the dying prophecy of Elisha, overcame the king of Syria three times and recovered the cities of Israel (2 Kings 13:14-19,23-25). Jeroboam also “restored” the coast of Israel, and recovered Damascus and Hamath, according to the prophecy of Jonah (2 Kings 14:23-28).
About a century later, Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel attacked Ahaz and besieged Jerusalem. Ahaz sent the royal and temple treasures to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria to induce him to resist Rezin. He attacked Damascus, and took it, and carried away the inhabitants to Kir, and slew Rezin, about B.C. 740 (2 Kings 16:5-9; Isa. 7:1-9).
Isaiah prophesied that Damascus should be a ruinous heap, because of its confederacy with Ephraim against God’s city Jerusalem (Isa. 17:1; compare also Amos 1:3-5; Jer. 49:23-27; Zech. 9:1). God had used the kings of Syria to punish Israel; but, as in other cases, He afterward for their arrogance and cruelty brought them to nothing.
In the time of the Medo-Persian kingdom, Damascus was again rebuilt and was the most famous city of Syria; it afterward belonged to the Greeks, and later to the Romans, and eventually to the Arabs, Saracens, and Turks.
In the New Testament Damascus is of note as the city near to which Paul was converted, and where he received his sight, and began to preach. He escaped from his enemies by being let down by the wall in a basket (Acts 9:2-27; Acts 22:5-11). In 2 Corinthians 11:32 its inhabitants are called DAMASCENES. Damascus was the first Gentile city in which Jesus was preached as “the Son of God”; and though it is now in possession of Mahometans, yet in their great mosque a stone has been preserved that formed part of a church erected on the spot, bearing this inscription in Greek: “Thy kingdom, O Christ, is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.” The city is also lamentably memorable on account of the outburst of Muslim hatred in 1860; when on the 9th, 10th and 11Th of July not less than 2,500 adult Christians were murdered by them in cold blood, and many besides lost their lives in their flight.
The city is beautifully situated at the foot of the south-east range of Antilibanus on a large plain, watered by the two rivers Barada and Awaj (the Abana and Pharpar of 2 Kings 5:12), the former of which runs through the city, and may be said to be the life of the place. The plain abounds in corn-fields, olive-groves, and meadows, with vines, figs, apricots, citrons, plums, pomegranates, and other fruits. The city itself is ill-formed and dirty, though some of the houses, in strong contrast with the outside, are well furnished, cool, and clean inside. There is a long street of more than a mile in length that may well have been called “Straight,” but is now a street of Bazaars. This was divided into rows by Corinthian columns, the remains of which can still be traced.
Damascus is now called Dimeshic esh Sham, 33° 30' N, 36° 18' E. Its inhabitants in 1892 were estimated to be 210,000; of whom perhaps 20,000 were Christians, 10,000 Jews, and the rest Mahometans. The Christians and Jews are mostly poor, the greater part of the commerce being in the hands of Muslims. Its trade is extensive, the city having four great roads for its outflow: one on the S.W. to Egypt through Galilee; on the south to Mecca; on the east to Baghdad; and on the west to the Mediterranean. Besides which a railway direct from Beyrout to Damascus and another from Accho and Haifa to Damascus are in progress of construction.

“Syria, Syrian” From Concise Bible Dictionary:

In scripture this name mostly signifies the district lying north and north-east of Palestine, the inhabitants of which were Syrians. If from Dan to Beersheba be taken as the boundaries of Palestine, it leaves for Syria a district quite as large on its north, besides extending also to the Euphrates on the east. For the sub-divisions of Syria mentioned in scripture see ARAM.
There are but few references to the Syrians in the early part of scripture. In connection with Rebekah the wife of Isaac, Laban (grandson of Nahor, Abraham’s brother) “the Syrian” is introduced (Gen. 25:20; Gen. 28:5; Gen. 31:20,24); and an Israelite, in presenting his basket of first-fruits, was instructed to confess before the Lord, “A Syrian ready to perish was my father,” followed by a rehearsal of what God had done for the descendants of Jacob, and how He had brought them into the promised land (Deut. 26:5). The only reference to the name in the New Testament is in Luke 4:27, where it is stated that there were many lepers in Israel in the days of Elisha, but none were cured but Naaman the Syrian.
Damascus was the capital of the part of Syria which was often in conflict with Israel. It was conquered in David’s reign and was subject to Solomon; but after the division of the kingdom it revolted and was again hostile to Israel. It became merged into the Assyrian and Babylonian empires. After that it passed to the Persians, and then submitted to Alexander the Great. On his death it came under the power of Seleucus Nicator, who built Antioch and made it his capital. For many years his successors contended with the Ptolemies for the possession of Palestine. See ANTIOCHUS. In B.C. 63 Syria was conquered by Pompey, and Palestine became subject to Rome. After the decline of Rome, Syria and Palestine had many different masters, and eventually fell into the hands of the Turks, who are still their owners.
The only governor of Syria mentioned in the New Testament is Cyreniu (Luke 2:2). Palestine was divided into sub-provinces after the death of Herod. The Lord in His journeys visited some of the borders of Syria, and His fame went throughout all Syria (Matt. 4:24). After Antioch had become a sort of central station from whence the gospel went out to the Gentiles, Paul traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia confirming the churches (Acts 15:23,41).
It will be seen that the physical features of Western Syria and Palestine are very similar—their natural contour indeed being the same.

Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:

Transliteration:
’Aram
Phonic:
arawm’
Meaning:
from the same as 759; the highland; Aram or Syria, and its inhabitants; also the name of the son of Shem, a grandson of Nahor, and of an Israelite
KJV Usage:
Aram, Mesopotamia, Syria, Syrians

Potts’ Bible Proper Names:

A small kingdom in close proximity to Palestine [SYRIA and MAACHAH], 1 Chron. 19:6.