Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 18:5

"And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succor Hadarezer king of Zobah, David smote of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men." — 1 Chronicles 18:5 (ASV)

And when the Syrians of Damascus came. —Literally, And Aram of Damascus came. The verb is masculine here, feminine in Samuel. (Compare to 1 Chronicles 18:2.)

Damascus. —Heb., Darmèseq, a late form, occurring again in 2 Chronicles 28:5; 2 Chronicles 28:23 (= ancient Dammèseq). In Syriac the name is similar: Darmĕsûq. The Arabic is Dimashqu, the cuneiform Dimashqa or Dimmasqa.

David slew of the Syrians. —Literally, smote in Aram. The preposition is partitive.