דברי הימים א, פרק ה׳, פסוק י״ט

The tense relationship between the Israelite tribes living across the Jordan River and their neighbors sparked a continuous series of struggles. This particular military campaign is a later, separate conflict from the earlier war fought during the days of King Saul [מלבי״ם]. In that initial clash, the Hagrites were successfully driven from their land. However, they later took advantage of a period of Israelite weakness. During the reign of King Jehoahaz, when the Aramean army struck the Israelites, the Hagrites returned and resettled the area. It was only later, under the rule of Jeroboam son of Joash, that the Israelites regained their strength and launched a second offensive against them.

In this renewed battle, the Israelites faced opposition from Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. The primary approach among commentators is that these groups were descendants of Ishmael. There are different perspectives regarding the exact relationship between these groups and the Hagrites. One view suggests that because these nations were Ishmaelites, they were considered brothers to the descendants of Hagar. Consequently, they formed an alliance, joining forces with the Hagrites to fight against the Israelites [מלבי״ם]. Another approach understands that these were not separate allied nations at all. Instead, the Hagrites themselves were simply the descendants of Hagar, specifically identified as Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab [רלב״ג].