Gibe-ah [N] [E] [H]a word employed in the Bible to denote a hill. Like most words of this kind it gave its name to several towns and places in Palestine, which would doubtless be generally on or near a hill. They are -- - Gibeah, a city in the mountain district of Judah, named with Maon and the southern Carmel, ( Joshua 15:57 ) and comp. 1Chr 2:49 etc.
- Gibeah of Benjamin first appears in the tragical story of the Levite and his concubine. ( Judges 19:20 ) It was then a "city," with the usual open street or square, ( Judges 19:15 Judges 19:17 Judges 19:20 ) and containing 700 "chosen men," ch. ( Judges 20:15 ) probably the same whose skill as slingers is preserved in the next verse. In many particulars Gibeah agrees very closely with Tuleil-el-Ful , a conspicuous eminence just four mlles north of Jerusalem, to the right of the road. We next meet with Glbeah of Benjamin during the Philistine wars of Saul and Jonathan. ( 1 Samuel 13:15 1 Samuel 13:16 ) It now bears its full title. As "Gibeah of Benjamin" this place is referred to in ( 2 Samuel 23:29 ) (comp. 1Chr 11:31 ), and as "Gibeah" it is mentioned by Hosea, ( Hosea 5:8 ; 9:9 ; 10:9 ) but it does not again appear in the history. It is, however, almost without doubt identical with
- Gibeah of Saul. This is not mentioned as Sauls city till after his anointing, ( 1 Samuel 10:26 ) when is said to have gone "home" to Gibeah. In the subsequent narrative the town bears its full name. ch ( 1 Samuel 11:4 )
- Gibeah in Kirjath-jearim was no doubt a hill in that city, and the place in which the ark remained from the time of its return by the Philistines till its removal by David. ( 2 Samuel 6:3 2 Samuel 6:4 ) comp. 1Sam 7:1,2
- Gibeah in the field, named only in ( Judges 20:31 ) as the place to which one of the "highways" led from Gibeah of Benjamin. It is probably the same as Geba. The "meadows of Gaba" (Authorized Version Gibeah), ( Judges 20:33 ) have no connection with the "field," the Hebrew word being entirely different.
[N] indicates this entry was also found in Nave's Topical Bible
[E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton's Bible Dictionary
[H] indicates this entry was also found in Hitchcock's Bible Names
Bibliography InformationSmith, William, Dr. "Entry for 'Gibeah'". "Smith's Bible Dictionary". . 1901.