Gibeon: 7 definitions
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Gibeon means something in Christianity. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. On this page you will also find search and cross-referencing tools.
In Christianity
General definition (in Christianity)
: archive.org: Easton's Bible DictionaryGibeon definition and references: Hill-city, 鈥渙ne of the royal cities, greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty鈥� (Joshua 10:2). Its inhabitants were Hivites (11:19). It lay within the territory of Benjamin, and became a priest-city (18:25; 21:17). Here the tabernacle was set up after the destruction of Nob, and here it remained many years till the temple was built by Solomon. It is represented by the modern el-Jib, to the south-west of Ai, and about 5 1/2 miles north-north-west of Jerusalem.
A deputation of the Gibeonites, with their allies from three other cities (Joshua 9;17), visited the camp at Gilgal, and by false representations induced Joshua to enter into a league with them, although the Israelites had been specially warned against any league with the inhabitants of Canaan (Exodus 23:32; 34:12; Numbers 33:55; Deuteronomy 7:2). The deception practised on Joshua was detected three days later; but the oath rashly sworn 鈥渂y Jehovah God of Israel鈥� was kept, and the lives of the Gibeonites were spared. They were, however, made 鈥渂ondmen鈥� to the sanctuary (Joshua 9:23).
The most remarkable incident connected with this city was the victory Joshua gained over the kings of Palestine (Joshua 10:16-27). The battle here fought has been regarded as 鈥渙ne of the most important in the history of the world.鈥� The kings of southern Canaan entered into a confederacy against Gibeon (because it had entered into a league with Joshua) under the leadership of Adoni-zedec, king of Jerusalem, and marched upon Gibeon with the view of taking possession of it. The Gibeonites entreated Joshua to come to their aid with the utmost speed. His army came suddenly upon that of the Amorite kings as it lay encamped before the city. It was completely routed, and only broken remnants of their great host found refuge in the fenced cities. The five confederate kings who led the army were taken prisoners, and put to death at Makkedah (q.v.). This eventful battle of Beth-horon sealed the fate of all the cities of Southern Palestine. Among the Amarna tablets is a letter from Adoni-zedec (q.v.) to the king of Egypt, written probably at Makkedah after the defeat, showing that the kings contemplated flight into Egypt.
This place is again brought into notice as the scene of a battle between the army of Ish-bosheth under Abner and that of David led by Joab. At the suggestion of Abner, to spare the effusion of blood twelve men on either side were chosen to decide the battle. The issue was unexpected; for each of the men slew his fellow, and thus they all perished. The two armies then engaged in battle, in which Abner and his host were routed and put to flight (2 Samuel 2:12-17). This battle led to a virtual truce between Judah and Israel, Judah, under David, increasing in power; and Israel, under Ish-bosheth, continually losing ground.
Soon after the death of Absalom and David鈥檚 restoration to his throne his kingdom was visited by a grievous famine, which was found to be a punishment for Saul鈥檚 violation (2 Samuel 21:2, 5) of the covenant with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:3-27). The Gibeonites demanded blood for the wrong that had been done to them, and accordingly David gave up to them the two sons of Rizpah (q.v.) and the five sons of Michal, and these the Gibeonites took and hanged or crucified 鈥渋n the hill before the Lord鈥� (2 Samuel 21:9); and there the bodies hung for six months (21:10), and all the while Rizpah watched over the blackening corpses and 鈥渟uffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.鈥� David afterwards removed the bones of Saul and Jonathan at Jabeshgilead (21:12, 13).
Here, 鈥渁t the great stone,鈥� Amasa was put to death by Joab (2 Samuel 20:5-10). To the altar of burnt-offering which was at Gibeon, Joab (1 Kings 2:28-34), who had taken the side of Adonijah, fled for sanctuary in the beginning of Solomon鈥檚 reign, and was there also slain by the hand of Benaiah.
Soon after he came to the throne, Solomon paid a visit of state to Gibeon, there to offer sacrifices (1 Kings 3:4; 2 Chronicles 1:3). On this occasion the Lord appeared to him in a memorable dream, recorded in 1 Kings 3:5-15; 2 Chronicles 1:7-12. When the temple was built 鈥渁ll the men of Israel assembled themselves鈥� to king Solomon, and brought up from Gibeon the tabernacle and 鈥渁ll the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle鈥� to Jerusalem, where they remained till they were carried away by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:13).
: archive.org: Hitchcock's Bible Names DictionaryGibeon refers to: 鈥渉ill; cup; thing lifted up鈥濃�擺The definitions from this source are translations of Hebrew names found in the Bible and are included in Hitchcock's New and Complete Analysis of the Holy Bible].
: archive.org: Smith's Bible DictionaryGibeon refers to:鈥�(hill city), one of the four, cities of the Hivites, the inhabitants of which made a league with Joshua, (Joshua 9:3-15) and thus escaped the fate of Jericho and Ai. Comp. ch. (Joshua 11:19) Gibeon lay within the territory of Benjamin, ch. (Joshua 18:25) and with its 鈥渟uburbs鈥� was allotted to the priests, ch. (Joshua 21:17) of whom it became afterwards a principal station. It retains its ancient name almost intact, el-Jib . Its distance from Jerusalem by the main road is about 6 1/2 miles; but there is a more direct road reducing it to five miles.
: archive.org: Nave's Topical BibleGibeon definition and references: 鈥�1. A city of the Hivites Joshua 9:3,17; 2 Samuel 21:2
鈥揟he people of, adroitly draw Joshua into a treaty Joshua
9
鈥揗ade servants by the Israelites, when their sharp practice was
discovered Joshua 9:27
鈥揟he sun stands still over, during Joshua鈥檚 battle with the five
confederated kings Joshua 10:12-14
鈥揂llotted to Benjamin Joshua 18:25
鈥揂ssigned to the Aaronites Joshua 21:17
鈥揟he tabernacle located at 1 Kings 3:4; 1 Chronicles 16:39; 21:29;
2 Chronicles 1:2,3,13
鈥揝mitten by David 1 Chronicles 14:16
鈥揝even sons of Saul killed at, to avenge the inhabitants of 2 Samuel 21:1-9
鈥揝olomon worships at, and offers sacrifices 1 Kings 3:4
鈥揌as the dream concerning righteousness 1 Kings 3:5; 9:2
鈥揂bner slays Asahel at 2 Samuel 3:30
鈥揑shmael, the son of Nethaniah, defeated at, by Johanan Jeremiah 41:11-16
鈥�2. Pool of 2 Samuel 2:13; Jeremiah 41:12
Gibeon refers to:鈥擥ib'eon, a town celebrated in the Old Testament, but not mentioned in the New. It was 'a great city,' as one of the royal cities; and to its jurisdiction originally belonged Beeroth, Chephirah, and Kirjath-jearim. It is first mentioned in connection with the deception practiced by the inhabitants upon Joshua, by which, although Canaanites (Hivites), they induced the Jewish leader not only to make a league with them, and to spare their lives and cities, but also, in their defense, to make war upon the five kings by whom they were besieged. It was in the great battle which followed, that 'the sun stood still upon Gibeon'. The place afterwards fell to the lot of Benjamin, and became a Levitical city, where the tabernacle was set up for many years under David and Solomon, the ark being at the same time at Jerusalem. It was here, as being the place of the altar, that the young Solomon offered a thousand burnt-offerings, and was rewarded by the vision which left him the wisest of men. This was the place where Abner's challenge to Joab brought defeat upon himself, and death upon his brother Ashael, and where Amasa was afterwards slain by Joab.
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: archive.org: Fausset's Bible DictionaryGibeon refers to:鈥擟hief of the four Hivite (in 2 Samuel 21 called by the general name "Amorite") cities which obtained a league from Joshua by guile (Joshua 9). "A great city like one of the royal cities, greater than Ai" (Joshua 10:2); "all its men were mighty." Within Benjamin; by the main road. six and a half miles from Jerusalem; allotted to the priests (Joshua 21:17). Ninety-five men of Gibeon returned with Zerubbabel, and helped in repairing the wall of Jerusalem under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:7; Nehemiah 7:25). Here the Jews defeated Cestius Gallus and the Romans. Now el Jib, on a rounded chalk hill the limestone strata of which lie horizontally, forming terraces along which olives and vines abound, with a basin of broad valleys and plains below. E. of the hill is a spring and reservoir.
The remains of a tank 120 ft. by 100 ft. are visible still amidst the trees lower down; this was "the pool of Gibeon" where Abner's and Joab's men had the encounter ending in Asahel's death and issuing in Abner's own murder. At the "great waters of Gibeon" Johanan son of Kareah found the treacherous Ishmael (Jeremiah 41:12). Here were encamped the five kings of the Amorites when Joshua came down on them from Gilgal (Josephus, Ant. 5:1, section 17). The "wilderness (midbar ), pasture ground) of Gibeon" lay to the E. (2 Samuel 2:24.) Here immediately at "the great stone in Gibeon," some old landmark, Joab pursuing the Benjamite rebel Sheba among the towns of his tribe met and treacherously murdered Amasa (2 Samuel 20:5-10). Retributively it was here also that Joab met his doom from Benaiah while clinging to the brazen altar of the tabernacle at Gibeon (1 Kings 2:28-34; 1 Chronicles 16:39-41.)
To "the great high place" (whether Neby Samwil, the highest eminence about, at a mile's distance, or the twin mount on the S. and close to el Jib) the tabernacle was removed from Nob after Saul's slaughter of the priests there. David put the brazen altar before the tabernacle (2 Chronicles 1:5) probably at the same time lie removed the ark to Zion and appointed the priests under Zadok to offer the daily sacrifices, and Heman and Jeduthun to direct the music (2 Chronicles 1:3). Here Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings, and God appeared in a dream by night and gave him all and more than he asked (1 Kings 3). Then in a few years the tabernacle was taken down and the holy vessels removed to the temple (1 Kings 8:3).
: archive.org: Hastings' Dictionary of the BibleGibeon refers to:鈥攖own in Palestine north of Jerusalem. Its inhabitants seem to have been Hivites ( Joshua 9:7 ), though spoken of in 2聽Samuel 21:2 by the more general term 鈥楢morites.鈥� It was a city of considerable size. Its inhabitants, by means of a trick, succeeded in making a truce with Joshua, but were reduced to servitude ( Joshua 9:1-27 ); a coalition of other Canaanite kings against it was destroyed by him (ch. 10). It became a Levitical city ( Joshua 21:17 ) in the tribe of Benjamin ( Joshua 18:25 ). The circumstances of the destruction of part of the Gibeonites by Saul ( 2聽Samuel 21:1 ) are unknown. Here the champions of David fought those of the rival king Ish-bosheth ( 2聽Samuel 2:18-32 ), and defeated them; and here Joab murdered Amasa ( 2聽Samuel 20:9 ). The 鈥榞reat stone鈥� In Gibeon was probably some part of the important high place which we know from 1聽Kings 3:4 was situated here. The statement of the parallel passage, 2聽Chronicles 1:3 , that the ark was placed here at the time, is probably due merely to the desire of the Chronicler to explain Solomon鈥檚 sacrificing there in the light of the Deuteronomic legislation. Here Solomon was vouchsafed a theophany at the beginning of his reign. In Jeremiah 41:12 we again hear of Gibeon, in connexion with Johanan鈥檚 expedition against Ishmael to avenge the murder of Gedaliah.
The city has constantly been identified with el-Jib , and there can be little or no doubt that the identification is correct. This is a small village standing on an isolated hill about 5 miles from Jerusalem. The hill is rocky and regularly terraced.
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See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Gibeonites.
Full-text (+52): Ammah, Asahel, Giah, Hoham, Shimeah, Chephirah, Helkath-hazzurim, Hananiah, Beth-horon, Ajalon, Gibbar, Children of Gibbar, Jarmuth, Abdon, Irpeel, Neballat, Geba, Shimeam, Goshen, Bethhoron.
Relevant text
Search found 6 books and stories containing Gibeon; (plurals include: Gibeons). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
A Cyclopedia of Biblical literature (by John Kitto)
A Dictionary of the Bible (Hastings) (by Andrew Robert Fausset)
Bible cyclopedia, critical and expository (by Andrew Robert Fausset)
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (by Philip Schaff)
Letter XXIX < [Letters of Athanasius with Two Ancient Chronicles of His Life]
Homily XXVII < [The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews.]
Demonstration I < [Selections from the Hymns and Homilies of Ephraim the Syrian and from the Demonstrations of Aphrahat the Persian Sage.]
Expositions of Holy Scripture (by Alexander Maclaren)
Promises and threatenings < [Kings (first book)]
A young man's wise choice op wisdom < [Kings (first book)]
The sun stayed < [Joshua]
Ante-nicene Fathers (by Alexander Roberts)
Sec. I.鈥擮n the Diversity of Spiritual Gifts < [Constitutions of the Holy Apostles]
Sec < [Constitutions of the Holy Apostles]
VIII. On Fasting. In Opposition to the Psychics < [Tertullian]