Gibeon was a prominent Hivite city that deceived Joshua into making a peace treaty, and later became a Levitical city and site of worship.
Also known as Gibeonite · Geba · Gibbar · Bamah
Gibeon was a significant city in ancient Israel, located in the territory of Benjamin, about 6 miles northwest of Jerusalem. It was inhabited by Hivites, a Canaanite people group.
When Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan, the Gibeonites tricked them into making a peace treaty by pretending to be from a distant land (Joshua 9:3-15). Despite the deception, Joshua honored the treaty when the truth was discovered.
Gibeon's importance is underscored by the fact that its king, Hoham, led a coalition of five Amorite kings against Israel (Joshua 10:1-5). In response, Joshua asked God for the sun to stand still during the ensuing battle, allowing Israel to defeat the coalition (Joshua 10:12-14).
After the conquest, Gibeon was allotted to the tribe of Benjamin and designated as a Levitical city (Joshua 18:25, 21:17). The tabernacle was set up at Gibeon for a period, and it became a major worship center (1Ch.16.39, 21:29).
Approximate location: 31.847, 35.185 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Hill-city, “one of the royal cities, greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty” (Josh. 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 (Josh. 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 (Ex. 23:32; 34:12; Num. 33:55; Deut. 7:2). The deception practised on Joshua was detected three days later; but the oath rashly sworn “by Jehovah God of Israel” was kept, and the lives of the Gibeonites were spared. They were, however, made “bondmen” to the sanctuary (Josh. 9:23). The most remarkable incident connected with this city was the victory Joshua gained over the kings of Palestine (Josh. 10:16-27). The battle here fought has been regarded as “one of the most important in the history of the world.” 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.…
(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 “suburbs” 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.
hill; cup; thing lifted up
GIB'EON (of a hill), a city of the Hivites, Josh 9:3-21, about 6 miles north of Jerusalem. History. — Gibeon, after its league with Joshua, was attacked by the Canaanites; secured Joshua's help; near it Joshua commanded the sun to stand still. Josh 10:12-13; Isa 28:21; the city was given to Benjamin and to the Levites, Josh 18:25; John 21:17; it was the scene of a mortal skirmish between twelve of Abner's and twelve of Joab's men, also of the murders of Asahel by Abner, and of Amasa by Joab, 2 Sam 2:12-24; 2 Sam 20:8-10; because Saul broke the covenant with the Gibeonites, in the days of David a famine broke out, which, after three years, stopped by the hanging of seven of Saul's sons, 2 Sam 21:1, 2 Sam 21:2-6; the tabernacle was set up at Gibeon, 1 Chr 16:39; and Solomon oftered great sacrifices there, 1 Kgs 3:4-5; 1 Kgs 9:2; 2 Chr 1:3, 2 Chr 1:13; Jehoram recovered captives at Gibeon, Jer 41:12-16; its people helped to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the Captivity, Neh 3:7; Neh 7:25; Ezr 2:20, margin. It is now called el-Jib, a small village in the midst of ancient ruins, and standing on a low circular hill, whose steep sides are covered with vineyards. At the eastern base of the hill is a fine spring; the water runs into a reservoir 120 by 100 feet, which is probably the "Pool of Gibeon."
GIB'EON (of a hill), a city of the Hivites, Josh 9:3-21, about 6 miles north of Jerusalem. History. — Gibeon, after its league with Joshua, was attacked by the Canaanites; secured Joshua's help; near it Joshua commanded the sun to stand still. Josh 10:12-13; Isa 28:21; the city was given to Benjamin and to the Levites, Josh 18:25; John 21:17; it was the scene of a mortal skirmish between twelve of Abner's and twelve of Joab's men, also of the murders of Asahel by Abner, and of Amasa by Joab, 2 Sam 2:12-24; 2 Sam 20:8-10; because Saul broke the covenant with the Gibeonites, in the days of David a famine broke out, which, after three years, stopped by the hanging of seven of
Saul's sons, 2 Sam 21:1, 2 Sam 21:2-6; the tabernacle was set up at Gibeon, 1 Chr 16:39; and Solomon oftered great sacrifices there, 1 Kgs 3:4-5; 1 Kgs 9:2; 2 Chr 1:3, 2 Chr 1:13; Jehoram recovered captives at Gibeon, Jer 41:12-16; its people helped to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the Captivity, Neh 3:7; Neh 7:25; Ezr 2:20, margin. It is now called el-Jib, a small village in the midst of ancient ruins, and standing on a low circular hill, whose steep sides are covered with vineyards. At the eastern base of the hill is a fine spring; the water runs into a reservoir 120 by 100 feet, which is probably the "Pool of Gibeon."
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
44 verses in 10 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H1391
But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and devoted it to destruction—doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king—and that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living near them.
So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
“Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces and advanced with all their armies. They camped before Gibeon and made war against it.
Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, because all the kings of the Amorites from the hill country have joined forces against us.”
And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
Joshua conquered the area from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole region of Goshen as far as Gibeon.
No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites living in Gibeon; all others were taken in battle.
Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba,
One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
So Joab son of Zeruiah and along with the servants of David, marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. And the two groups took up positions on opposite sides of the pool.
Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponentʼs side, and they all fell together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is called Helkath-hazzurim.
But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. By sunset, they had gone as far as the hill of Ammah opposite Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
So David did as the LORD had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.
During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)
So David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”
The Gibeonites said to him, “We need no silver or gold from Saul or his house, nor should you put to death anyone in Israel for us.” “Whatever you ask, I will do for you,” he replied.
And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So all seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.
One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
the LORD appeared to him a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.
Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wifeʼs name was Maacah,
Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wifeʼs name was Maacah.
Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the Thirty and a leader over the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite;
So David did as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
And David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon
For the tabernacle of the LORD that Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering were presently at the high place in Gibeon,
And Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon because it was the location of Godʼs Tent of Meeting, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.
So Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place in Gibeon, from before the Tent of Meeting, and he reigned over Israel.
the descendants of Gibbar, 95;
Next to them, repairs were made by Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, who were under the authority of the governor of the region west of the Euphrates.
the descendants of Gibeon, 95;
For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task.
In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, near the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people:
they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. And they found him near the great pool in Gibeon.
Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him took the whole remnant of the people from Mizpah whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, women, children, and court officials he had brought back from Gibeon.
So I asked them: ‘What is this high place to which you go?’ (And to this day it is called Bamah.)
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.