Mount Gilboa was the site of a battle where Saul and his sons were killed by the Philistines (1Sa.28.4; 2Sa.1.21; 21:12).
Mount Gilboa is a mountain range located in northern Israel, southwest of the Sea of Galilee. It is most notably associated with the final battle and death of King Saul and his sons. The Philistines had gathered their forces at Shunem, while Saul and the Israelite army camped on Mount Gilboa (1Sa.28.4). In the ensuing battle, the Philistines fought fiercely against Israel, and Saul and his sons, including Jonathan, were killed on Mount Gilboa (1Sa.31.1-6). After the battle, the Philistines found the bodies of Saul and his sons and fastened them to the wall of Beth-shan (1Sa.31.10). Later, valiant men from Jabesh-gilead retrieved the bodies and buried them (1Sa.31.11-13; 2Sa.21.12). In his lament for Saul and Jonathan, David cursed the mountains of Gilboa, expressing his grief over their deaths (2Sa.1.21). The events at Mount Gilboa marked the end of Saul's reign and paved the way for David to become king over Israel. The mountain range stands as a reminder of the tragic fate of Saul and his sons and the transfer of power to the Davidic dynasty.
Approximate location: 32.517, 35.400 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Boiling spring, a mountain range, now Jebel Fukua’, memorable as the scene of Saul’s disastrous defeat by the Philistines. Here also his three sons were slain, and he himself died by his own hand (1 Sam. 28:4; 31:1-8; 2 Sam. 1:6-21; 21:12; 1 Chr. 10:1, 8). It was a low barren range of mountains bounding the valley of Esdraelon (Jezreel) on the east, between it and the Jordan valley. When the tidings of this defeat were conveyed to David, he gave utterance to those pathetic words in the “Song of the Bow” (2 Sam. 1:19-27).
(a bubbling spring) a mountain range on the eastern side of the plain of Esdraelon, rising over the city of Jezreel. Comp. (1 Samuel 28:4) with 1Sam 29:1 It is mentioned in Scripture only in connection with one event in Israelitish history, the defeat and death of Saul and Jonathan by the Philistines. (1 Samuel 31:11; 2 Samuel 1:6; 21:12; 1 Chronicles 10:1,8) Of the identity of Gilboa with the ridge which stretches eastward from the ruins of Jezreel no doubt can be entertained. The village is now called Jelbou .
revolution of inquiry
GILBO'A, or GIL'BOA (bubbling fountain), a mountain east of the plain of Jezreel, about 10 miles long, running east-south-east and west-north-west; the northern slope is steep; the southern was probably once covered with forests, though it is now inhabited and cultivated. History. — Gilboa was a place where Saul and Jonathan were slain in battle, and from whence Saul went to consult the witch of Endor. 1 Sam 28:4; 1 Sam 31:6; 1 Chr 10:1; 2 Sam 1:21. The mountain is now called Jebel Fukua'; the place is called Jelbon.
GILBO'A, or GIL'BOA (bubbling fountain), a mountain east of the plain of Jezreel, about 10 miles long, running east-south-east and west-north-west; the northern slope is steep; the southern was probably once covered with forests, though it is now inhabited and cultivated. History. — Gilboa was a place where Saul and Jonathan were slain in battle, and from whence Saul went to consult the witch of Endor. 1 Sam 28:4; 1 Sam 31:6; 1 Chr 10:1; 2 Sam 1:21. The mountain is now called Jebel Fukua'; the place is called Jelbon.
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.
3 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H1533
The Philistines gathered together and camped at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and camped at Gilboa.
O mountains of Gilboa, may you have no dew or rain, no fields yielding offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, no longer anointed with oil.
he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa.
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.