Hebrew word · H1405

גִּבְּתוֹן

gibeton

Gibbethon

A proper name, probably formed from the Semitic root for a rounded rise or mound (compare gib'ah, 'hill'). So it likely means something like 'mound' or 'height'. It occurs in Joshua 19:44 and 21:23 (as a Levite town) and in 1 Kings 15:27; 16:15, 17.

Appears 6 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

§ Gibbethon = "mound"

a Philistine town in Dan allocated to the Kohathite Levites

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Joshua 19:44

Range of meaning

A proper name, probably formed from the Semitic root for a rounded rise or mound (compare gib'ah, 'hill'). So it likely means something like 'mound' or 'height'. It occurs in Joshua 19:44 and 21:23 (as a Levite town) and in 1 Kings 15:27; 16:15, 17.

Against the English

All English versions transliterate it as 'Gibbethon'.

Used elsewhere in the period

In 1 Kings it is 'Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines'. While Israel was besieging it, Baasha assassinated King Nadab (1 Kings 15:27). Twenty-five years later, the army camped against it proclaimed Omri king (1 Kings 16:15–17). An Assyrian relief of Sargon II (late 8th century BC) shows the siege of a town labelled Gabbutunu, which is generally taken to be Gibbethon. Many scholars place it at Tel Malot (Tell el-Melat), near Gezer, though this is not certain.

Where it appears

Joshua · 2

  1. Joshua 19:44 וְגִבְּת֖וֹן and Gibbethon

    Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,

    Here: A town in Dan's lowland territory. The name probably means something like 'mound' or 'height'. It too became a Levite town (Joshua 21:23). In the books of Kings it is a Philistine-held stronghold that Israel's armies besieged.

  2. Joshua 21:23 גִּבְּת֖וֹן Gibbethon

    From the tribe of Dan they were given Elteke, Gibbethon,

1 Kings · 4

  1. 1 Kings 15:27 בְּגִבְּת֖וֹן גִּבְּתֽוֹן׃ at Gibbethon, Gibbethon

    Then Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging the city.

  2. 1 Kings 16:15 גִּבְּת֖וֹן Gibbethon

    In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines,

  3. 1 Kings 16:17 מִֽגִּבְּת֑וֹן from Gibbethon

    Then Omri and all the Israelites marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.