Hebrew word · H1521

גִּיחוֹן

gichon

Gihon

The spring on the eastern slope of the City of David in the Kidron Valley, Jerusalem's main perennial water source. The name is usually linked to the root g-y-ch, 'to gush, burst forth', which fits an intermittent spring that surges. The same name is given to one of the rivers of Eden (Gen 2:13).

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

What it means

§ Gihon = "bursting forth"

one of the four rivers of the Garden of Eden

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 1 Kings 1:33

Range of meaning

The spring on the eastern slope of the City of David in the Kidron Valley, Jerusalem's main perennial water source. The name is usually linked to the root g-y-ch, 'to gush, burst forth', which fits an intermittent spring that surges. The same name is given to one of the rivers of Eden (Gen 2:13).

Against the English

Most versions simply transliterate 'Gihon'. Some, NLT for example, add 'Spring', which helps modern readers.

Used elsewhere in the period

Hezekiah later diverted its waters through his tunnel (2 Chr 32:30; the Siloam inscription). It is also mentioned at 2 Chr 33:14. Archaeology has found massive Middle Bronze Age fortifications around the spring, which shows its strategic importance.

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 2:13 גִּיח֑וֹן [is] Gihon

    The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the whole land of Cush.

1 Kings · 3

  1. 1 Kings 1:33 גִּחֽוֹן׃ Gihon

    “Take my servants with you,” said the king. “Set my son Solomon on my own mule and take him down to Gihon.

    Here: Jerusalem's main spring, just below the City of David on the east. It was public, close by and within earshot of En-rogel, where Adonijah was holding his feast (vv. 9, 41).

  2. 1 Kings 1:38 גִּחֽוֹן׃ Gihon

    Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, went down and set Solomon on King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.

  3. 1 Kings 1:45 בְּגִח֗וֹן at Gihon

    Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there with rejoicing that rings out in the city. That is the noise you hear.

2 Chronicles · 2

  1. 2 Chronicles 32:30 גִיחוֹן֙ Gihon

    It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Spring of Gihon and channeled it down to the west side of the City of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did.

  2. 2 Chronicles 33:14 לְגִיח֨וֹן of Gihon

    After this, Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David from west of Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate, and he brought it around the hill of Ophel and heightened it considerably. He also stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.

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