Hebrew word · H1642

גְּרָר

gerar

Gerar

A proper name: a town and its surrounding district in the western Negev, on the route between Gaza and Beersheba. It was ruled in the patriarch stories by 'Abimelech' (Gen 20; 26).

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

§ Gerar = "a lodging place"

a Philistine town south of Gaza, modern 'Umm'

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 Genesis 26:17

Range of meaning

A proper name: a town and its surrounding district in the western Negev, on the route between Gaza and Beersheba. It was ruled in the patriarch stories by 'Abimelech' (Gen 20; 26).

Against the English

English gives just a name. Hebrew readers knew it as the border zone between the coastal plain and the southern herding country.

Used elsewhere in the period

Gen 10:19 marks the edge of Canaan 'toward Gerar'. In 2 Chr 14:13–14, Asa pursues the enemy to Gerar. Most scholars identify it with Tel Haror (Tell Abu Hureira), a large site from the Middle Bronze Age onward, beside Naḥal Gerar.

From the study of 2 Chronicles 14:14

Range of meaning

Place name: a town in the western Negev, between Gaza and Beersheba.

Against the English

Spelled the same way in all English versions.

Used elsewhere in the period

Gen 10:19; 20:1–2; 26:1–26 (Abraham and Isaac with Abimelech, 'king of Gerar'). Usually identified with Tel Haror (Tell Abu Hureireh) on Nahal Gerar, a large site settled in the Middle Bronze, Late Bronze and Iron Ages.

From the study of Genesis 20:1

Range of meaning

Place name: a Canaanite city-state in the western Negev, between Gaza and Beersheba (Gen 10:19; 2 Chr 14:13–14). The meaning of the name is uncertain.

Against the English

All versions transliterate it. What English cannot show is the sound-play with the verb: wayyāgor biGrār.

Used elsewhere in the period

Most archaeologists now identify it with Tel Haror (Tell Abu Hureira) on the Nahal Gerar, a large fortified site of the Middle and Late Bronze Age (excavated by E. Oren). Tel Jemmeh was proposed earlier. The town reappears in Gen 26 with Isaac and an Abimelech. In 2 Chr 14 it marks the edge of Judah's territory.

Where it appears

Genesis · 8

  1. Genesis 10:19 גְרָ֖רָה Gerar towards

    and the borders of Canaan extended from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

  2. Genesis 20:1 בִּגְרָֽר׃ in Gerar

    Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,

    Here: A walled town with its own king (Abimelech, 20:2) in the western Negev, toward Gaza (10:19). Its name echoes the verb just before it: wayyāgor biGrār, 'he sojourned in Gerar'.

  3. Genesis 20:2 גְּרָ֔ר Gerar

    Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

    Here: A town in the western Negev between Gaza and Beersheba. Verse 1 plays on its name: Abraham "sojourned as a resident alien" (wayyāgor) in Gerar.

  4. Genesis 26:1 גְּרָֽרָה׃ Gerar towards

    Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.

  5. Genesis 26:6 בִּגְרָֽר׃ in Gerar

    So Isaac settled in Gerar.

  6. Genesis 26:17 גְּרָ֖ר Gerar

    So Isaac left that place and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.

    Here: The town and district between Gaza and Beersheba. 'Wadi of Gerar' means the watercourse named after it, out in the countryside beyond the town.

  7. Genesis 26:20 גְרָ֗ר Gerar

    But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him.

  8. Genesis 26:26 מִגְּרָ֑ר from Gerar

    Later, Abimelech came to Isaac from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.

2 Chronicles · 2

  1. 2 Chronicles 14:13 לִגְרָר֒ to Gerar

    Then Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. The Cushites fell and could not recover, for they were crushed before the LORD and His army. So the people of Judah carried off a great amount of plunder

  2. 2 Chronicles 14:14 גְּרָ֔ר Gerar

    and attacked all the cities around Gerar, because the terror of the LORD had fallen upon them. They plundered all the cities, since there was much plunder there.

    Here: A town in the southwest, between Gaza and Beersheba. It is usually identified with Tel Haror. It was the limit of the pursuit in v. 13 and is known from the stories of Abraham and Isaac (Gen 20; 26).

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