Hebrew word · H1650

גְּשׁוּר

geshur

Geshur

A small Aramean (Aramaic-speaking) kingdom in the southern Golan and the region east of the Sea of Galilee, bordering Bashan. The gentilic form 'Geshurite' means a member of that people. A separate southern people with the same name lived near Philistia (Josh 13:2; 1 Sam 27:8).

Appears 9 times in 9 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

Geshur or Geshurites = "proud beholder"

a land in north Transjordania

Also named: ge.shu.ri (גְּשׁוּרִי "Geshurite" H1651)

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 13:13

Range of meaning

A small Aramean (Aramaic-speaking) kingdom in the southern Golan and the region east of the Sea of Galilee, bordering Bashan. The gentilic form 'Geshurite' means a member of that people. A separate southern people with the same name lived near Philistia (Josh 13:2; 1 Sam 27:8).

Against the English

English versions agree. The NIV's 'people of Geshur' makes clearer that a political group is meant.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deut 3:14 and Josh 12:5 make Geshur and Maacah the outer limit of Og's realm and of Jair's conquests. In David's time Geshur is an independent kingdom with its own king, Talmai. David marries his daughter Maacah, mother of Absalom (2 Sam 3:3), and Absalom flees to Geshur after killing Amnon (2 Sam 13:37–38). 1 Chr 2:23 says Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from Israel. Excavations at sites around the lake (e.g. et-Tell/Bethsaida, Tel Hadar, En Gev) are often linked by archaeologists with Geshur in the Iron Age, though the identifications are argued.

Where it appears

Joshua · 1

  1. Joshua 13:13 גְּשׁ֤וּר Geshur

    but the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites. So Geshur and Maacath dwell among the Israelites to this day.

    Here: Now the land or state name stands for its people. The writer moves from 'the Geshurite' (the people) to 'Geshur' (the political entity), as if pointing to a polity that still exists.

2 Samuel · 6

  1. 2 Samuel 3:3 גְּשֽׁוּר׃ Geshur

    his second was Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; his third was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;

  2. 2 Samuel 13:37 גְּשׁ֑וּר Geshur

    Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But David mourned for his son every day.

  3. 2 Samuel 13:38 גְּשׁ֑וּר Geshur

    After Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, he stayed there three years.

  4. 2 Samuel 14:23 גְּשׁ֑וּרָה Geshur towards

    So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

  5. 2 Samuel 14:32 מִגְּשׁ֔וּר from Geshur

    “Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”

  6. 2 Samuel 15:8 בִגְשׁ֛וּר at Geshur

    For your servant made a vow while dwelling in Geshur of Aram, saying: ‘If indeed the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.’”

1 Chronicles · 2

  1. 1 Chronicles 2:23 גְּשֽׁוּר־ Geshur

    But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth-jair, along with Kenath and its sixty surrounding villages. All these were descendants of Machir the father of Gilead.

  2. 1 Chronicles 3:2 גְּשׁ֑וּר Geshur

    the third was Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; the fourth was Adonijah the son of Haggith;

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