Gath
גַּת · gat · H1661גַּיְא · gay · H1516P2 other spellings“a wine-press” Hitchcock's 186941 mentions in 10 books, most in 1 Samuel (12)
Where it is
31.69° N, 34.84° E
Coordinates and map: OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding · CC BY 4.0 · drawn without map tiles
Mentioned most in
Counted from 41 references · STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
About this place
Gath was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines, along with Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Ekron (Joshua 13:3). It was located in the coastal plain of Philistia, near the border with Judah. The city is mentioned numerous times throughout the Old Testament, often in the context of conflicts between the Israelites and the Philistines.
During the conquest of Canaan, Gath was one of the last strongholds of the Anakim, a race of giants (Joshua 11:22). The city gained prominence as the hometown of Goliath, the giant warrior who was defeated by David in single combat (1Sa.17.4, 23).
Gath played a significant role in the life of David. When fleeing from King Saul, David sought refuge in Gath, where he pretended to be insane to avoid arousing suspicion (1Sa.21.10-15). Later, David returned to Gath and served under King Achish, who gave him the town of Ziklag (1Sa.27.2-6).
The city was captured by David during his reign as king (1Ch.18.1), and it was also attacked by later Israelite kings, such as Uzziah (2Ch.26.6) and Hezekiah (2Ki.18.8). The term "Gittite" is used to refer to people from Gath, such as Obed-Edom, in whose house the Ark of the Covenant was temporarily kept (2Sa.6.10-11).
Gath is also mentioned in prophetic texts, such as Amo.6.2 and Micah 1:10, which speak of the city's destruction and the fate of its inhabitants. The exact location of Gath is uncertain, but it is believed to be Tell es-Safi, an archaeological site in modern-day Israel.
Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Every mention
41 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
Joshua2 mentions
Joshua 11:22There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.Joshua 13:3from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, which is counted as Canaanite; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the…
1 Samuel12 mentions
1 Samuel 5:8They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel…1 Samuel 6:17These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to Yahweh: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;1 Samuel 7:14The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel recovered its border out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace…1 Samuel 17:4A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out.1 Samuel 17:23As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and said the same words; and David heard them.1 Samuel 17:52The men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as Gai and to the gates of Ekron. The wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even…1 Samuel 21:10David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.1 Samuel 21:12David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.1 Samuel 27:2David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.1 Samuel 27:3David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.1 Samuel 27:4Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped looking for him.1 Samuel 27:11David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring them to Gath, saying, “Lest they should tell about us, saying, ‘David did this, and this has been his way all the time he has lived in the…
2 Samuel11 mentions
2 Samuel 1:20Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.2 Samuel 6:10So David would not move Yahweh’s ark to be with him in David’s city; but David carried it aside into Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house.2 Samuel 6:11Yahweh’s ark remained in Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house three months; and Yahweh blessed Obed-Edom and all his house.2 Samuel 8:1After this, David struck the Philistines and subdued them; and David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.2 Samuel 15:18All his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.2 Samuel 15:19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Return, and stay with the king; for you are a foreigner and also an exile. Return to your own place.2 Samuel 15:22David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones who were with him.2 Samuel 18:2David sent the people out, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the…2 Samuel 21:19There was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite’s brother, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.2 Samuel 21:20There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on every hand and six toes on every foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was born to the giant.2 Samuel 21:22These four were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
1 Kings3 mentions
1 Kings 2:39At the end of three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. They told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your slaves are in Gath.”1 Kings 2:40Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his slaves; and Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath.1 Kings 2:41Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had come again.
2 Kings1 mention
1 Chronicles7 mentions
1 Chronicles 7:21Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to take away their livestock.1 Chronicles 8:13and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of fathers’ households of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath;1 Chronicles 13:13So David didn’t move the ark with him into David’s city, but carried it aside into Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house.1 Chronicles 18:1After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines.1 Chronicles 20:5Again there was war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.1 Chronicles 20:6There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot; and he also was born to the giant.1 Chronicles 20:8These were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
2 Chronicles2 mentions
What the dictionary says
A wine-vat, one of the five royal cities of the Philistines (Josh. 13:3) on which the ark brought calamity (1 Sam. 5:8, 9; 6:17).
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Read the article →Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding · CC BY 4.0 · www.openbible.info/geo/
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain