Meaning
A place name meaning “hill” or “hillock”; several locations or places are associated with the name Gibeah in Scripture.
Biblical Usage
Gibeah is used for places associated with different biblical contexts. The most prominent Gibeah in the period of Saul was Gibeah of Benjamin, Saul’s royal residence and an important center of his rule.
Scripture also uses Gibeah in geographical and personal-name expressions, so individual references should be identified by their context rather than assumed to refer to Saul’s city.
Key References
- Joshua 18:28 — Gibeah is listed among the cities of Benjamin.
- Judges 19:12 — The Levite and his servant refuse to lodge in Gibeah of Benjamin.
- Judges 20:4 — The events involving the Levite’s concubine are reported in connection with Gibeah.
- 1 Samuel 10:26 — Saul returns to Gibeah.
- 1 Samuel 11:4 — Messengers come to Gibeah of Saul.
- 1 Samuel 15:34 — Saul goes to his house at Gibeah.
- 1 Samuel 22:6 — Saul is sitting under a tree at Gibeah.
- 2 Samuel 21:6 — Gibeah of Saul is mentioned in connection with Saul’s descendants.
- Isaiah 10:29 — Gibeah is mentioned in Isaiah’s geographical description.
Related Terms
- Benjamin
- Saul
- Ramah
- Jerusalem
- Hill