What is the significance of Gibeah in the Bible?

Answer

Several locations in the Bible are referred to as Gibeah, which translates to “a hill.”

The most notable Gibeah was a significant city in the region designated to the tribe of Benjamin «and Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.», (Joshua 18:28), situated approximately five miles north of Jerusalem. Gibeah of Benjamin served as the hometown of Saul «And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched. », (1 Samuel 10:26) and was occasionally known in the Bible as “Gibeah of Saul” (1 Samuel 11:4;1 Samuel 15:34;Isaiah 10:29). Its residents were identified as the Gibeathites «The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Berachah, and Jehu the Antothite, », (1 Chronicles 12:3). Following Saul’s appointment as king of Israel, he returned to reside in Gibeah and established it as the royal capital during his reign (1 Samuel 10:26;1 Samuel 22:6;1 Samuel 23:19).

Earlier, in the book of Judges, chapters 19—21, Gibeah of Saul was the site of a tragic incident involving rape and murder that led to a conflict between tribes against the tribe of Benjamin. A Levite and his concubine were journeying from Bethlehem to Ephraim and sought accommodation in Gibeah. Expecting hospitality from the Israelites residing in Gibeah, they were met with hostility.

Firmly received. However, no one offered them hospitality except an old man originally from Ephraim.

During the night, some wicked men of Gibeah went to the old man’s house and demanded to have intercourse with the Levite visitor. The old man was so ashamed of their outrageous behavior that he offered the men his virgin daughter and the Levite’s concubine. The townsmen refused, so the Levite sent his concubine outside. Throughout the night, the men of Gibeah raped and abused the woman and then left her for dead. To draw attention to this atrocity, the Levite chopped up the concubine’s body into twelve parts and sent one to each of the tribes of Israel. The other tribes sought vengeance by killing the inhabitants of Gibeah and devastating the tribe of Benjamin. This brutal crime was so horrendous that it became a lasting symbol of Israel’s wickedness and sin (Hosea 9:9; Hosea 10:9).

Another tragic event that took place in Gibeah of Saul is documented in 2 Samuel 21. When David was king, a famine afflicted Israel for three years. The Lord informed David of the reason for the scarcity: “It is because of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death” «Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. », (2 Samuel 21:1). David then inquired of the Gibeonites (to be distinguished from the Gibeathites) what he could do to make amends, and they requested seven of Saul’s sons to be executed. King David handed over two of Saul’s sons and five of his grandsons, and they were hanged in Gibeah (2 Samuel 21:8-9).

The Bible mentions another city named Gibeah in the hill country of the tribe of Judah, souThwest of Jerusalem «Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages: », (Joshua 15:57). Scholars believe this Gibeah may have been the home of King Abijah’s wife Maakah «He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. », (2 Chronicles 13:2) and possibly a place named after one of Caleb’s descendants «She bore also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsa. », (1 Chronicles 2:49). The exact location of this Gibeah is unknown.

A town in the hill country of the tribe of Ephraim was also called Gibeah. Aaron’s son Eleazar was buried there, and his son Phineas inherited the land «And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.», (Joshua 24:33). The precise location of this Gibeah remains uncertain as well.

Gibeah of God, Gibeath-elohim, meaning “hill of God,” was the site where the prophet Samuel predicted that the recently anointed King Saul would meet a company of prophets and prophesy together with them there (1 Samuel 10:5-6).

Another Gibeah, Gibeath-haaraloth, meaning “hill of the foreskins,” was the spot between the Jordan River and Jericho, near Gilgal, where Joshua used flint knives to circumcise the sons of Israel that had been born during the 40 years of wandering the wilderness «And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at th

In the KJV, Gibeah, a hill near Kiriath-jearim, was where Abinadab housed the ark of the covenant after its return from the Philistines until David transported it to the house of Obed-edom (1 Samuel 7:1; 2 Samuel 6:1-4;). Most other translations simply state that Abinadab lived “on the hill,” but the Hebrew word used is a form of Gibeah.