Reference: Gath
American
A city of the Philistines, and one of their five principalities, 1Sa 5:8; 6:17. It was a notable city, in the border of the Philistines nearest to Jerusalem; but its site has long been lost. It was the home of Goliath, 1Sa 17:4. Compare Jos 11:22; 2Sa 21:19-22. Here David sought a refuge form Saul, 1Sa 21:10; 27:2-7. It came under his power in the beginning of his reign over all Israel, 1Ch 18:1, and continued subject to his successors till the declension of the kingdom of Judah. Rehoboam rebuilt or fortified it, 2Ch 11:8. It was afterwards recovered by the Philistines, but Uzziah reconquered it, 2Ch 26:6. Its inhabitants were called Gittites, Jos 13:3; and David had tow of them in his service, who faithfully adhered to him during the rebellion of Absalom, 2Sa 15:18-22.
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There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod some remained.
from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, [which] is reckoned to the Canaanites; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekron
They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about to Gath. And they carried
And these are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass-offering to LORD: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one.
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt 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. read more. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath, and he sought no more again for him. And David said to Achish, If now I have found favor in thine eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country that I may dwell there, for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah to this day. And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
And all 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. Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why do thou also go with us? Return, and abide with the king, for thou are a foreigner, and also an exile. [Return] to thine own place. read more. Whereas thou came but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go where I may? Return thou, and take back thy brothers. Mercy and truth be with thee. And Ittai answered the king, and said, As LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, even there thy servant will also be. And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines.
And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod. And he built cities in [the country of] Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
Easton
a wine-vat, one of the five royal cities of the Philistines (Jos 13:3) on which the ark brought calamity (1Sa 5:8-9; 6:17). It was famous also as being the birthplace or residence of Goliath (1Sa 17:4). David fled from Saul to Achish, king of Gath (1Sa 21:10; 27:2-4; Ps 56), and his connection with it will account for the words in 2Sa 1:20. It was afterwards conquered by David (2Sa 8:1). It occupied a strong position on the borders of Judah and Philistia (1Sa 21:10; 1Ch 18:1). Its site has been identified with the hill called Tell esSafieh, the Alba Specula of the Middle Ages, which rises 695 feet above the plain on its east edge. It is noticed on monuments about B.C. 1500. (See Metheg-ammah.)
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from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, [which] is reckoned to the Canaanites; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekron
They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about to Gath. And they carried And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of LORD was against the city with a very great discomfiture. And he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out upon them.
And these are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass-offering to LORD: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one.
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt 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. read more. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath, and he sought no more again for him.
Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them. And David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.
Fausets
("a winepress"), Gath being in a vine-abounding country. One of the five great Philistine cities (Jos 13:3; 1Sa 6:17). Goliath's abode (1 Samuel 17). Its people were the "Gittites," of whom was David's devotedly loyal friend Ittai (2Sa 15:19-22). In undesigned coincidence with the presence of giants in Gath, according to 1 Samuel 17; 2Sa 21:19-22, is Jos 11:22; "only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod there remained Anakims." Gath was one of the five cities to which the Philistines carried about the ark of God (the five formed one political unity), and thereby brought on the people God's heavy visitation with emerods. It was' represented by one of the five golden emerods and five golden inlet sent to propitiate Jehovah (1Sa 5:9; 6:4-5,10-18).
David there reigned madness to save his life; a second time he visited king Achish, and had Ziklag assigned to him as a residence (1Sa 21:10-15; 27:12). Thence he attached and drew after him 600 Gittite followers, with Ittai their chief (2Sa 15:18); probably some at the time of his sojourn in Gath, and most when he smote and subdued the Philistines (2Sa 8:1). Though tributary to Israel, Gath still retained its own king (1Ki 2:46). Hazael fought against it and took it (2Ki 12:17). Uzziah gave a heavy blow to Gath, breaking down its wall (2Ch 26:6; Am 6:2). "Hamath ... Gath, be they better than these kingdoms?" Gath, once "better (stronger) than" Israel and Judah, fell; how vain then is your confidence in the strength of mounts Zion and Samaria!
In Am 1:6, etc., Zep 2:4-5; Zec 9:5-6, Gath is omitted; probably it had lost by that time its place among the five primary cities. Hezekiah, after Uzziah, conquered Philistia (2Ki 18:8; Isa 14:29-32). Tell es Safieh occupies the site of Gath, which lay on the border between Judah and Philistia, between Shocoh and Ekron (1Sa 17:1,52). Saul came down from the hills by the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, which passes near Shocoh, and encountered the Philistines near the bend in the valley. Saul was on the E. of the valley, the Philistines on the W., as they came from the W. Gath was from its strength often alternately in the hands of Judah and of Philistia (2Ch 11:8). It lay on a hill at the foot of Judah's mountains, ten miles E. of Ashdod, and ten S.E. of Ekron.
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There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod some remained.
from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, [which] is reckoned to the Canaanites; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekron
And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of LORD was against the city with a very great discomfiture. And he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out upon them.
Then they said, What shall be the trespass-offering which we shall return to him? And they said, Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, [according to] the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on you all, an Therefore ye shall make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that mar the land. And ye shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
And the men did so, and took two milk cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. And they put the ark of LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors. read more. And the cows took the straight way by the way to Beth-shemesh. They went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines went behind them to the border And those of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite, and stood there where there was a great stone. And they split the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt-offering to LORD. And the Levites took down the ark of LORD, and the coffer that was with it, in which the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same d And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. And these are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass-offering to LORD: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one. And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even to the great stone on which they set down the ark of LORD, [which
Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle. And they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.
And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines until thou come to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron.
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? read more. And David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad. Why then have ye brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?
And Achish believed David, saying, He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he shall be my servant forever.
And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them. And David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.
And all 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. Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why do thou also go with us? Return, and abide with the king, for thou are a foreigner, and also an exile. [Return] to thine own place. read more. Whereas thou came but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go where I may? Return thou, and take back thy brothers. Mercy and truth be with thee. And Ittai answered the king, and said, As LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, even there thy servant will also be. And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. And Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, twenty-four in number, and he also was born to the giant. read more. And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David's brother, killed him. These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And he went out, and fell upon him so that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it. And Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
He smote the Philistines to Gaza and the borders of it, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.
And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod. And he built cities in [the country of] Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of thee, because the rod that smote thee is broken. For out of the serpent's root shall come forth an adder, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety. And I will kill thy root with famine, and thy remnant shall be slain. read more. Howl, O gate, cry, O city. Thou are melted away, O Philistia, all of thee. For there comes a smoke out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks. What then shall [a man] answer the messengers of the nation? That LORD has founded Zion, and in her shall the afflicted of his people take refuge.
Thus says LORD: For three transgressions of Gaza, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it, because they carried away captive the whole people, to deliver them up to Edom.
Pass ye to Calneh, and see, and from there go ye to Hamath the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Or is their border greater than your border?
For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up. Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of LORD is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines. I will destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
Ashkelon shall see it, and fear, Gaza also, and shall be greatly pained, and Ekron, for her expectation shall be put to shame. And the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
Hastings
A city of the Philistine Pentapolis. It is mentioned in Jos 11:22 as a place where the Anakim took refuge; but Joshua is significantly silent about the apportioning of the city to any of the tribes. The ark was brought here from Ashdod (1Sa 5:8), and thence to Ekron (1Sa 5:10). It was the home of Goliath (1Sa 17:4; 2Sa 21:19), and after the rout of the Philistines at Ephes-dammim it was the limit of their pursuit (1Sa 17:52 Septuagint). David during his outlawry took refuge with its king. Achish (1Sa 21:10). A bodyguard of Gittites was attached to David's person under the leadership of a certain Ittai; these remained faithful to the king after the revolt of Absalom (2Sa 15:18). Shimei's servants ran to Gath, and were pursued thither by him contrary to the tabu laid upon him (1Ki 2:40). Gath was captured by Hazael of Syria (2Ki 12:17). An unsuccessful Ephraimite cattle-lifting expedition against Gath is recorded (1Ch 7:21). The city was captured by David, according to the Chronicler (1Ch 18:1). and fortified by Rehoboam (2Ch 11:8). It was again captured by Uzziah (2Ch 26:6). Amos refers to it in terms which imply that some great calamity has befallen it (2Ch 6:2); the later prophets, though they mention other cities of the Pentapolis, are silent respecting Gath, which seems therefore to have dropped out of existence. The exact circumstances of its final fate are unknown. The topographical indications, both of the Scripture references and of the Onomasticon, point to the great mound Tell es-Safi as the most probable site for the identification of Gath. It stands at the mouth of the Valley of Elah, and clearly represents a large and important town. It was partially excavated by the Palestine Exploration Fund in 1899, but, unfortunately, the whole mound being much cumbered with a modern village and its graveyards and sacred shrines, only a limited area was found available for excavation, and the results were not so definite as they might have been.
R. A. S. Macalister.
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There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod some remained.
They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about to Gath. And they carried
So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people.
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines until thou come to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron.
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And all 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.
And Shimei arose, and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants. And Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.
Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it. And Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
and Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in the land killed, because they came down to take away their cattle.
And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines.
But I have built for thee a house of habitation, and a place for thee to dwell in forever.
And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod. And he built cities in [the country of] Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
Morish
One of the five royal cities of the Philistines, and to which Goliath belonged. It is not mentioned as having been given to any of the tribes. It was to this city that the ark was carried when taken in war. 1Sa 5:8. To Achish king of Gath David resorted when his faith failed him as to God's protection. 1Sa 27:2-4: cf. 1Sa 21:10,12. Afterwards when he was king and in power he took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines. Uzziah also fought against the place and broke down its walls. 1Ch 18:1; 2Ch 26:6. After Mic 1:10 we hear no more of Gath among the cities of the Philistines: cf. Zep 2:4; Zec 9:5-6. It may have been ruined. Its site is identified with Tell es Safl, 31 43' N, 34 51' E, where there are extensive ruins and cisterns hewn out of the rock. It commanded the entrance to the valley of Elah.
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They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about to Gath. And they carried
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
And David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt 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. read more. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath, and he sought no more again for him.
And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines.
Tell it not in Gath. Weep not at all. I have rolled myself in the dust at Beth-le-aphrah.
For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
Ashkelon shall see it, and fear, Gaza also, and shall be greatly pained, and Ekron, for her expectation shall be put to shame. And the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
Smith
(a wine press), one of the five royal cities of the Philistines;
and the native place of the giant Goliath.
It probably stood upon the conspicuous hill now called Tell-es-Safieh, upon the side of the plain of Philistia, at the foot of the mountains of Judah; 10 miles east of Ashdod, and about the same distance south by east of Ekron. It is irregular in form, and about 200 feet high. Gath occupied a strong position,
on the border of Judah and Philistia,
and from its strength and resources forming the key of both countries, it was the scene of frequent struggles, and was often captured and recaptured.
2Ki 12:17; 2Ch 11:8; 26:6; Am 6:2
The ravages of war to which Gath was exposed appear to have destroyed it at a comparatively early period, as it is not mentioned among the other royal cities by the later prophets.
It is familiar to the Bible student as the scene of one of the most romantic incidents in the life of King David.
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from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, [which] is reckoned to the Canaanites; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekron
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words, and David heard them.
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? read more. And David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad. Why then have ye brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?
Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it. And Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
Pass ye to Calneh, and see, and from there go ye to Hamath the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Or is their border greater than your border?
For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
Ashkelon shall see it, and fear, Gaza also, and shall be greatly pained, and Ekron, for her expectation shall be put to shame. And the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
Watsons
GATH, the fifth of the Philistine cities. It was a place of strength in the time of the prophets Amos and Micah, and is placed by Jerom on the road between Eleutheropolis and Gaza. It appears to have been the extreme boundary of the Philistine territory in one direction, as Ekron was on the other. Hence the expression, "from Ekron even unto Gath," 1Sa 7:14.
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And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath. And Israel delivered the border of it out of the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amori