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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so that there was not one Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod, there remained of them.
from Shihor in Egypt unto the borders of Ekron northward, which land was counted to pertain unto the Cananites, even to the five lords of the Philistines: the Gazathites, Ashdothites, Eshkalonites, Gittites, Ekronites, with the Avites,
And so they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" Then said they of Gath, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about." And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about.
These are the golden arses with hemorrhoids which the Philistines gave to amends for a trespass offering to the LORD: for Ashdod one; for Gaza one; for Ashkelon one; for Gath one; and for Ekron one.
And then came a man and stood in the midst, out of the tents of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath: six cubits and a handbreadth long,
And David arose and fled the same day from the presence of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And David arose, and he and the six hundred men that were with him went unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, both he and his men, every man with his household; and David with his two wives: Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, Nabal's wife of Carmel. read more. And when it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath, he sought no more for him. And David said unto Achish, "If I have found grace in thine eyes, let me have a place in some town in the fields, that I may dwell there. For what should thy servant dwell in the head city of the kingdom with thee?" Then Achish gave him Ziklag the same day; for which cause Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines, was a year and four months.
And all his servants went by his side. And all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites, and all the Hittites, even six hundred men which were come afoot from Gath, went before the king. Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, "Wherefore shouldest thou go with us also? Return and abide with the king, for thou art a stranger and art removed from thine own place. read more. Thou camest but yesterday, and should I unquiet thee today to go with us? I will go whither I go. But return thou and carry again thy brethren. Mercy and truth be with thee." And Ittai answered the king and said, "As surely as the LORD liveth, and as surely as my lord the king liveth: in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there will thy servant be." Then said the king to Ittai, "Come and go forward." And Ittai the Gittite went forth - and all his men, and all the children that were with him.
And after that, David beat the Philistines and subdued them, and took Gath and the towns that belonged thereto, out of the hands of the Philistines.
And he went to battle against the Philistines and brake down the walls of Gath, and the walls of Jabneh and the walls of Ashdod, and built cities about 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 Shihor in Egypt unto the borders of Ekron northward, which land was counted to pertain unto the Cananites, even to the five lords of the Philistines: the Gazathites, Ashdothites, Eshkalonites, Gittites, Ekronites, with the Avites,
And so they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" Then said they of Gath, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about." And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about. And when they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was in the city with a mighty great plague, and he smote the men of the city both small and great: and they were smitten in their secret places with the hemorrhoids.
These are the golden arses with hemorrhoids which the Philistines gave to amends for a trespass offering to the LORD: for Ashdod one; for Gaza one; for Ashkelon one; for Gath one; and for Ekron one.
And then came a man and stood in the midst, out of the tents of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath: six cubits and a handbreadth long,
And David arose and fled the same day from the presence of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And David arose and fled the same day from the presence of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And David arose, and he and the six hundred men that were with him went unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, both he and his men, every man with his household; and David with his two wives: Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, Nabal's wife of Carmel. read more. And when it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath, he sought no more for him.
Tell it not in Gath, nor publish it in the streets of Ashkelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, and that the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph thereof.
After that, David beat the Philistines and subdued them, and took the bridle of bondage out of their hands.
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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so that there was not one Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod, there remained of them.
from Shihor in Egypt unto the borders of Ekron northward, which land was counted to pertain unto the Cananites, even to the five lords of the Philistines: the Gazathites, Ashdothites, Eshkalonites, Gittites, Ekronites, with the Avites,
And when they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was in the city with a mighty great plague, and he smote the men of the city both small and great: and they were smitten in their secret places with the hemorrhoids.
Then said they, "What shall be the trespass offering which we shall reward him with?" And they answered, "Five golden arses with hemorrhoids and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For it was one manner of plague that was on you all, and on your lords too. Wherefore ye shall make images like to your arses with hemorrhoids and images like to your mice that destroyed your land, and shall give glory unto the God of Israel: that he may take his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
And the men did even so: they took two kine that gave milk and tied them in the cart, and kept the calves at home, and they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart and the forcer with the mice of gold and the images of their arses with hemorrhoids. read more. And the kine took the straight way to Bethshemesh, both one way, and as they went, lowed, turning neither to the righthand nor to the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them until they came to the borders of Bethshemesh. And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And they lifted up their eyes and spied the ark. And rejoiced when they saw it. And the cart came into the grove of one Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood still there. There was there also a great stone. And they clave the wood of the cart and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the forcer that was thereby, wherein the Jewels of gold were and put them on the great stone. And the men of Bethshemesh sacrificed burnt sacrifice and offered offerings that same day unto the LORD. And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. These are the golden arses with hemorrhoids which the Philistines gave to amends for a trespass offering to the LORD: for Ashdod one; for Gaza one; for Ashkelon one; for Gath one; and for Ekron one. And the golden mice were according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines through the five lordships: both of walled towns and of towns unwalled, even unto the great stone whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite.
The Philistines gathered their host to battle, and came together to Socoh in Judah, and pitched between Socoh and Azekah, in the end of Dammim.
And the men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted and followed after the Philistines, until they came to the valley and unto the gates of Ekron. And the Philistines fell down dead by the way, even unto Gath and Ekron.
And David arose and fled the same day from the presence of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said of him, "Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing unto this fellow in dances saying, 'Saul hath slain his thousand, and David his ten thousand'?" read more. And David put those words into his heart and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his countenance before them, and raved in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. Then said Achish unto his servant, "Lo, ye saw that this man was beside himself; wherefore then have ye brought him to me? Lack I madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? He shall not come into my house."
And Achish believed David, saying, "He hath made himself to stink unto his people Israel, and thereto he shall be my servant forever."
After that, David beat the Philistines and subdued them, and took the bridle of bondage out of their hands.
And all his servants went by his side. And all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites, and all the Hittites, even six hundred men which were come afoot from Gath, went before the king. Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, "Wherefore shouldest thou go with us also? Return and abide with the king, for thou art a stranger and art removed from thine own place. read more. Thou camest but yesterday, and should I unquiet thee today to go with us? I will go whither I go. But return thou and carry again thy brethren. Mercy and truth be with thee." And Ittai answered the king and said, "As surely as the LORD liveth, and as surely as my lord the king liveth: in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there will thy servant be." Then said the king to Ittai, "Come and go forward." And Ittai the Gittite went forth - and all his men, and all the children that were with him.
And there was yet the third battle in Gob, with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of the Jair slew Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite: the staff of whose spear was as great as a weaver's cloth beam. And there was yet battle in Gath, where was a man of a size and had on every hand six fingers and on every foot six toes - twenty four in all - and was also of the kindred of the Giants, and defied Israel. read more. And Jonathan the son of Shimei, the brother of David, slew him. These four were of the sons of the Giants in Gath, and were overthrown by the hand of David and by the hands of his servants.
And the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada: which went out and smote him that he died. And so was the kingdom settled in the hand of Solomon.
Then came Hazael king of Syria, and fought against Gath and took it, and appointed himself to go up to Jerusalem.
He beat the Philistines even unto Gaza and the coasts thereof, both in castles of garrisons and strong cities too.
And he went to battle against the Philistines and brake down the walls of Gath, and the walls of Jabneh and the walls of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod and among the Philistines.
Rejoice not, thou whole Philistia, as though the rod of him that beateth thee were broken: For out of the serpent's root, there shall come an adder, and the fruit shall be a fiery worm. But the poor shall feed of the best things, and the simple shall dwell in safety. Thy roots will I destroy with hunger, and it shall slay thy remnant. read more. Mourn, ye ports; weep, ye cities; and fear thou, O whole Philistia, for there shall come from the North a smoke, whose power no man may abide. Who shall then maintain the messages of the Gentiles? But the LORD establisheth Zion, and the poor of my people shall put their trust in him.
Thus sayeth the LORD, 'For three and four wickednesses of Gaza, I will not spare her: because they make the prisoners yet more captive, and have driven them into the land of Edom.
Go unto Calneh, and see: and from thence get you to Hamath the great city, and so go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better at ease than these kingdoms, or the border of their land wider than yours?
For Gaza shall be destroyed, and Ashkelon shall be laid waste. They shall cast out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be plucked up by the roots. Woe unto you that dwell upon the sea coast, ye murderous people: the word of the LORD shall come upon you. O Canaan, thou land of the Philistines, I will destroy thee so that there shall no man dwell in thee any more.
This shall Ashkelon see, and be afraid. Gaza shall be very sorry, so shall Ekron also, because her hope is come of confusion. For the king of Gaza shall perish; and at Ashkelon shall no man dwell. Strangers shall dwell at Ashdod, and as for the pride of the Philistines, I shall root it out.
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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so that there was not one Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod, there remained of them.
And so they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" Then said they of Gath, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about." And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about.
Then they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out saying, "They have brought the ark of the God of Israel unto us: to slay us and our people."
And then came a man and stood in the midst, out of the tents of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath: six cubits and a handbreadth long,
And the men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted and followed after the Philistines, until they came to the valley and unto the gates of Ekron. And the Philistines fell down dead by the way, even unto Gath and Ekron.
And David arose and fled the same day from the presence of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And all his servants went by his side. And all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites, and all the Hittites, even six hundred men which were come afoot from Gath, went before the king.
And Shimei stood up and saddled his ass and gat him to Gath to Achish, to seek his servants, and came and brought them again from Gath.
Then came Hazael king of Syria, and fought against Gath and took it, and appointed himself to go up to Jerusalem.
and Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. And the men of Gath that were born in the land, slew them, because they were come down to take away their cattle.
And after that, David beat the Philistines and subdued them, and took Gath and the towns that belonged thereto, out of the hands of the Philistines.
And he went to battle against the Philistines and brake down the walls of Gath, and the walls of Jabneh and the walls of Ashdod, and built cities about 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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And so they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" Then said they of Gath, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about." And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about.
And David arose and fled the same day from the presence of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And David put those words into his heart and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
And David arose, and he and the six hundred men that were with him went unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, both he and his men, every man with his household; and David with his two wives: Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, Nabal's wife of Carmel. read more. And when it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath, he sought no more for him.
And after that, David beat the Philistines and subdued them, and took Gath and the towns that belonged thereto, out of the hands of the Philistines.
Weep not, lest they at Gath perceive it. Thou at Bethleaphrah, welter thyself in the dust and ashes.
For Gaza shall be destroyed, and Ashkelon shall be laid waste. They shall cast out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be plucked up by the roots.
This shall Ashkelon see, and be afraid. Gaza shall be very sorry, so shall Ekron also, because her hope is come of confusion. For the king of Gaza shall perish; and at Ashkelon shall no man dwell. Strangers shall dwell at Ashdod, and as for the pride of the Philistines, I shall root it out.
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 Shihor in Egypt unto the borders of Ekron northward, which land was counted to pertain unto the Cananites, even to the five lords of the Philistines: the Gazathites, Ashdothites, Eshkalonites, Gittites, Ekronites, with the Avites,
And then came a man and stood in the midst, out of the tents of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath: six cubits and a handbreadth long,
And as he talked with them, behold, there stood a man in the midst: Goliath the Philistine by name, of Gath, which came out of the array of the Philistines, and spake of the manner above rehearsed, that David heard it.
And David arose and fled the same day from the presence of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And David arose and fled the same day from the presence of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said of him, "Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing unto this fellow in dances saying, 'Saul hath slain his thousand, and David his ten thousand'?" read more. And David put those words into his heart and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his countenance before them, and raved in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. Then said Achish unto his servant, "Lo, ye saw that this man was beside himself; wherefore then have ye brought him to me? Lack I madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? He shall not come into my house."
Then came Hazael king of Syria, and fought against Gath and took it, and appointed himself to go up to Jerusalem.
Go unto Calneh, and see: and from thence get you to Hamath the great city, and so go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better at ease than these kingdoms, or the border of their land wider than yours?
For Gaza shall be destroyed, and Ashkelon shall be laid waste. They shall cast out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be plucked up by the roots.
This shall Ashkelon see, and be afraid. Gaza shall be very sorry, so shall Ekron also, because her hope is come of confusion. For the king of Gaza shall perish; and at Ashkelon shall no man dwell. Strangers shall dwell at Ashdod, and as for the pride of the Philistines, I shall root it out.
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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Thereto, the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel came again to Israel, even from Ekron to Gath, with the coasts of the same, which Israel plucked out of the hands of the Philistines. For there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.