גִּבְעַת
Gibath
Definition
Gibʻath is a proper noun referring to a specific location, a 'hill' or 'hill place,' derived from the common Hebrew word for hill. In its sole biblical occurrence, it is listed as one of the cities allotted to the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:28). The name itself is descriptive of the town's geographical setting, likely built upon or near a prominent rise. It is often identified with the same location elsewhere called 'Gibeath' (Judges 19:12-14, 1 Samuel 13:16) or 'Gibeon,' though scholarly opinions vary on the exact identification and relationship between these similarly named sites.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, specifically in the context of the territorial allotment to the tribes of Israel. In Joshua 18:28, it appears in a list of cities given to the tribe of Benjamin, following the conquest of Canaan. The usage is purely geographical and administrative, with no narrative or descriptive context provided in this single verse.
Etymology
Gibʻath is a proper noun derived directly from the common Hebrew noun גִּבְעָה (gibʻâh, H1389), meaning 'hill' or 'height.' It shares the same root (ג-ב-ע) as words for 'hill' and 'cup' (גָּבִיעַ, gāḇîaʻ, H1375), the latter likely from the shape of a cup resembling a hill. The name essentially means 'hill place' or 'town on the hill,' a common naming convention for settlements in the mountainous region of Benjamin.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israel, place names were often descriptive of the local geography. Naming a town 'Gibʻath' (Hill) immediately communicated its physical setting to travelers and inhabitants. Such a location would have offered natural defensive advantages and was a typical site for settlement in the hill country of Canaan. Its inclusion in a city list for Benjamin confirms the tribe's inheritance in the central mountainous region.
גִּבְעָה (gibʻâh, H1389) — The common noun for 'hill,' from which Gibʻath is derived. גִּבְעוֹן (Gibʻôn, H1391) — Gibeon, a major Benjaminite city with a similar name and likely a related or identical location. רָאש� (rō'sh, H7218) — 'head' or 'top,' sometimes used for a summit, but less specific than 'hill.'
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →