גּוּר
Gur, a place in Palestine
Definition
Gur is a proper noun referring to a specific location in ancient Palestine. The single biblical occurrence is in 2 Kings 9:27, which describes the flight of King Ahaziah of Judah from Jehu. The text states Ahaziah fled 'to the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam,' where he was fatally wounded. This places Gur as a geographical landmark, likely a slope or hill, near the town of Ibleam in the territory of Issachar or Manasseh. The name itself means 'sojourning place' or 'lodging,' derived from its root verb.
Biblical Usage
The word 'Gur' is used only once in the Old Testament, in the historical narrative of 2 Kings 9:27. Its usage is purely geographical, serving to specify the location where a significant political event—the wounding of King Ahaziah during Jehu's coup—took place. It functions as a proper place name within a military and royal context.
Etymology
The name 'Gur' (גּוּר) is identical to the Hebrew common noun gûr (H1482), which means 'to sojourn,' 'dwell as a foreigner,' or 'a cub' (of a lion). As a place name, it likely draws from the concept of a temporary dwelling or lodging place (a 'sojourning place'), which fits its role as a location on a travel route. It shares this root with words like gēr (H1616), meaning 'sojourner' or 'resident alien.'
Semantic Range
As a place name, 'Gur' reflects the ancient Israelite practice of naming locations based on physical features or common activities. A 'sojourning place' or 'lodging' would be a recognizable landmark for travelers on a major route. Its mention pinpoints a real location in the political geography of the divided monarchy, grounding the biblical narrative in a specific historical and territorial context.
gûr (H1482) — The common noun meaning 'to sojourn' or 'a lion's cub,' from which the place name is derived. mālôn (H4411) — A lodging place or inn, a more general term for a traveler's stop. gēr (H1616) — A sojourner or resident alien, sharing the core root concept of temporary dwelling.
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 →