Where is Goah in the Bible?

Goah is a location mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically in Jeremiah 31:39. It is described as being in the region of Judea, and it is traditionally identified as a hill or area near Jerusalem.

What is the significance of Goah in the Bible?

Goah's significance is that it is used as a boundary marker in a prophetic vision of Jerusalem's future restoration. In Jeremiah 31:39, the measuring line for the rebuilt city will stretch out to Goah, symbolizing God's promise to fully restore and protect His people.

Is Goah the same as Jerusalem?

Goah is not Jerusalem itself, but a specific place near it. Biblical scholars believe it was a hill or landmark on the outskirts of the ancient city, used in Jeremiah's prophecy (Jeremiah 31:39) to define the expanded, holy boundaries of a future Jerusalem.

Goah

mountainOld TestamentJudea1 verse

Today JerusalemCountry IsraelCoordinates 31.777, 35.234

Goah is a mountain mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Jerusalem. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.

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Biblical History

Goah appears only once in Scripture, in Jeremiah 31:39, within a remarkable oracle of restoration and hope. The passage describes the future rebuilding of Jerusalem following the Babylonian devastation, with the measuring line going out to the hill of Gareb and then turning to Goah. Jeremiah's vision outlines a new Jerusalem that will expand beyond its previous boundaries to encompass previously unclean or uninhabited areas. The specific geography of Goah is uncertain, but its mention alongside Gareb suggests it lay on the western or northwestern side of Jerusalem, marking the outer limits of the city's projected expansion. The oracle promises that the whole valley of dead bodies and ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, shall be holy to the Lord. By anchoring this eschatological vision in real topographical landmarks like Goah, Jeremiah grounds the promise of restoration in the literal landscape of Jerusalem. The passage belongs to the celebrated Book of Consolation (Jeremiah 30-33) and reflects the prophet's profound hope for national renewal.

Archaeological & Historical Notes

The precise location of Goah near Jerusalem remains unidentified by modern archaeology. Jeremiah 31:39 places it in relation to the hill of Gareb in the context of Jerusalem's western boundaries, but neither Gareb nor Goah has been definitively located through excavation or epigraphy. Some scholars have proposed that Goah lay on the southwestern hill of Jerusalem, near the area later occupied by the Essene Gate or the Valley of Hinnom. Jerusalem's complex topography and the extensive later construction that has overlaid Iron Age remains make pinpointing minor topographical features mentioned only once in the biblical text extremely difficult. The general coordinates place Goah within the broader Jerusalem area, consistent with its appearance in the Jeremianic restoration oracle.

Verse Appearances (1)

Jer

Jer 31:39

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
OpenBible.info (n.d.) Bible Geocoding. Available at: https://www.openbible.info/geo/. [CC BY 4.0]
Bagnall, R. et al. (eds.) (n.d.) Pleiades: A Gazetteer of Past Places. Available at: https://pleiades.stoa.org. [CC BY 3.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Lawrence, D. et al. (2025) Villages to Empires: a settlement dataset for the Southern Levant. doi:10.5281/zenodo.15111732. [CC BY 4.0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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