Bible Word Study
גֹּב
Gôb · Gob, a place in Palestine
גֹּב
Gob, a place in Palestine
Definition
Gob is a proper noun referring to a location in ancient Palestine, mentioned only in the context of two battles between the Israelites and the Philistines. In 2 Samuel 21:18, a battle at Gob results in the death of the Philistine giant Saph (or Sippai). In the subsequent verse, 2 Samuel 21:19, another battle at Gob is described where Elhanan kills Goliath the Gittite. The exact location of Gob remains uncertain, though some scholars suggest it may be the same site later known as Gezer, a significant Philistine stronghold. Its primary significance is as a geographical marker for these military conflicts during King David's reign.
Biblical Usage
The word 'Gob' is used exclusively in 2 Samuel 21:18-19, within a narrative recounting several wars between Israel and the Philistines. It appears solely as a place name specifying the location of two separate battles. Both occurrences are in identical, formulaic contexts: 'And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob...' This repetition establishes Gob as a repeated flashpoint for conflict. No other biblical book references this location.
Etymology
The Hebrew word גֹּב (Gôb) or its fuller form גּוֹב likely derives from the root גּוּב (gûv, H1461), meaning 'to dig' or 'a pit or ditch.' This etymology suggests the place may have been named for a geographical feature like a cistern, trench, or hollow. As a proper noun, its meaning is fixed to the location, though the root connection implies a possible topographical characteristic of the site.
Semantic Range
As a place name, Gob's cultural context is that of a Philistine-held town or battlefield during the early Israelite monarchy. Its mention highlights the ongoing, intense territorial and military struggle between Israel and the Philistine city-states. The fact that major battles involving giants (Rephaim) occurred there (2 Samuel 21:18, 2 Samuel 21:19) may indicate it was a strategically important or symbolically charged location for the Philistine military presence. Gezer (H1507) — A major Canaanite/Philistine city; some scholars propose Gob may be an earlier name for or location near Gezer.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]