Ezion-geber
City
The giant’s backbone (so called from the head of a mountain which runs out into the sea), an ancient city and harbour at the north-east end of the Elanitic branch of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Akabah, near Elath or Eloth (Num. 33:35; Deut. 2:8). Here Solomon built ships, “Tarshish ships,” like those trading from Tyre to Tarshish and the west, which traded with Ophir (1 Kings 9:26; 2 Chr. 8:17); and here also Jehoshaphat’s fleet was shipwrecked (1 Kings 22:48; 2 Chr. 20:36). It became a populous town, many of the Jews settling in it (2 Kings 16:6, “Elath”). It is supposed that anciently the north end of the gulf flowed further into the country than now, as far as ‘Ain el-Ghudyan, which is 10 miles up the dry bed of the Arabah, and that Ezion-geber may have been there.
Named in 7 verses
- Numbers 33:35 They traveled from Abronah, and encamped in Ezion Geber.
- Numbers 33:36 They traveled from Ezion Geber, and encamped at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.
- Deuteronomy 2:8 So we passed by from our brothers, the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir, from the way of the Arabah from Elath and from Ezion Geber. We turned and passed by
- 1 Kings 9:26 King Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.
- 1 Kings 22:48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they didn’t go, for the ships wrecked at Ezion Geber.
- 2 Chronicles 8:17 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and to Eloth, on the seashore in the land of Edom.
- 2 Chronicles 20:36 He joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish. They made the ships in Ezion Geber.