Gath
City
A wine-vat, one of the five royal cities of the Philistines (Josh. 13:3) on which the ark brought calamity (1 Sam. 5:8, 9; 6:17). It was famous also as being the birthplace or residence of Goliath (1 Sam. 17:4). David fled from Saul to Achish, king of Gath (1 Sam. 21:10; 27:2-4; Ps. 56), and his connection with it will account for the words in 2 Sam. 1:20. It was afterwards conquered by David (2 Sam. 8:1). It occupied a strong position on the borders of Judah and Philistia (1 Sam. 21:10; 1 Chr. 18:1). Its site has been identified with the hill called Tell esSafieh, the Alba Specula of the Middle Ages, which rises 695 feet above the plain on its east edge. It is noticed on monuments about B.C. 1500.
Named in 32 verses
- Joshua 11:22 There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.
- Joshua 13:3 from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, which is counted as Canaanite; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, an
- 1 Samuel 5:8 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let
- 1 Samuel 6:17 These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to Yahweh: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for
- 1 Samuel 7:14 The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel recovered its border out of the hand of the
- 1 Samuel 17:4 A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out.
- 1 Samuel 17:23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and said the same words; and
- 1 Samuel 17:52 The men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as Gai and to the gates of Ekron. The wounded of the Philistines fell down
- 1 Samuel 21:10 David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
- 1 Samuel 21:12 David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
- 1 Samuel 27:2 David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
- 1 Samuel 27:3 David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelite
- 1 Samuel 27:4 Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped looking for him.
- 1 Samuel 27:11 David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring them to Gath, saying, “Lest they should tell about us, saying, ‘David did this, and this has been his way all t
- 2 Samuel 1:20 Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised trium
- 2 Samuel 15:18 All his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, pass
- 2 Samuel 21:20 There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on every hand and six toes on every foot, twenty-four in number, and he
- 2 Samuel 21:22 These four were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
- 1 Kings 2:39 At the end of three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. They told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your slaves are in Gath.”
- 1 Kings 2:40 Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his slaves; and Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath.
- 1 Kings 2:41 Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had come again.
- 2 Kings 12:17 Then Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
- 1 Chronicles 7:21 Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to take away their livestock.
- 1 Chronicles 8:13 and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of fathers’ households of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath;
- 1 Chronicles 18:1 After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines.
- 1 Chronicles 20:6 There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot; and he also wa
- 1 Chronicles 20:8 These were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
- 2 Chronicles 11:8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
- 2 Chronicles 26:6 He went out and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the country
- Psalms 56:1 Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.
- Amos 6:2 Go to Calneh, and see. From there go to Hamath the great. Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Is their border greater
- Micah 1:10 Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t weep at all. At Beth Ophrah I have rolled myself in the dust.