Gath

Gath is a settlement named in 38 verses of the Bible. It is most likely identified with Tell es Safi (high confidence; 5 other proposals below).

Location

Where scholars place it, most confident first. Confidence is OpenBible.info's score from the sources it surveys; it is not this site's judgment.

Verses

Joshua

• Joshua 11:22
  There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive.
• Joshua 13:3
  From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:All the territory of the Philistines and the Geshurites, from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites;

1 Samuel

• 1 Samuel 5:8
  They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” “It must be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel.
• 1 Samuel 5:9
  And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.But after they had moved the ark to Gath, the LORD’s hand was also against that city, throwing it into great confusion and afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.
• 1 Samuel 5:10
  Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.So they sent the ark of God to Ekron, but as it arrived, the Ekronites cried out, “They have brought us the ark of the God of Israel in order to kill us and our people!”
• 1 Samuel 6:17
  And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;As a guilt offering to the LORD, the Philistines had sent back one gold tumor for each city: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.
• 1 Samuel 7:14
  And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.The cities from Ekron to Gath, which the Philistines had taken, were restored to Israel, who also delivered the surrounding territory from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between the Israelites and the Amorites.
• 1 Samuel 17:4
  And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height,
• 1 Samuel 17:23
  And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.And as he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistines and shouted his usual words, which David also heard.
• 1 Samuel 17:52
  And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. And the bodies of the Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.
• 1 Samuel 21:10
  And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.
• 1 Samuel 21:12
  And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
• 1 Samuel 22:1
  David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.
• 1 Samuel 27:2
  And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
• 1 Samuel 27:3
  And David dwelt 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 Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.
• 1 Samuel 27:4
  And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
• 1 Samuel 27:11
  And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.David did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” And this was David’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.

2 Samuel

• 2 Samuel 1:20
  Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.Tell it not in Gath; proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, and the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.
• 2 Samuel 15:18
  And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.
• 2 Samuel 15:19
  Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.
• 2 Samuel 15:22
  And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.“March on then,” said David to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.
• 2 Samuel 18:2
  And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.”
• 2 Samuel 21:19
  And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare–oregim, a Beth–lehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
• 2 Samuel 21:20
  And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.And there was still another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha,
• 2 Samuel 21:22
  These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.So these four descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.

1 Kings

• 1 Kings 2:39
  And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.After three years, however, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And Shimei was told, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.”
• 1 Kings 2:40
  And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.So Shimei saddled his donkey and set out to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves, and he brought them back from Gath.
• 1 Kings 2:41
  And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned,

2 Kings

• 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.At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles

• 1 Chronicles 18:1
  Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines.
• 1 Chronicles 20:5
  And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam.Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
• 1 Chronicles 20:6
  And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot: and he also was the son of the giant.And there was still another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha,
• 1 Chronicles 20:8
  These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.So these descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.

2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 11:8
  And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
• 2 Chronicles 26:6
  And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.Uzziah went out to wage war against the Philistines, and he tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built cities near Ashdod and among the Philistines.

Psalms

• Psalm 56:1
  Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.Be merciful to me, O God, for men are hounding me; all day they press their attack.

Amos

• Amos 6:2
  Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to the great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?

Micah

• Micah 1:10
  Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.Do not tell it in Gath; do not weep at all. Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.

Notes

1. Locations from the OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
2. Verses are those where at least one of ten English translations names this place, per OpenBible.info.