Original Word: גִּבְּתוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Gibbthown
Pronunciation: gib-beh-THONE
Phonetic Spelling: (ghib-beth-one')
KJV: Gibbethon
NASB: Gibbethon
Word Origin: [intensive from H1389 (גִּבעָה - hills)]

1. a hilly spot
2. Gibbethon, a place in Israel

Gibbethon

Intensive from gib'ah; a hilly spot; Gibbethon, a place in Palestine -- Gibbethon.

see HEBREW gib'ah

Word Origin
from the same as gab
Definition
"mound," a city in Dan
NASB Translation
Gibbethon (6).

גִּבְּתוֺן proper name, of a location (mound, height, compare ᵑ7 גִּבְבָא ridge) Philistine city 1 Kings 15:27 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 16:15,17; assigned to Dan Joshua 19:44, and to Levites Joshua 21:23: site unknown; compare Lag^{Onom. 246, 2nd ed. 255}.

גבה (collect, Arabic (= ?, compare גבא above), Late Hebrew גְּבי, גָּבָה, Aramaic גְּבָא, ; "" form גבא q. v.)

Geographical Setting

Gibbethon lay within the coastal plain of western Israel, between the Philistine strongholds and the interior tribes. Its proximity to Ekron and its description as “a city of the Philistines” during the monarchy (1 Kings 15:27; 1 Kings 16:15) attest that it was situated on the ever-contested frontier where Israelite and Philistine spheres overlapped. The surrounding low hills provided both agricultural richness and strategic high ground overlooking the Via Maris, the major north–south trade route.

Inheritance within Israel

When the land was allotted, Gibbethon fell to the tribe of Dan (Joshua 19:44). Dan’s coastal inheritance proved difficult to hold; Judges 1 records that the tribe struggled to expel entrenched Canaanite populations, and later many Danites migrated northward (Judges 18). Gibbethon thus stands as one of several Danite cities that illustrated the tension between the divine grant of territory and Israel’s faltering obedience in securing it.

Levitical Service

Joshua 21:23 designates Gibbethon a Levitical city assigned to the Gershonite clan: “From the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon”. As with other Levitical towns, Gibbethon offered pasturelands (Numbers 35:2) and functioned as a teaching center where priests and Levites instructed the people in the Law (Deuteronomy 33:10). Its later Philistine occupation signals that Israel’s neglect of covenant faithfulness deprived the Levites of their rightful sphere of ministry, underscoring the corporate consequences of spiritual compromise.

Battleground in the Divided Kingdom

1 Kings narrates three military episodes at Gibbethon that shaped Northern Israel’s political landscape:

• 1 Kings 15:27 records Baasha’s coup: “Baasha son of Ahijah … struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging the city.” The assassination of Nadab ended the house of Jeroboam and introduced the dynasty of Baasha.

• A generation later, Zimri seized the throne in Tirzah while “the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines” (1 Kings 16:15). His reign lasted only seven days as the army acclaimed Omri king.

• Omri’s march from the siege back to Tirzah to depose Zimri (1 Kings 16:17) reveals a prolonged, unresolved struggle to recapture the city. The repeated campaigns display both Philistine resilience and Israel’s fractured leadership.

Gibbethon thus serves as the stage for two royal overthrows, illustrating how external warfare and internal instability fed one another during the divided kingdom period.

Spiritual Lessons and Ministry Implications

1. Unclaimed Possession: Gibbethon reminds believers that promises require faithful appropriation. Dan’s initial failure to secure its heritage left a foothold for the enemy that resurfaced generations later.

2. Stewardship of Sacred Space: As a Levitical town, Gibbethon was meant to be a center of worship and instruction. Its loss to Philistines highlights the danger of neglecting the means God appoints for maintaining covenant fidelity.

3. Leadership Accountability: The downfall of Nadab and the brief reign of Zimri occurred against the backdrop of an unfinished mission. Political ambition eclipsed spiritual mandate, warning that leaders preoccupied with power may lose sight of collective obedience.

4. Divine Sovereignty in History: Even amid coups and sieges, Scripture portrays the Lord advancing His purposes. Each dynastic shift fulfilled prophetic word (1 Kings 14:14; 1 Kings 16:2) and set the stage for future reforms under kings like Jehu. Gibbethon demonstrates that no earthly conflict thwarts the overarching redemptive plan culminating in the reign of Jesus Christ.

Prophetic Echoes and Messianic Trajectory

The chronic insecurity of Gibbethon anticipates Israel’s longing for a righteous king who secures borders and worship alike. Whereas Dan and subsequent monarchs faltered, the Messiah “shall reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and sustaining it with justice and righteousness” (Isaiah 9:7). In Christ, every spiritual inheritance is fully claimed, and no “Philistine” stronghold can withstand His authority (Matthew 28:18; Colossians 2:15). For the church, Gibbethon issues a call to press on until every sphere of life is brought under the obedient rule of the true King.

בְּגִבְּת֖וֹן בגבתון גִּבְּת֖וֹן גִּבְּתֽוֹן׃ גבתון גבתון׃ וְגִבְּת֖וֹן וגבתון מִֽגִּבְּת֑וֹן מגבתון bə·ḡib·bə·ṯō·wn begibbeTon bəḡibbəṯōwn gib·bə·ṯō·wn gibbeTon gibbəṯōwn mig·gib·bə·ṯō·wn miggibbeTon miggibbəṯōwn vegibbeTon wə·ḡib·bə·ṯō·wn wəḡibbəṯōwnInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts