Original Word: גַּעַשׁ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Ga`ash
Pronunciation: gah-ash'
Phonetic Spelling: (ga'-ash)
KJV: Gaash
NASB: Gaash
Word Origin: [from H1607 (גָּעַשׁ - shaken)]

1. a quaking
2. Gaash, a hill in Israel

Gaash

From ga'ash; a quaking; Gaash, a hill in Palestine -- Gaash.

see HEBREW ga'ash

Word Origin
from gaash
Definition
a mountain in Ephraim
NASB Translation
Gaash (4).

[גַּ֫עַשׁ] proper name, of a location הַרגָּֿ֑עַשׁ Joshua 24:30; Judges 2:9 mountain in Ephraim, south of תִּמְנַתסֶֿרַח (חֶרֶסׅ q. v.; נַחֲלֵי גָּ֑עַשׁ 2 Samuel 23:30 = 1 Chronicles 11:32 of ravines thereon, or near by.

Geographical Setting

Gaash designates a mountain and its adjacent torrent valleys in the central hill country of Ephraim. The site lies south-west of Shiloh and directly north of Timnath Serah/Timnath Heres, the inheritance granted to Joshua. The topography is marked by steep wadis that drain the high ground into the coastal plain, creating “ravines” or “torrents” (2 Samuel 23:30; 1 Chronicles 11:32). These seasonal watercourses render the slopes rugged and defensible, a fact that explains both its funerary use and its later military associations.

Biblical Narrative Associations

1. Burial of Joshua and Eleazar
• Joshua 24:30; Judges 2:9 record that “They buried him … in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.” By fixing Joshua’s grave in view of Gaash, Scripture links Israel’s covenant leader with the land he helped conquer. Joshua’s tomb became a geographic reminder of covenant fidelity for subsequent generations settling the nearby hills.
• Eleazar the son of Aaron was buried “at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim” (Joshua 24:33). Though not explicitly tied to Gaash, the proximity of priestly and leadership graves emphasizes the Ephraimite highlands as a sacred memory-zone for Israel’s formative era.

2. David’s Mighty Men
• “Hiddai from the ravines of Gaash” (2 Samuel 23:30) and “Hurai from the torrents of Gaash” (1 Chronicles 11:32) appear in the elite roster surrounding King David. Their mention testifies that, centuries after the conquest, the region still produced warriors of renown. The rugged gullies that channeled seasonal floods also produced men hardened by the terrain, fitting them for David’s campaigns.

Historical and Archaeological Considerations

Modern scholarship places Gaash near Khirbet Tibnah, with adjacent wadis such as Wadi el-Bidah and Wadi es-Suweinit fitting the description of “ravines of Gaash.” Rock-cut tombs dotting the surrounding ridges provide plausible settings for the patriarchal burials. Findings of Iron Age pottery confirm continuous occupation through the periods of Joshua, the Judges, and the United Monarchy, aligning with the biblical record’s unbroken awareness of the site.

Spiritual and Ministerial Lessons

• Covenant Memory: Gaash stands as a geographic memorial. Leaders may finish their race, but the land—and the promises attached to it—remain. Teaching on Gaash invites believers to weigh how their own legacies will point future generations back to the faithfulness of God.
• Strength from Hard Places: The “ravines of Gaash” produced mighty men. Difficulty and obscurity can be the refining ground from which the Lord draws unexpected servants for His purposes.
• Continuity of Testimony: From Joshua to David, Gaash surfaces at key moments of transition. Its repeated mention illustrates Scripture’s internal coherence and God’s threaded narrative across centuries.

Related References

Joshua 24:30; Judges 2:9; 2 Samuel 23:30; 1 Chronicles 11:32

גָ֔עַשׁ גָּֽעַשׁ׃ גָֽעַשׁ׃ געש געש׃ gā‘aš ḡā‘aš gā·‘aš ḡā·‘aš GaashInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts