Original Word: גְּבַל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Gbal
Pronunciation: gheh-BAHL
Phonetic Spelling: (gheb-al')
KJV: Gebal
NASB: Gebal
Word Origin: [from H1379 (גָּבַל - set bounds) (in the sense of a chain of hills)]

1. a mountain
2. Gebal, a place in Phoenicia

Gebal

From gabal (in the sense of a chain of hills); a mountain; Gebal, a place in Phoenicia -- Gebal.

see HEBREW gabal

Word Origin
from the same as gebul
Definition
a city in Phoenicia
NASB Translation
Gebal (1).

גְּבַל proper name, of a location maritime city on the Phoenician coast Ezekiel 27:9; (Phoenician גבל = Byblus (Sm Di Joshua 13:5); in Assyrian Gubli COT^Gloss); modern Jebeil Bd^{Pal 358}; see also Furrer^{ZPV viii.20}

Geographical and Historical Setting

Gebal was an ancient coastal city of Phoenicia, situated between Beirut and Tripoli in what is today Lebanon. Classical writers called it Byblos, a name that eventually became associated with papyrus rolls (“books”). Excavations show continuous occupation from the third millennium B.C., giving the city a reputation for antiquity, literacy, and skilled craftsmanship—especially in shipbuilding and stonework. Because Gebal lay on the major maritime routes linking Egypt, Cyprus, and the ports of Asia Minor, its artisans, traders, and scholars were welcomed wherever seafaring powers sought technical expertise.

Role in Ezekiel 27:9

“The elders of Gebal and their wise men were within you, repairing your leaks; all the ships of the sea with their sailors were among you to barter for your merchandise” (Ezekiel 27:9).

Tyre’s lament portrays the city as an exquisitely built ship. The presence of “the elders of Gebal and their wise men” among Tyre’s labor force highlights two realities. First, Gebal’s artisans were internationally respected. Second, Tyre—though dominant in trade—relied on foreign skill to maintain its economic machine. By including Gebal in the roster of contributors, Ezekiel underscores the breadth of Tyre’s confederation and, by implication, the scale of the judgment to come; when the central hub is destroyed, every dependent link in the network is affected.

Maritime Expertise

Phoenicians excelled in mortising planks, sealing seams, and fashioning cedar timbers. Inscriptions from Gebal mention guilds of carpenters and shipwrights, corroborating Ezekiel’s portrayal of specialists who could keep a massive fleet seaworthy. Gebal’s craftsmen would have been familiar with waterproofing methods using bitumen and resin—vital for Mediterranean voyages laden with cargo. Their inclusion in the lament connects technical excellence with commercial prosperity, reminding readers that human ingenuity, while valuable, cannot avert divine judgment when sin is left unchecked.

Theological and Symbolic Significance

1. Implicit Judgment on Pride. Tyre boasted, “I am perfect in beauty” (Ezekiel 27:3). Gebal’s skilled labor enhanced that beauty, yet the ship that symbolized Tyre would eventually sink. The narrative illustrates Proverbs 16:18—“Pride goes before destruction.”
2. Dependence on Human Alliances. Tyre’s strategy mirrors the tendency of nations—and individuals—to depend on human networks rather than on the Lord. Psalm 33:16 warns, “The king is not saved by a great army,” and Ezekiel’s oracle echoes that lesson through maritime imagery.
3. The Fleeting Nature of Worldly Expertise. Gebal’s artisanship solved immediate problems (“repairing your leaks”) but was powerless when the Lord declared, “You have come to a dreadful end and you will be no more” (Ezekiel 27:36). The finest skills cannot substitute for covenant faithfulness.

Related Biblical Parallels

• Joshua 13:5 speaks of the “Giblites,” indicating that the region was known to Israel from the time of the conquest.
• Psalm 83:7 lists “Gebal” among hostile coalitions against God’s people, foreshadowing judgment on those who oppose the Lord’s purposes.

Although these verses use a slightly different Hebrew spelling, they reinforce Gebal’s consistent placement among nations that either threatened Israel directly or profited from Israel’s rivals.

Lessons for Ministry Today

1. Appreciate Skill without Idolizing It. Like Tyre, twenty-first-century societies thrive on specialized knowledge. Scripture encourages excellence (Exodus 31:1-5) yet warns against elevating human expertise above obedience.
2. Guard against Commercial Hubris. Churches and ministries that draw on market strategies must avoid measuring success by revenue streams or audience size. Tyre’s collapse cautions believers to evaluate fruit through faithfulness, not profit.
3. Remember the Interconnectedness of Communities. When Tyre fell, Gebal’s livelihood suffered. Likewise, sin or revival in one part of the Body of Christ affects the whole (1 Corinthians 12:26). Ministries should act with a view to collective health.
4. Anchor Security in the Lord. Psalm 46:1 affirms, “God is our refuge and strength.” External expertise can “repair leaks,” but only the Lord can sustain the vessel amid judgment and storm.

Summary

Strong’s Hebrew 1380 גְּבַל points to a Phoenician city renowned for maritime craftsmanship. In Ezekiel 27:9 the “elders of Gebal” symbolize the peak of human skill enlisted to support Tyre’s commercial empire. Their presence magnifies Tyre’s pride and underscores the inevitability of divine judgment against a system that glorified wealth above righteousness. Gebal’s lone appearance in this form therefore serves not as a footnote, but as a vital thread in Scripture’s tapestry, reminding every reader that even the best human abilities must submit to the sovereign purposes of God.

גְבַ֤ל גבל ḡə·ḇal ḡəḇal geValInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts