1511. Gizri
Lexical Summary
Gizri: Gizrite

Original Word: גִּזְרִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: Gizriy
Pronunciation: ghiz-REE
Phonetic Spelling: (ghiz-ree')
KJV: Gezrites
Word Origin: [patrial of H1630 (גְּרִזִים - Gerizim)]

1. a Grizite (collectively) or member of a native tribe in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Gezrites

(in the m patrial from Gezer; a Gezerite (collectively) or inhabitants of Gezer; but better (as in the text) by transposition Girziy {gher-zee'}; patrial of Griziym; a Grizite (collectively) or member of a native tribe in Palestine -- Gezrites.

see HEBREW Gezer

see HEBREW Griziym

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
another reading for Girzi, q.v. Gichon
Definition
see NH1521.

Brown-Driver-Briggs
גִּזְרִי adjective, of a people 1 Samuel 27:8 Qr (Kt והגרזי) compare Dr.

גִּרְזִי Kt, גִּזְרִי (q. v.) Qr adjective, of a people 1 Samuel 27:8.

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrence

“Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites; from ancient times these people had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.” (1 Samuel 27:8)

Historical Background and Ethnology

The Girzites (also rendered “Gezrites”) are mentioned only once, yet the context is illuminating. They appear among peoples who had occupied the south-western fringe of Canaan “from ancient times,” suggesting a long-standing, pre-Israelite presence. Their grouping with the Geshurites and Amalekites links them to nomadic or semi-nomadic tribes that moved between the Negev, the coastal plain, and the desert of Shur.

Several proposals about their identity have been advanced:
• A clan connected with the city of Gezer, whose name would naturally yield “Gezrites.”
• Inhabitants of the region surrounding Gerar, the Philistine-controlled city visited by both Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 20; Genesis 26).
• A surviving branch of the earlier “Girgashites,” one of the seven nations listed in Deuteronomy 7:1.

Whatever their precise lineage, Scripture treats them as a distinct people group still occupying territory promised to Israel but never fully subdued in the days of Joshua or the Judges (Joshua 13:2-3; Judges 1:19, 27-36).

Geographic Setting

The phrase “extending to Shur and Egypt” places the Girzites in the arid corridor between the Philistine Plain and the Sinai Peninsula. This borderland lay outside Philistine city-states yet within striking distance of Egypt’s northeastern frontier, making it a crossroads for caravans, raiders, and shepherds. The wilderness environment explains their apparent mobility and their capacity either to ally with or harass neighboring peoples.

Place in the Narrative of David

1. Instrument of Divine Judgment. Saul’s failure to carry out the LORD’s command to “blot out the memory of Amalek” (1 Samuel 15:1-3; Deuteronomy 25:17-19) left hostile enclaves in the south. David’s campaigns begin to remedy that neglect, signifying God’s continued resolve to establish a holy people in a holy land.
2. Strategic Cover. While living under Philistine patronage in Ziklag, David portrays his raids as attacks on Judah (1 Samuel 27:10-12), thereby gaining Achish’s confidence. The choice of targets—Geshurites, Girzites, Amalekites—shows deliberate wisdom: he weakens Israel’s traditional enemies while avoiding true Israelites.
3. Preparation for Kingship. These victories supply resources and battle-hardened followers, foreshadowing the broader consolidation that will mark David’s reign (2 Samuel 5:17-25). God’s providence turns a season of exile into strategic advance.

Theological Significance

• Covenant Faithfulness. The presence of the Girzites underscores how incomplete obedience in earlier generations left room for lingering opposition. David’s actions illustrate the necessity of thorough commitment to God’s mandates (Joshua 23:12-13).
• Divine Sovereignty Over Peoples. Though virtually unknown to history, the Girzites are not overlooked by the LORD, whose purposes encompass all nations, whether prominent or obscure (Psalm 22:28).
• Foreshadowing Final Victory. David’s suppression of residual enemies anticipates the Messiah’s ultimate defeat of every hostile power (1 Corinthians 15:24-25). Temporary obscurity does not negate eschatological significance.

Ministry and Devotional Applications

1. Unfinished Business. Just as ancient Israel’s partial obedience left pockets of resistance, believers today must not tolerate “little” sins that can metastasize (Hebrews 12:1).
2. Faith in Hidden Places. God’s Word records even a solitary reference because every people group matters to Him. This encourages mission efforts toward the world’s “unreached Girzites,” however small or remote.
3. Redeeming Exile Seasons. David’s tenure in Philistine territory shows that seasons of apparent setback may be providentially arranged for growth and victory. Trust and obedience in hardship prepare servants for larger assignments.

Key References for Further Study

Genesis 20; Genesis 26 – Gerar and its region.

Deuteronomy 7:1-5; Deuteronomy 25:17-19 – Commands regarding Canaanite nations and Amalek.

Joshua 13:2-6 – Unconquered territories.

1 Samuel 15; 1 Samuel 27 – Saul’s failure and David’s raids.

Psalm 22:27-28; 1 Corinthians 15:24-25 – God’s universal kingship and final triumph.

Forms and Transliterations
וְהַגִּזְרִ֖י והגזרי vehaggizRi wə·hag·giz·rî wəhaggizrî
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Samuel 27:8
HEB: [וְהַגִּרְזִי כ] (וְהַגִּזְרִ֖י ק) וְהָעֲמָלֵקִ֑י
KJV: the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites:
INT: about the Geshurites Gezrites and the Amalekites for

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1511
1 Occurrence


wə·hag·giz·rî — 1 Occ.

1510
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