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גֶּבַע

𐤂𐤁𐤏

Geva

H1387 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גבע to be high, to rise, to be elevated

Definition

Gebaʻ is a toponym primarily denoting a specific settlement in the central hill country north of Jerusalem. Its meaning relates to a physical feature: a hill, hillock, or elevation. When used as a proper noun, it refers to a city assigned to the tribe of Benjamin, located near the northern border of their territory. The term can, in archaic contexts, also mean 'hill' generically, but in the Hebrew Bible it consistently refers to a specific location.

Semantic Range

hill, hillock, elevation (physical feature); Gebaʻ, a specific Israelite town (proper noun); locality on the Benjaminite border; place of historical events

Root / Etymology

From the root ג-ב-ע, with the core meaning 'to be high, rise, be elevated.' The noun גֶּבַע derives from this root and denotes an elevated landform. Lexical development led to its use as a place-name, likely due to its geographic situation atop a hill or elevated site.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Gebaʻ is consistently presented in the biblical text as a Benjaminite town, serving as a strategic location in various historical narratives, especially in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. Its recurrence in boundary descriptions (e.g., Joshua 18:24; 21:17) and war accounts (1 Samuel 13:3) suggests it was a well-known settlement notable for its position. The use of 'Geba' in English Bible translations obscures its direct association with the Hebrew term for 'hill,' and can lead to confusion with another toponym, Gibeah (גִּבְעָה), which is a related but distinct site. In post-exilic and Second Temple texts, the area continued to be identified, though the population and boundaries may have shifted. English renderings like 'Gaba' or 'Gibeah' in some versions reflect later Greek and Latin transliterations. The meaning remains descriptive of a geographic feature, but the proper noun usage dominates biblical occurrences. There is no evidence that the term implies any ethnic, political, or religious identity beyond the settlement itself.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as גְּבִיעַ, a hillock; Geba, a place in Palestine; Gaba, Geba, Gibeah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גבע (g-b-ʿ) — to be high, to rise, to be elevated

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1360 גֶּבֶא from a collecting-pool
H1375 גְּבִיעַ goblet of
H1388 גִּבְעָא Hill-Town
H1389 גִּבְעָה in the hill-height
H1390 גִּבְעָה in the Hill

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1387-03 גֶּ֖בַע geva HNp Geba Geba Hill-town 7
H1387-06 מִ/גֶּ֖בַע migeva HR/Np from Geba from Geba 3
H1387-07 וָ/גָ֑בַע vagava HC/Np and Geba and Geba 3
H1387-01 בְּ/גֶ֔בַע begeva HR/Np in Geba in Gebaʿ 2
H1387-05 מִ/גָּ֑בַע migava HR/Np from Geba from Gebaʿ 1
H1387-04 לְ/גֶ֣בַע legeva HR/Np to-Gibeah to Gebaʿ 1
H1387-02 גָּֽבַע gava HNp Geba he expired 1

Occurrences in Scripture

18 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1387-07 Joshua 18:24 וָ/גָ֑בַע vagava HC/Np and-Geba and Geba
H1387-03 Joshua 21:17 גֶּ֖בַע geva HNp Geba Geba Hill-town
H1387-04 Judges 20:10 לְ/גֶ֣בַע legeva HR/Np to-Gibeah to Gebaʿ
H1387-01 1 Samuel 13:3 בְּ/גֶ֔בַע begeva HR/Np was in Geba in Gebaʿ
H1387-01 1 Samuel 13:16 בְּ/גֶ֣בַע begeva HR/Np in Geba in Gebaʿ
H1387-02 1 Samuel 14:5 גָּֽבַע gava HNp Geba he expired
H1387-06 2 Samuel 5:25 מִ/גֶּ֖בַע migeva HR/Np from Geba from Geba
H1387-03 1 Kings 15:22 גֶּ֥בַע geva HNp Geba Geba Hill-town
H1387-06 2 Kings 23:8 מִ/גֶּ֖בַע migeva HR/Np from Geba from Geba
H1387-03 Isaiah 10:29 גֶּ֖בַע geva HNp Geba Geba Hill-town
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