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גִּבְעוֹן

𐤂𐤁𐤏𐤅𐤍

Giveon

H1391 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גבע hill, elevated ground

Definition

Gibeon; a prominent city or settlement situated in a region characterized by hills. The term denotes a specific geographic location—Gibeon—frequently referenced as a Canaanite city later incorporated into the Israelite tribal territory of Benjamin. The primary sense is a place-name, derived from its topographical setting.

Semantic Range

Gibeon (proper place-name); hilly or hill-town (etymological sense only); principal city in Benjamin; residence of Gibeonites; site of religious gatherings

Root / Etymology

From the root גבע (g-b-ʿ), meaning 'hill' or 'elevation,' with the suffixed formative -וֹן (-ôn), commonly used in Hebrew place-names to denote localities or diminutives. Thus, גִּבְעוֹן (Gibeon) means 'hill town' or 'place of hills.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Gibeon is notable in early Israelite history as a city whose inhabitants, the Gibeonites, negotiated a treaty with the Israelites (Joshua 9) and subsequently became subjects performing service for the Israelite community. The city's Israelite political and cultic significance increased during the United Monarchy, when it served as a key gathering site and a center for religious offerings (1 Kings 3:4-5). 'Gibeon' always functions as a proper noun, never as a common noun or adjective. In English Bible tradition, 'Gibeon' is consistently used as a place-name; the broader meaning of 'hill town' is not carried into English. The term is distinct from the root noun גֶּבַע (gevaʻ, 'hill') and related place-names such as גֶּבַע (Geba). Gibeon's identity as an ancient Canaanite then Israelite site is archaeologically attested at el-Jib, north of Jerusalem.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as גֶּבַע; hilly; Gibon, a place in Palestine; Gibeon.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גבע (g-b-ʿ) — hill, elevated ground

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1360 גֶּבֶא from a collecting-pool
H1375 גְּבִיעַ goblet of
H1387 גֶּבַע in Gebaʿ
H1388 גִּבְעָא Hill-Town
H1389 גִּבְעָה in the hill-height

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1391-02 גִבְע֜וֹן giveon HNp Gibeon Gibeon 17
H1391-01 בְּ/גִבְע֑וֹן begiveon HR/Np at Gibeon in Hill-town 13
H1391-04 מִ/גִּבְעוֹן֙ migiveon HR/Np from Gibeon from Hill-town 3
H1391-03 גִּבְעֽוֹנָ/ה giveonah HNp/Sd to Gibeon toward Hill-town 2
H1391-05 וּ/בְ/גִבְע֥וֹן uvegiveon HC/R/Np And in Gibeon and in Gibeon 2

Occurrences in Scripture

37 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1391-02 Joshua 9:3 גִבְע֜וֹן giveon HNp Gibeon Gibeon
H1391-02 Joshua 9:17 גִּבְע֣וֹן giveon HNp Gibeon Gibeon
H1391-02 Joshua 10:1 גִבְעוֹן֙ giveon HNp of Gibeon Gibeon
H1391-02 Joshua 10:2 גִּבְע֔וֹן giveon HNp Gibeon Gibeon
H1391-02 Joshua 10:4 גִּבְע֑וֹן giveon HNp Gibeon Gibeon
H1391-02 Joshua 10:5 גִּבְע֔וֹן giveon HNp Gibeon Gibeon
H1391-02 Joshua 10:6 גִבְע֨וֹן giveon HNp Gibeon Gibeon
H1391-01 Joshua 10:10 בְּ/גִבְע֑וֹן begiveon HR/Np at Gibeon in Hill-town
H1391-01 Joshua 10:12 בְּ/גִבְע֣וֹן begiveon HR/Np in-Gibeon in Hill-town
H1391-02 Joshua 10:41 גִּבְעֽוֹן giveon HNp Gibeon Gibeon
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