Lexical Summary Gob: Gob Original Word: גֹּב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Gob Or (fully) Gowb {gobe'}; from guwb; pit; Gob, a place in Palestine -- Gob. see HEBREW guwb NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as gab Definition a place in Pal. NASB Translation Gob (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs גֹּב, גּוֺב proper name, of a location see below גבב. גבא (compare Arabic גֹּב 2 Samuel 21:18, גּוֺב 2 Samuel 21:19 proper name, of a location (compare Aramaic גֻּבָּא den, and Topical Lexicon Overview Gob designates a Philistine battlefield mentioned twice in the narrative of the closing years of King David. Both occurrences form part of a series of brief war reports that underscore Israel’s continuing conflict with the Philistine threat and the final neutralization of the remaining Rephaim giants. Biblical Occurrences and Context • 2 Samuel 21:18 — “Some time later, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.” These two notices appear in a larger appendix (2 Samuel 21–24) that gathers various events near the end of David’s reign. They highlight how God raised up loyal warriors to secure Israel’s borders and bring closure to the long-standing Philistine menace that had begun in the days of Samson and persisted through Saul and David. Historical and Geographical Considerations 1. Likely Locale: Though the precise site cannot be fixed with certainty, the context suggests a position in the Shephelah (lowlands) of Judah, near key Philistine strongholds such as Gath and Gezer. Comparative Textual Notes 1 Chronicles 20:4 parallels the first account but reads “Gezer” instead of “Gob,” showing that the Chronicler either followed a different tradition or clarified a more familiar location for post-exilic readers. The substance of the events remains the same: the downfall of a Philistine giant by an Israelite champion, demonstrating continuity rather than contradiction. Theological Themes 1. Divine Faithfulness: Gob represents another arena where the Lord fulfills His promise to subdue Israel’s enemies (2 Samuel 7:9). Lessons for Ministry Today • Unsung Heroes: Like Sibbecai and Elhanan, many serve without the spotlight, yet their obedience is integral to God’s larger story. Legacy in Later Tradition Early Jewish commentators identified Gob with the broader region around Gezer, while Christian writers often used these episodes to illustrate Christ’s ultimate triumph over the powers of darkness. Modern archaeological surveys have not yielded a definitive site, but the textual witness preserves Gob’s enduring testimony: even the most formidable enemies fall when confronted by people empowered and directed by the living God. Forms and Transliterations בְּג֖וֹב בגוב bə·ḡō·wḇ beGov bəḡōwḇLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 21:18 HEB: ע֧וֹד הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה בְּג֖וֹב עִם־ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים NAS: with the Philistines at Gob; then KJV: with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai INT: again war Gob with the Philistines 2 Samuel 21:19 2 Occurrences |
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, 
restrain or withhold oneself; perhaps = 
collect (water in a cistern, also tribute), so Lane 
1. near the end, Fl NHWBi. 431; see also Late Hebrew גבי, גָּבָה, Aramaic גְּבָא, 
collect debts, taxes, etc.) 
, Arabic 
, Ethiopic 
Assyrian gubbu, well, cistern, see גבב) — field of battle with Philistines