1452. Gederathi

Lexical Summary

Gederathi: Gederathite

Original Word: גְּדֵרָתִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: Gderathiy
Pronunciation: geh-deh-rah-thee
Phonetic Spelling: (ghed-ay-raw-thee')
KJV: Gederathite
NASB: Gederathite
Word Origin: [patrial from H1449 (גְּדֵרָה - Gederah)]

1. a Gederathite, or inhabitant of Gederah

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Gederathite

Patrial from Gderah; a Gederathite, or inhabitant of Gederah -- Gederathite.

see HEBREW Gderah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from Gederah
Definition
inhab. of Gederah
NASB Translation
Gederathite (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

גְּדֵרָתִי adjective, of a people of II. גְּדֵרָה; הַגְּדֵרָתִי 1 Chronicles 12:4.

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Occurrence

A solitary appearance—1 Chronicles 12:5—names “Jozabad the Gederathite” among the warriors who joined David at Ziklag while Saul still pursued him.

Geographical Setting

Gederah (Joshua 15:36; 2 Chronicles 28:18) lay in Judah’s lowland Shephelah, close to the Philistine frontier. Life on this military frontier produced tough, battle-ready men used to guarding Israel’s borders and grain fields (1 Chronicles 4:23). From that context God raised Jozabad.

Historical Significance

1. David’s Transitional Army
• The Chronicle lists men “equipped with bows, using both the right and left hand to sling stones” (1 Chronicles 12:2). Jozabad enters this list, showing the breadth of David’s support even before he wore the crown.
• His presence proves Judah was not David’s only base; even peripheral towns stood with the Lord’s anointed, foreshadowing national unity under David’s later reign.

2. Borderland Devotion
• Gederah often absorbed Philistine pressure (2 Chronicles 28:18). A loyal soldier from such a region underscores God’s power to preserve covenant fidelity in spiritually hostile environments.

Ministry Insights

1. Unseen Faithfulness

Scripture remembers Jozabad by hometown rather than achievements, reminding believers that ordinary loyalty is eternally significant (Hebrews 6:10).
2. Costly Allegiance

He joined David before the kingdom was secure: a model of following Christ when His reign is contested (Luke 9:23).
3. Strategic Mobilization

God drew skilled people from varied places to form David’s team. Local congregations likewise discover servants equipped by their distinct backgrounds for kingdom purposes (Ephesians 4:11-12).

Theological Themes

• Kingdom Gathering: Diverse tribes and towns gather around one anointed king, anticipating the global ingathering to Messiah (Revelation 5:9).
• Covenant Continuity: The Lord’s promises to Judah’s land (Joshua 15) and to David’s throne (2 Samuel 7) converge in the loyalty of a Gederathite warrior.
• Perseverance: Gederah’s later capture (2 Chronicles 28:18) contrasts with Jozabad’s earlier zeal, warning against complacency and urging steadfast faith (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Practical Applications

• Encourage believers serving in obscure or difficult places; Scripture preserves even a single verse to honor hidden labor.
• Teach leaders to value people shaped by hardship; frontier disciples often become stalwarts in advancing God’s mission.
• Call the church to side decisively with Christ now, when cultural pressures resemble Philistine encroachment, trusting that the King’s vindication is certain.

The Gederathite’s brief mention thus magnifies the Lord who notices every faithful act and weaves small-town courage into His redemptive story.

Forms and Transliterations

הַגְּדֵרָתִֽי׃ הגדרתי׃ hag·gə·ḏê·rā·ṯî haggederaTi haggəḏêrāṯî

Englishman's Concordance

1 Chronicles 12:5
HEB: וְי֣וֹחָנָ֔ן וְיוֹזָבָ֖ד הַגְּדֵרָתִֽי׃
INT: Jehohanan Josabad Gederathite

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1452
1 Occurrence

hag·gə·ḏê·rā·ṯî — 1 Occ.