Girgashite
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Topical Encyclopedia
The Girgashites are one of the ancient Canaanite tribes mentioned in the Bible, known for inhabiting the land of Canaan prior to the Israelite conquest. They are frequently listed among the nations that the Israelites were commanded to dispossess as they entered the Promised Land. The Girgashites are first mentioned in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10:16, where they are identified as descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham.

Biblical References:

1. Genesis 10:16 · The Girgashites are listed among the descendants of Canaan: "the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites."

2. Genesis 15:21 · In God's covenant with Abram, the Girgashites are included among the peoples whose land God promises to Abram's descendants: "the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."

3. Deuteronomy 7:1 · As the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land, God instructs them to drive out seven nations, including the Girgashites: "When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—seven nations larger and stronger than you."

4. Joshua 3:10 · Joshua reassures the Israelites of God's presence and power to drive out the inhabitants of the land, including the Girgashites: "This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites."

5. Joshua 24:11 · In Joshua's farewell address, he recounts the conquest of the land and the defeat of the Girgashites among other nations: "Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The people of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, but I delivered them into your hand."

Historical and Cultural Context:

The Girgashites, like other Canaanite tribes, were part of the broader Canaanite culture known for its polytheistic religion and practices that were abominable to the Israelites, such as child sacrifice and idolatry. The Canaanites, including the Girgashites, were known for their fortified cities and advanced agricultural practices. The biblical narrative emphasizes the moral and spiritual corruption of the Canaanites, which justified their displacement by the Israelites under divine command.

Theological Significance:

The mention of the Girgashites in the biblical text serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness to His promises. The conquest of Canaan, including the land of the Girgashites, is portrayed as a fulfillment of God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The command to drive out the Girgashites and other Canaanite nations underscores the call for Israel to remain distinct and holy, avoiding the idolatrous practices of the surrounding peoples.

The Girgashites, though not as prominently featured as some other Canaanite tribes, represent the broader theme of God's sovereignty over nations and His ability to fulfill His promises despite human opposition. Their inclusion in the biblical narrative highlights the historical reality of the conquest and the divine mandate given to the Israelites to establish a nation set apart for God's purposes.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Girgashite

who arrives from pilgrimage

Easton's Bible Dictionary
Dwelling in clayey soil, the descendants of the fifth son of Canaan (Genesis 10:16), one of the original tribes inhabiting the land of Canaan before the time of the Israelites (Genesis 15:21; Deuteronomy 7:1). They were a branch of the great family of the Hivites. Of their geographical position nothing is certainly known. Probably they lived somewhere in the central part of Western Palestine.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
GIRGASHITE

gur'-ga-shit (girgashi; Gergesaios; also punctuated (?) Girgasite (Genesis 10:16 the King James Version)): A son of (the land of) Canaan (Genesis 10:16), and accordingly enumerated along with the Canaanite' in the list of tribes or nationalities inhabiting that country (Genesis 15:21 Deuteronomy 7:1 Joshua 3:10; Joshua 24:11 Nehemiah 9:8). It has been supposed that the name survived in that of "the Gergesenes," the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) "the Gadarenes"), of Matthew 8:28, on the East side of the Sea of Galilee; Josephus (Ant., I, vi, 2), however, states that nothing was known about it. The inscriptions of the Egyptian king, Ramses II, mention the Qarqish who sent help to the Hittites in their war with Egypt; but Qarqish was more probably in Asia Minor than in Syria. Pinches (The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records, 324) would identify the Girgashites with the Kirkishati of an Assyrian tablet; the latter people, however, seem to have lived to the East of the Tigris, and it may be that, as in the case of the Hittites, a colony of the Qarqish, from Asia Minor, was established in Palestine.

A. H. Sayce

Greek
1086. Gerasenos -- Gerasene, of Gerasa, a city East of the Jordan
... Gergesene. Of Hebrew origin (Girgashiy); a Gergesene (ie Girgashite) or one of the
aborigines of Palestine -- Gergesene. see HEBREW Girgashiy. 1085, 1086. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1086.htm - 6k
Strong's Hebrew
1622. Girgashi -- a native tribe of Canaan
... Girgashi. 1623 . a native tribe of Canaan. Transliteration: Girgashi Phonetic
Spelling: (ghir-gaw-shee') Short Definition: Girgashite. ... Girgashite, Girgasite. ...
/hebrew/1622.htm - 6k
Library

Chapter x
... the tribe (cf. v.16, Jebusite, Amorite, Girgashite, etc.) or the name of the
people (cf. ... The "Girgashite""not definitely located in Canaan. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter x.htm

Chapter xii
... However, in such cases (Genesis 10:13, 14, 16, 17, 18) tribal names are used ("Amorite,
Girgashite," etc.), and no attempt is made to make them appear as ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xii.htm

Out of St. Luke's Fifth ChapterAre Found Proofs of Christ's ...
... the Nations," as Tertullian's idea seems to have suggested: (1) Pride, Amorite;
(2) Envy, Hittite; (3) Wrath, Perizzite; (4) Gluttony, Girgashite; (5) Lechery ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter ix out of st lukes.htm

Thesaurus
Girgashite (7 Occurrences)
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. GIRGASHITE. ...Girgashite (7 Occurrences). Genesis 10:16
the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite, (WEB JPS ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS NIV). ...
/g/girgashite.htm - 11k

Gir'gashites (6 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Gir'gashites (6 Occurrences). Genesis 10:16 and the
Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite; (See RSV). ...
/g/gir'gashites.htm - 8k

Jeb'usites (30 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Jeb'usites (30 Occurrences). Genesis 10:16 and the
Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite; (See RSV). ...
/j/jeb'usites.htm - 16k

Per'izzites (21 Occurrences)
... thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and shall
cast out many nations before thee, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the ...
/p/per'izzites.htm - 13k

Perizzite (22 Occurrences)
... Yahweh your God shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, and shall
cast out many nations before you, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the ...
/p/perizzite.htm - 16k

Jebusite (39 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Jebusite (39 Occurrences). Genesis 10:16 the Jebusite,
the Amorite, the Girgashite, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV). ...
/j/jebusite.htm - 25k

Hivite (25 Occurrences)
... Yahweh your God shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, and shall
cast out many nations before you, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the ...
/h/hivite.htm - 17k

Hittite (45 Occurrences)
... Yahweh your God shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, and shall
cast out many nations before you, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the ...
/h/hittite.htm - 22k

Girgashites (7 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Girgashites (7 Occurrences). Genesis 10:16 and the
Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite; (See NIV). ...
/g/girgashites.htm - 8k

Gir'gashite (1 Occurrence)
Gir'gashite. Girgashite, Gir'gashite. Girgashites . Multi-Version Concordance ...
Girgashite, Gir'gashite. Girgashites . Reference Bible.
/g/gir'gashite.htm - 6k

Resources
Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Girgashite (7 Occurrences)

Genesis 10:16
the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite,
(WEB JPS ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS NIV)

Genesis 15:21
the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Deuteronomy 7:1
When Yahweh your God shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, and shall cast out many nations before you, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations greater and mightier than you;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Joshua 3:10
Joshua said, "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Joshua 24:11
"'You went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 1:14
and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Nehemiah 9:8
and found his heart faithful before you, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it to his seed, and have performed your words; for you are righteous.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Girgashite

Related Terms

Girgashites (7 Occurrences)

Girgashite (7 Occurrences)

Girds
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