A town on the east of Jordan, on the top of one of the green hills of Gilead, within the limits of the half tribe of Manasseh, and in full view of Beth-shan. It is first mentioned in connection with the vengeance taken on its inhabitants because they had refused to come up to Mizpeh to take part with Israel against the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 21:8-14). After the battles at Gibeah, that tribe was almost extinguished, only six hundred men remaining. An expedition went against Jabesh-Gilead, the whole of whose inhabitants were put to the sword, except four hundred maidens, whom they brought as prisoners and sent to "proclaim peace" to the Benjamites who had fled to the crag Rimmon. These captives were given to them as wives, that the tribe might be saved from extinction (Judges 21).

This city was afterwards taken by Nahash, king of the Ammonites, but was delivered by Saul, the newly-elected king of Israel. In gratitude for this deliverance, forty years after this, the men of Jabesh-Gilead took down the bodies of Saul and of his three sons from the walls of Beth-shan, and after burning them, buried the bones under a tree near the city (1 Samuel 31:11-13). David thanked them for this act of piety (2 Samuel 2:4-6), and afterwards transferred the remains to the royal sepulchre (21:14). It is identified with the ruins of ed-Deir, about 6 miles south of Pella, on the north of the Wady Yabis.

JABESH-GILEAD

ja'-besh-gil'-e-ad (yabhesh gil`adh; or simply yabhish, "dry"): A city East of the Jordan, in the deliverance of which from Nahash the Ammonite Saul's military prowess was first displayed (1 Samuel 11:1). At an earlier time the inhabitants failed to share with their brethren in taking vengeance upon Benjamin. This laxity was terribly punished, only 400 virgins being spared alive, who afterward became wives to the Benjamites (Judges 21). The gratitude of the inhabitants to Saul was affectingly proved after the disaster to that monarch on Gilboa (1 Samuel 31). David, hearing of their deed, sent an approving message, and sought to win their loyalty to himself (2 Samuel 2:4). Robinson (Biblical Researches, III, 39) thought it might be represented by ed-Deir, about 6 miles from Pella (Fachil), on the southern bank of Wady Yabis. The distance from Pella agrees with the statement of Eusebius, Onomasticon (s.v.). Others (Oliphant, Land of Gilead, 277; Merrill, East of Jordan, 430, etc.) would identify it with the ruins of Meriamin, about 3 miles Southeast of Pella, on the North of Wady Yabis. The site remains in doubt; but the ancient name still lingers in that of the valley, the stream from which enters the Jordan fully 9 miles Southeast of Beisan.

W. Ewing

3003. Yabesh -- a place in Gilead, also an Israelite
... Word Origin from yabesh Definition a place in Gilead, also an Isr. NASB
Word Usage Jabesh (12), Jabesh-gilead* (12). Jobesh Gilead. ...
/hebrew/3003.htm - 6k

1568. Gilad -- a region in Palestine, also the name of several ...
... of several Isr. NASB Word Usage Gilead (99), Gilead's (1), Gileadites
(2), Jabesh-gilead* (12). Gilead, Gileadite. Probably from ...
/hebrew/1568.htm - 6k

The Bright Dawn of a Reign
... And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried
Saul.5. And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh- gilead, and said ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the bright dawn of a.htm

The First Kings.
... a general. The Ammonites, a mighty and warlike people under king Nahash, besieged
the important town of Jabesh-Gilead. The beleaguered ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/the first kings.htm

The Grave of John, and Another Grave
... was a brave thing for them to do; an altogether heroic exploit, which may be classed
in the same category with that of the men of Jabesh-Gilead, who travelled ...
//christianbookshelf.org/meyer/john the baptist/xv the grave of john.htm

How, after the Death of Joshua their Commander, the Israelites ...
... and, indeed, they were enraged to that degree, that they sent twelve thousand men
out of the army, and gave them orders to destroy Jabesh Gilead, because it ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 2 how after the.htm

The End of Self-Will
... Beth-shan.11. And when the inhabitants of Jabesh- gilead heard of that which
the Philistines had done to Saul; 12. All the valiant ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the end of self-will.htm

How David Reigned Over one Tribe at Hebron While the Son Of
... But when he heard that the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul and his
sons [honorably], he sent to them and commended them, and took what they had ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 how david reigned.htm

The Reign of Saul.
... He was successful in the following campaigns: (I) Against the Ammonites (I Sam.11)
in which he delivered from ruin the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead on the east ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter x the reign of.htm

The King.
... inheritance should end. He sends grateful messages to Jabesh-Gilead; he
will not begin the conflict with the insurgents. The only ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/the life of david/ix the king.htm

A Description of Heart-Purity
... Nahash the Ammonite would enter into covenant with the men of Jabesh-Gilead so he
might thrust out their right eyes (1 Samuel 11:2). Satan leaves men their ...
/.../16 a description of heart-purity.htm

Love and Remorse
... life and farm-work, his chivalrous boldness and warlike energy, which sprung at
once to activity on the call of a great exigency in Jabesh-Gilead, his humane ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/love and remorse.htm

Jabeshgilead (12 Occurrences)
... Yabis. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. JABESH-GILEAD. ja ... Beisan. W. Ewing.
Multi-Version Concordance Jabeshgilead (12 Occurrences). Judges ...
/j/jabeshgilead.htm - 13k

Jabesh-gilead (12 Occurrences)
Jabesh-gilead. Jabeshgilead, Jabesh-gilead. Ja'besh-gil'ead . Easton's Bible
Dictionary ... Jabeshgilead, Jabesh-gilead. Ja'besh-gil'ead . Reference Bible.
/j/jabesh-gilead.htm - 13k

Jabesh (21 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Dry. (1.) For Jabesh-Gilead (1 Samuel 11:3, 9, 10). ... JABESH.
ja'-besh (yabhesh): A short form of JABESH-GILEAD (which see). ...
/j/jabesh.htm - 14k

Ja'besh-gil'ead (12 Occurrences)
Ja'besh-gil'ead. Jabesh-gilead, Ja'besh-gil'ead. Jabez . ... They told David, saying,
"The men of JabeshGilead were those who buried Saul." (See RSV). ...
/j/ja'besh-gil'ead.htm - 10k

Nahash (9 Occurrences)
... The inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead having been exposed to great danger from Nahash,
sent messengers to Gibeah to inform Saul of their extremity. ...
/n/nahash.htm - 14k

Informed (39 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 11:9 And they said to the messengers that had come, Thus shall ye say to
the men of Jabesh-Gilead: To-morrow ye shall have deliverance when the sun is ...
/i/informed.htm - 17k

Gilead (130 Occurrences)
... 8 They said, "What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn't come up to Yahweh
to Mizpah?" Behold, there came none to the camp from JabeshGilead to the ...
/g/gilead.htm - 56k

Inhabitants (254 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV). Judges 21:9 For when the people were numbered,
behold, there were none of the inhabitants of JabeshGilead there. ...
/i/inhabitants.htm - 41k

Buried (125 Occurrences)
... Judah. They told David, saying, "The men of JabeshGilead were those who
buried Saul." (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/b/buried.htm - 38k

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