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

Jabeshgilead (12 Occurrences)
... W. Ewing. Multi-Version Concordance Jabeshgilead (12 Occurrences). ... And, behold, there
came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly. (KJV). ...
/j/jabeshgilead.htm - 13k

Jabesh (21 Occurrences)

/j/jabesh.htm - 14k

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

Showed (164 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 11:9 And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto
the men of Jabeshgilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall ...
/s/showed.htm - 37k

Valiantest (1 Occurrence)
... 10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and
commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the ...
/v/valiantest.htm - 6k

Gibeon (39 Occurrences)
... birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night."
David afterwards removed the bones of Saul and Jonathan at Jabeshgilead (21:12 ...
/g/gibeon.htm - 31k

Bethshan (3 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 21:12 And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan
his son from the men of Jabeshgilead, which had stolen them from the street ...
/b/bethshan.htm - 9k

Suffice (22 Occurrences)
... Judges 21:14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which
they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed ...
/s/suffice.htm - 13k

Sufficed (4 Occurrences)
... Judges 21:14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which
they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed ...
/s/sufficed.htm - 7k

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