Gib´ee-uh; Heb., “hill,” in contrast to “mountain”
Name attached in OT tradition to a site in Benjamin, the home of Saul and center for his career as king (1Sam 10:26). Gibeah was the location for Saul’s association with a band of prophets (1Sam 10:1-10), an event related to selection of Saul as king. From this site Saul engineered a liberation of Jabesh-gilead from the Ammonites (1Sam 11:1-11) as well as a contest of strength with the Philistines (1Sam 14). He also sought help in his search for David, though, ironically, some of David’s associates were from this site (2Sam 23:29). The most important tradition about Gibeah unrelated to Saul is the account of inhospitable reception for an Ephraimite, including the rape and murder of his concubine, and the ensuing war between Ephraim and Benjamin (Judg 19-20).
