Gib´ee-uhn
A town identified with modern el-Jib, five and a half miles northwest of Jerusalem. During the conquest of Canaan the Gibeonites, who are described as Hivites (Josh 9:7) or Amorites (2Sam 21:2), tricked the Israelites into making a treaty not to harm them. It was upheld, but the Gibeonites were reduced to becoming hewers of wood and drawers of water (Josh 9:3-27). In an ensuing battle near Gibeon (Josh 10:1-14), the Israelites defeated a coalition of Canaanite kings led by Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem. Later (eleventh century BCE) King Saul broke the treaty with the Gibeonites when he attempted to annihilate them, an act that caused famine during David’s reign. The Gibeonites gained revenge by impaling seven of Saul’s sons on the mountain of Yahweh (2Sam 21:1-15), possibly the high place at Gibeon. In the time of King David young warriors led by Joab and Abner fought on the edge of a pool at Gibeon (2Sam 2:12-17). At the beginning of his reign Solomon traveled to Gibeon to sacrifice at what was called the great high place (1Kgs 3:4-15). The great stone at Gibeon (2Sam 20:8) may be associated with this high place.
