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Geba - location profile

Location and Setting

• Geba, considered the most important northern city of the kingdom of Judah as reflected in the phrase, "from Geba to Beersheba" (2 Kgs 23:8), was located seven miles north of Jerusalem and three miles northeast of Gibeah.
• The city was an important outpost, positioned at the edge of the frontier country between Judah and Israel. There were constant skirmishes as each of these kingdoms sought to control this region and establish a more secure border.

Historical and Biblical Significance

• Geba was allotted to the tribe of Benjamin and was one of the forty-eight cities assigned to the Levites (Josh 18:24; 21:17; 1 Chr 6:60).
• During King Saul’s reign, the Israelites were continually at war with the Philistines. Before one momentous battle, Saul and six hundred of his men were camped in Geba, while the Philistines camped in nearby Michmash. The Israelites feared to engage the Philistines, because they were undermanned and inferior in weaponry. Eventually, Saul’s son, Jonathan, decided to attack a garrison of the Philistines, accompanied by only his armor bearer. He succeeded in killing twenty Philistines. His bravery, together with a timely earthquake, brought confusion and fear to the Philistine camp, which led to a great Israelite victory (1 Sam 13:15-14:46).
• War with the Philistines continued into the reign of King David. After he was anointed as king over all Israel, the Philistines approached Jerusalem to test this new king. David trusted in the Lord, and the Lord honored His servant, giving him victory over the Philistines "from Geba as far as Gezer" (2 Sam 5:17-25).
• Asa, king of Judah, bribed the Syrians to attack the king of Israel, Baasha, with whom Judah was at war. Pressured by the Syrian attack, Israel abandoned their southern border city of Ramah, which they had fortified to control traffic on Judah’s northern route to Israel. Asa plundered Ramah and used the materials to fortify the border cities of Geba and Mizpah (1 Kgs 15:16-22; 2 Chr 16:1-6).

Bibliography

1. Baly, Denis. The Geography of the Bible: A Study in Historical Geography. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1957.
2. Kent, Charles Foster. Biblical Geography and History. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1920.
3. MacLeod, M.A. "Geba" The New Bible Dictionary. 2^nd ed. Ed. J.D. Douglas. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1982.
4. Scott, J.B. "Geba" The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Ed. Merrill C. Tenney. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976.