Joshua 18:28

Gibeath . Almost certainly the same as "Gibeah of Saul" ( 1 Samuel 11:4 ). It was Saul's home ( 1 Samuel 10:26 ; 1 Samuel 13:2 , 1 Samuel 13:15 , 1 Samuel 13:16 ). It was near Saul's home, at the time his temporary refuge, that the Philistines encamped when Jonathan ( 1 Samuel 14:1-52 ) made his daring attack on them. It was the scene of the terrible outrage recorded in 19:1-30 . Lieut. Conder has identified it with Jeba, not far from Miehmash, situated on one of the branches of the precipitous Wady Suwaynit. The situation explains the otherwise unintelligible narrative in 1 Samuel 13:14 . This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin. Dean Stanley ('Sinai and Palestine,' 1 Samuel 4:1-22 ) reminds us how the very names suggest the "remarkable heights" which constitute the "table land" of which the inheritance of Benjamin consists. Thus Gibeon, Gibeah, Geba, or Gaba, all signify hill. Ramah signifies high place, and Mizpeh, watch tower, which of necessity must be situated on an eminence. Only by narrow passes along deep torrent beds could access be obtained to this mountainous region. Thus it was that the otherwise inexplicable resistance to all Israel in arms, recorded in 20:1-48 ; 21:1-25 ; was maintained. In a country like this the skill of the Benjamites with the sling ( 20:16 ) and the bow ( 2 Samuel 1:22 ) could be used with terrible effect upon foes powerless to come to a hand-to-hand conflict. To Dean Stanley's vivid description of the physical geography of the country the student is referred for a detailed account.

HOMILETICS