Atomic Bible

A town in Gilead, loyal to Saul

Jabesh

Named in 18 verses across 4 books, first in Judges 21:8.

יָבֵשׁJabesh

יָבֵשׁ+H1568L«H1568Jabesh/-gilead

Also called Jabesh/-gilead.

The name means “dryness; confusion; shame.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869

About Jabesh Written by AI

Jabesh, also known as Jabesh-gilead, was a town located in the region of Gilead, east of the Jordan River. The city is first mentioned in the book of Judges, where the inhabitants refused to join the Israelites in fighting against the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 21:8-14). As a result, the town was attacked, and the virgins of Jabesh were given as wives to the surviving Benjamites. Later, during the reign of King Saul, the Ammonites besieged Jabesh, and Saul came to their rescue, defeating the Ammonites and solidifying his position as king (1Sa.11.1-11). After Saul's death, the men of Jabesh bravely retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the Philistines and buried them (1Sa.31.11-13; 1Ch.10.11-12). David later praised the men of Jabesh for their loyalty and kindness to Saul (2Sa.2.4-7). The town's location is uncertain, but it was likely situated in northern Gilead, possibly near modern-day Wadi Yabis in Jordan.

Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.

Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897

This entry is on the name Jabesh, and may cover more than one person or place by that name.

Dry. (1.) For Jabesh-Gilead (1 Sam. 11:3,9,10).

(2.) The father of Shallum (2 Kings 15:10, 13, 14), who usurped the throne of Israel on the death of Zachariah.

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.

32.380, 35.612 See it on a map

GenesisMatthewRevelation

Where the Bible names it

  1. Judges 21:8

    So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.

  2. Judges 21:9

    For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.

  3. Judges 21:10

    So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children.

  4. Judges 21:12

    So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

  5. Judges 21:14

    And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them.

  6. 1 Samuel 11:1

    Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”

  7. 1 Samuel 11:3

    “Hold off for seven days,” replied the elders of Jabesh, “and let us send messengers throughout Israel. If there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you.”

  8. 1 Samuel 11:5

    Just then Saul was returning from the field, behind his oxen. “What troubles the people?” asked Saul. “Why are they weeping?” And they relayed to him the words of the men from Jabesh.

  9. 1 Samuel 11:9

    So they said to the messengers who had come, “Tell the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” And when the messengers relayed this to the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced.

  10. 1 Samuel 11:10

    Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do with us whatever seems good to you.”

  11. 1 Samuel 31:11

    When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

  12. 1 Samuel 31:12

    all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.

  13. 1 Samuel 31:13

    Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

  14. 2 Samuel 2:4

    Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”

  15. 2 Samuel 2:5

    So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead to tell them, “The LORD bless you, because you showed this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him.

  16. 2 Samuel 21:12

    he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa.

  17. 1 Chronicles 10:11

    When all the people of Jabesh-gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul,

  18. 1 Chronicles 10:12

    all their men of valor set out and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.

From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.