Lexical Summary
Yabesh: Jabesh
Original Word:יָבֵשׁ
Part of Speech:proper name, of a location; location; person
Transliteration:Yabesh
Pronunciation:yah-BAYSH
Phonetic Spelling:(yaw-bashe')
KJV: Jobesh (-Gilead)
NASB:Jabesh
Word Origin:[the same asH3002 (יָבֵשׁ - dry) often with the addition ofH1568 (גִּלעָד - Gilead), i.e. Jabesh of Gilad)]
1. Jobesh, the name of an Israelite and of a place in Israel
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Jobesh Gilead
The same asyabesh (also Yabeysh {yaw-bashe'}; often with the addition ofGil'ad, i.e. Jabesh of Gilad); Jobesh, the name of an Israelite and of a place in Palestine -- Jobesh ((-Gilead)).
see HEBREWyabesh
see HEBREWGil'ad
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
yabeshDefinitiona place in Gilead, also an Isr.
NASB TranslationJabesh (12), Jabesh-gilead* (12).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
III. , or
Jabesh of Gilead, () , exact site unknown,Judges 21:8,9,10,12,14;2 Samuel 21:12;1 Chronicles 10:11 (L );1 Samuel 11:1,9;1 Samuel 31:11;2 Samuel 2:4,5 (in these threeL );1 Samuel 11:1,3,5,9,10;1 Chronicles 10:12;1 Chronicles 10:12; ""1 Samuel 31:12,13.
father of Shallum2 Kings 15:10,13,14.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scopeיָבֵשׁ, transliterated “Jabesh,” literally means “dry.” In Scripture the word functions chiefly as (1) the name of a city in Gilead east of the Jordan, and (2) the personal name of the father of Shallum, the brief reigning king of Israel (2 Kings 15). Although the term’s root suggests aridity, the narrative context consistently highlights mercy, covenant, and loyalty in the midst of moral or political drought.
Geographical Setting: Jabesh-Gilead
• Situated in the hill country of Gilead, likely along the Wadi Yabis, opposite Beth-shan.
• Assigned to Manasseh yet closely linked with Gad and Reuben in trans-Jordan life.
• Proximity to Ammon made the city a frontline community, explaining its repeated appearance in military episodes.
Historical Episodes
1. The Assembly Omitted (Judges 21:8-14)
Jabesh-Gilead alone failed to join Israel at Mizpah after the atrocity at Gibeah. “No one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly” (Judges 21:9). The omission cost the city dearly: twelve thousand Israelite troops executed judgment, sparing only four hundred virgins who became wives for the surviving Benjaminites. The account underscores the gravity of covenant solidarity and the tragic ripple-effects of neglecting corporate worship.
2. The Siege and Deliverance (1 Samuel 11:1-11)
Nahash the Ammonite besieged Jabesh. The men pleaded for terms: “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you” (1 Samuel 11:1). Nahash’s brutal demand for the right eyes of all citizens set the stage for Saul’s Spirit-empowered rescue. “Tell the men of Jabesh-gilead, ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot’” (1 Samuel 11:9). Saul’s victory welded Israel behind its first king and illustrated how God raises righteous leadership to defend His people.
3. Loyalty in Death (1 Samuel 31:11-13;2 Samuel 2:4-6; 21:12-14;1 Chronicles 10:11-12)
When Saul’s corpse was displayed on Beth-shan’s wall, “all the valiant men of Jabesh-gilead set out, traveled through the night, and took the bodies” (1 Samuel 31:12). They burned them and buried the bones under the tamarisk at Jabesh, fasting seven days. David sent messengers: “May you be blessed of the Lord, for showing this kindness to Saul” (2 Samuel 2:5). Years later David retrieved Saul’s remains and re-interred them at Kish’s tomb (2 Samuel 21:12-14), sealing the covenant thread that linked Jabesh-Gilead with the monarchy.
4. Jabesh the Man (2 Kings 15:10, 13-14)
Shallum “son of Jabesh” assassinated Zechariah and reigned one month before Menahem ended his rule. While Scripture gives no details about Jabesh himself, the linkage of his name to his son’s regicide-sparked reign shows that noble or ignoble acts can reverberate through family lines bearing the same covenant name.
Theological Themes
• Covenant Accountability. Jabesh-Gilead’s absence at Mizpah invites reflection on the peril of disengaging from God’s assembly (Hebrews 10:24-25).
• Redemptive Deliverance. Saul’s rescue prefigures the ultimate Deliverer who frees His people from oppression (Luke 4:18-19).
• Loyal Love (חֶסֶד). The men who reclaimed Saul’s body incarnated hesed, risking life for covenant loyalty (compareJohn 15:13).
• Honor in Burial. The care for the dead anticipates the respect shown at Jesus’ burial by Joseph of Arimathea.
Lessons for Ministry
1. Assemble when God calls; omission invites discipline.
2. Courageous obedience can reverse national despair.
3. Genuine loyalty often involves costly, even dangerous, acts of service.
4. God remembers both failures and faithfulness, weaving them into His redemptive storyline.
Christological and Eschatological Hints
Jabesh’s rescue on the “next day” (1 Samuel 11:11) mirrors the resurrection motif—deliverance comes with the dawn. The restoration of Saul’s bones looks ahead to resurrection hope (1 Corinthians 15:42-44), signaling that no act of covenant kindness goes unnoticed by the Righteous King.
Contemporary Reflection
Modern believers, like the citizens of Jabesh-Gilead, live amid cultural and spiritual sieges. Steadfast participation in the covenant community, courageous intercession for the oppressed, and honor for the fallen remain enduring callings. Jabesh challenges the church to exchange the dryness of isolation for the refreshing solidarity of sacrificial love.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּיָבֵ֑שָׁה בְּיָבֵ֔שׁ ביבש ביבשה יָבֵ֑ישָׁה יָבֵ֔ישׁ יָבֵ֔שָׁה יָבֵ֔שׁ יָבֵ֖ישׁ יָבֵ֗ישׁ יָבֵ֣ישׁ יָבֵ֣שׁ יָבֵ֤שׁ יָבֵ֥שׁ יָבֵֽישׁ׃ יָבֵישׁ֙ יביש יביש׃ יבישה יבש יבשה מִיָּבֵ֥ישׁ מיביש bə·yā·ḇê·šāh bə·yā·ḇêš bəyāḇêš bəyāḇêšāh beyaVesh beyaVeshah mî·yā·ḇêš mîyāḇêš miyaVeish yā·ḇê·šāh yā·ḇêš yāḇêš yāḇêšāh yaVeish yaVeishah yaVesh yaVeshah
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