Topical Encyclopedia
Geshur was a small Aramean kingdom located in the region of Bashan, northeast of the Sea of Galilee, during the biblical period. It is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, primarily in the context of its interactions with the Israelites. The name "Geshur" is thought to mean "bridge" or "connection," possibly reflecting its geographical or political significance.
Geographical Location and Historical ContextGeshur was situated in the area that is now part of modern-day Syria. It bordered the territories of Israel and was located near the region of Argob in Bashan. The kingdom's proximity to Israel made it a significant player in the regional politics of the time. Geshur's location provided a strategic advantage, serving as a bridge between different cultures and peoples.
Biblical References1.
Inheritance and Conquest: In the division of the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel, Geshur is mentioned as a territory that was not fully conquered by the Israelites.
Joshua 13:13 states, "But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day." This incomplete conquest left Geshur as an independent entity within the land allotted to the tribe of Manasseh.
2.
David's Marriage Alliance: One of the most notable references to Geshur is its connection to King David through marriage. David married Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. This marriage is recorded in
2 Samuel 3:3: "His second was Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third was Absalom the son of Maacah, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur." This alliance through marriage indicates the political importance of Geshur and its royal family.
3.
Absalom's Exile: The kingdom of Geshur also served as a place of refuge for Absalom, David's son, after he killed his half-brother Amnon. Absalom fled to his maternal grandfather, Talmai, in Geshur, where he stayed for three years. This is detailed in
2 Samuel 13:37-38: "Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But David mourned for his son every day. After Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, he stayed there three years."
4.
Return of Absalom: Eventually, Absalom was brought back to Jerusalem from Geshur through the intervention of Joab, David's military commander. This return is described in
2 Samuel 14:23: "So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem."
Cultural and Theological SignificanceGeshur's interactions with Israel highlight the complex relationships between the Israelites and their neighboring nations. The marriage alliance between David and the royal family of Geshur underscores the political strategies employed by Israel's leaders to secure peace and strengthen their position in the region. Additionally, the narrative of Absalom's exile and return from Geshur illustrates themes of familial conflict, reconciliation, and the consequences of sin within the royal household.
Theologically, the presence of Geshur within the biblical narrative serves as a reminder of the incomplete conquest of the Promised Land and the ongoing challenges faced by the Israelites in maintaining their covenantal identity amidst surrounding pagan cultures. The kingdom of Geshur, though small, played a significant role in the unfolding account of Israel and its monarchy.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
GeshurGeshuri, sight of the valley; a walled valley
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Geshur(a bridge), a little principality of Syria, northeast of Bashan. (3:14;2 Samuel 15:8) It ia highly probable that Geshur was a section of the wild and rugged region now calledel-Lejah , still a refuge for criminals and outlaws. [ARGOB]
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Bridge, the name of a district or principality of Syria near Gilead, between Mount Hermon and the Lake of Tiberias (
2 Samuel 15:8;
1 Chronicles 2:23). The Geshurites probably inhabited the rocky fastness of Argob, the modern Lejah, in the north-east corner of Bashan. In the time of David it was ruled by Talmai, whose daughter he married, and who was the mother of Absalom, who fled to Geshur after the murder of Amnon (
2 Samuel 13:37).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
GESHURge'-shur (geshur, "bridge"): An Aramean kingdom (2 Samuel 15:8) of no great size which lay probably to the South of Maacah, and formed with it the western boundary of the land of Bashan (Deuteronomy 3:14Joshua 12:5;Joshua 13:11). The territory of these two probably corresponded roughly with modern Jaulan. It may not have reached quite to the Jordan on the West; in which case the Geshurites literally dwelt "in the midst" of Israel (Joshua 13:13), since they were not expatriated by the half-tribe of Manasseh, and they retained their independence. David married Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur, who became the mother of Absalom and Tamar (2 Samuel 3:3). To Talmai Absalom fled for safety after the murder of Amnon (2 Samuel 13:37 f), and thence Joab brought him back to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 14:23). The Geshurites and Aram are said to have taken the cities of Jair-i.e. Havvoth-jair-which lay in the land of Gilead (1 Chronicles 2:23). It is possible that "Geshurites" should be read, with Vulgate, Syriac, etc., instead of "Ashurites" in2 Samuel 2:9. The only difficulty is that Geshur was an independent kingdom, and there is nothing to show how it was brought under the sway of the son of Saul. In the catalogue of land still to be possessed inJoshua 13:2, the King James Version reads "Geshuri," the Revised Version (British and American) "the Geshurites," referring evidently to a district bordering on the Philistines. Both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) render the same word by "Geshurites" in1 Samuel 27:8, where apparently the same territory is indicated as invaded by David. In neither passage is the text above suspicion; in1 Samuel 27:8 Septuagint's Codex Vaticanus omits the name. No satisfactory explanation has been suggested.
W. Ewing
Strong's Hebrew
1650.Geshur -- a territory East of the upper Jordan, also inhab....... 1649, 1650.
Geshur. 1651 . a
... inhab. of
Geshur. Transliteration:
Geshur Phonetic Spelling: (ghesh-oor') Short Definition:
Geshur.
...1651. Geshuri -- inhab. ofGeshur, also a people South of...
... Geshuri. 1652 . inhab. ofGeshur, also a people South of Philistia. Transliteration:
Geshuri Phonetic Spelling: (ghe-shoo-ree') Short Definition: Geshurites....
Library
How Absalom Murdered Amnon, who had Forced his Own Sister; and How...
... were tears on both sides; they lamenting their brother who was killed, and the king
lamenting his son, who was killed also; but Absalom fled toGeshur, to his...
The History of David
... the other sons came home. And Absalom fled intoGeshur, and was there three
years, and durst not come home. And after by the moyen...
The Nations of the South-East
... David had strengthened himself by marrying the daughter of the king of the Aramaic
district ofGeshur, which bounded Gilead on the north, and Ammonites and...
Pardoned Sin Punished
... the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the Lord,
in Hebron.8. For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode atGeshur in Syria...
The Nations of the North-East
... smaller Aramaic principalities of central Syria.Geshur, Maachah, Damascus
all acknowledged his authority. He had secured the caravan...
How David Reigned Over one Tribe at Hebron While the Son Of
... was called Arenon; the second was Daniel, by his wife Abigail; the name of the third
was Absalom, by Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king ofGeshur; the fourth...
The Early Life of St. Joseph
... In the course of it she stated that the father of Bartholomew ofGeshur had for
some long time frequented the healing waters near Bethulia and had afterwards...
The Journey of the Three Holy Kings to Bethlehem
The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. <....
The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6. <....
Thesaurus
Geshur (11 Occurrences)... In the time of David it was ruled by Talmai, whose daughter he married, and who
was the mother of Absalom, who fled to
Geshur after the murder of Amnon (2
...Talmai (6 Occurrences)
... Judges 1:10). (2.) A king ofGeshur, to whom Absalom fled after he had put
Amnon to death (2 Samuel 3:3; 13:37). His daughter, Maachah...
Maachah (19 Occurrences)
... Oppression, a small Syrian kingdom nearGeshur, east of the Hauran, the district
of Batanea (Joshua 13:13; 2 Samuel 10:6, 8; 1 Chronicles 19:7)....
Maacah (30 Occurrences)
... ma'-a-ka (ma`akhah; Septuagint: Codex Vaticanus Mocha; Codex Alexandrinus Maacha):
A small Syrian kingdom adjoining that ofGeshur on the western border of...
Ammihud (10 Occurrences)
... (2.) Numbers 34:20. (3.) Numbers 34:28. (4.) The father of Talmai, king ofGeshur,
to whom Absalom fled after the murder of Amnon (2 Samuel 13:37)....
Ab'salom (85 Occurrences)
... 3 and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third,
Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king ofGeshur; (See RSV...
Kenath (2 Occurrences)
... it his own name (Numbers 32:42). It was recaptured byGeshur and Aram (1
Chronicles 2:23). It is probably identical with the modern...
Geshurites (6 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary. (1.) The inhabitants ofGeshur. They maintained
friendly relations with the Israelites on the east of...
Ma'acah (22 Occurrences)
... 3 and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third,
Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king ofGeshur; (See RSV...
Bridge
... the Revised Version (British and American) GEPHYRUN): Does not occur in the canonical
Scriptures, unless it be indirectly in the proper nameGeshur (geshur, 2...
Resources
Who was Absalom in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho are the sons of David mentioned in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Amnon in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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