Gath

Lore & Background

Gath is first noted as one of the few places where the Anakim (giants) remained after Israel's conquest, specifically in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod (Joshua 11:22). The city later becomes a key location in the narrative of the Ark of the Covenant: after the Philistines captured the Ark, they moved it to Gath, which then suffered a plague (1 Samuel 5:8; 1 Samuel 6:17). Gath is most famously the hometown of Goliath, the Philistine champion slain by David (1 Samuel 17:4, 1 Samuel 17:23). David himself later fled to Gath twice, first to King Achish out of fear of Saul (1 Samuel 21:10, 1 Samuel 21:12), and then with six hundred men, dwelling there with his household (1 Samuel 27:2-4). During his stay, David raided other peoples but left no survivors to report to Gath (1 Samuel 27:11). After Saul's death, David lamented that the news should not be told in Gath lest the Philistines rejoice (2 Samuel 1:20).

Reader's Guide

The passages portray Gath as a persistent Philistine stronghold and a place of both threat and refuge. It is a city of giants—not only Goliath but also a later giant with six fingers and six toes (2 Samuel 21:20-22; 1 Chronicles 20:6-8). Gath is a military target: David subdued it (1 Chronicles 18:1), King Uzziah broke down its wall (2 Chronicles 26:6), and Hazael of Syria captured it (2 Kings 12:17). It also appears in genealogical and tribal conflicts, as when men of Gath killed Ephraimites who came to take their cattle (1 Chronicles 7:21), and when the tribe of Benjamin drove away its inhabitants (1 Chronicles 8:13). The city served as a refuge for David and later for Shimei's servants, who fled to King Achish of Gath (1 Kings 2:39-41). Overall, Gath is depicted as a perennial adversary and a place of notable individuals and events in Israel's history.

Did You Know?

• Gath was one of only three cities where Anakim (giants) remained after Joshua's conquest (Joshua 11:22).
• The Ark of the Covenant was taken to Gath, causing a plague of emerods (1 Samuel 5:8; 1 Samuel 6:17).
• David lived in Gath with King Achish and six hundred men to escape Saul (1 Samuel 27:2-4).
• A giant in Gath had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot (2 Samuel 21:20; 1 Chronicles 20:6).