The Territory of the Philistines
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Map of the Ancient Philistines
Territory
The five cities of the Philistines:
Ashdod (coastal)
Gaza (coastal)
Ashkelon (coastal)
Gath (inland)
Ekron (inland)
1 Samuel 6:17 - "And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one"
Philistines in Smith's Bible Dictionary
Philistines
(immigrants), The origin of the Philistines is nowhere
expressly stated in the Bible; but as the prophets describe them as
"the Philistines-from Caphtor," Am 9:7 and "the remnant of the
maritime district of Caphtor" Jer 47:4 it is prima facie probable
that they were the Caphtorim which came out of Caphtor" who expelled
the Avim from their territory and occupied it; in their place, De
2:23 and that these again were the Caphtorim mentioned in the Mosaic
genealogical table among the descendants of Mizraim. Ge 10:14 It has
been generally assumed that Caphtor represents Crete, and that the
Philistines migrated from that island, either directly or through
Egypt, into Palestine. But the name Caphtor is more probably
identified with the Egyptian Coptos.
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Philistia in Smith's Bible Dictionary
Philistia
(Heb. Pelesheth) (land of sojourners). The word thus
translated (in) Ps 60:8; 87:4; 108:9 is in the original identical
with that elsewhere rendered Palestine, which always means land of
the Philistines. (Philistia was the plain on the southwest coast of
Palestine. It was 40 miles long on the coast of the Mediterranean
between Gerar and Joppa, and 10 miles wide at the northern end and
20 at the southern.--ED.) This plain has been in all ages remarkable
for the extreme richness of its soil. It was also adapted to the
growth of military power; for while the itself permitted. the use of
war-chariots, which were the chief arm of offence, the occasional
elevations which rise out of it offered secure sites for towns and
strongholds. It was, moreover, a commercial country: from its
position it must have been at all times the great thoroughfare
between Phoenicia and Syria in the north and Egypt and Arabia in the
south.
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Philistia in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE
PHILISTIA
fi-lis'-ti-a: The country is referred to under various
designations in the Old Testament: namely, pelesheth (Philistia) (Ps
60:8 (Hebrew 10); 87:4), 'erets pelishtim, "land of the Philistines"
(Gen 21:32,34), geloth hapelishtim; Septuagint ge ton Phulistieim,
"the regions of the Philistines" (Josh 13:2). The Egyptian monuments
have Puirsatha, Pulsath (Budge), Peleset (Breasted) and Purasati (HGHL),
according to the different voweling of the radicals; the Assyrian
form is Palastu or Pilistu, which corresponds very closely to the
Egyptian and the Hebrew. The extent of the land is indicated in Josh
13:2 as being from the Shihor, or Brook of Egypt (Revised Version),
to the border of Ekron, northward. The eastern border was along the
Judean foothills on the line of Beth-shemesh (1 Sam 6:9) with the
sea on the West. It was a very small country, from 25 to 30 miles in
length and with an average width of about half the length, but it
was fertile, being an extension of the plain of Sharon, except that
along the coast high sand dunes encroached upon the cultivated
tract. It contained many towns and villages, the most important
being the five so often mentioned in Scripture: Gaza, Ashdod,
Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. The population must have been large for
the territory, which enabled them to contend successfully with the
Israelites, notwithstanding the superiority of position in the hills
to the advantage of the latter.
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The Bible Mentions "Gaza" as a Chief City of the Philistines
Judges 1:18 - Also
Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon
with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.
1
Chronicles 7:28 - And their possessions and habitations
[were], Bethel and the towns thereof, and eastward Naaran, and
westward Gezer, with the towns thereof; Shechem also and the towns
thereof, unto Gaza and the towns thereof:
Joshua
15:47 - Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza
with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the
great sea, and the border [thereof]:
Genesis
10:19 - And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as
thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto
Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.
1 Samuel
6:17 - And these [are] the golden emerods which the
Philistines returned [for] a trespass offering unto the LORD; for
Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath
one, for Ekron one;
Amos 1:6
- Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza,
and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because
they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver [them] up
to Edom:
Judges 6:4
- And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the
earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no
sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
Judges
16:21 - But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes,
and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with
fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
The Bible Mentions "Philistia" on the Coast of Israel
1 Samuel 6:17 - "And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one"
Psalms 87:4 - I will
make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold
Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this [man] was born
there.
Psalms 60:8
- Moab [is] my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe:
Philistia, triumph thou because of me.
Psalms
108:9 - Moab [is] my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my
shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.
The Bible Mentions "Philistines" Many Times
1 Samuel 17:33 - And
Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this
Philistine to fight with him: for thou [art but] a youth,
and he a man of war from his youth.
1 Samuel
17:37 - David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out
of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will
deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And
Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
1 Samuel
17:49 - And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a
stone, and slang [it], and smote the Philistine in his
forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon
his face to the earth.
Genesis 26:18 - And
Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the
days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had
stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names
after the names by which his father had called them.
Judges 10:6
- And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the
LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and
the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the
children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines,
and forsook the LORD, and served not him.
1 Samuel
17:3 - And the Philistines stood on a mountain
on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side:
and [there was] a valley between them.
Judges
16:28 - And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord
GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only
this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the
Philistines for my two eyes.
1 Samuel
4:6 - And when the Philistines heard the noise
of the shout, they said, What [meaneth] the noise of this great
shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark
of the LORD was come into the camp.
1 Samuel
14:4 - And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to
go over unto the Philistines' garrison, [there was] a
sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and
the name of the one [was] Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
1 Samuel
28:15 - And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted
me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the
Philistines make war against me, and God is departed
from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by
dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known
unto me what I shall do.
2
Chronicles 28:18 - The Philistines also had
invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah,
and had taken Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with
the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo
also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.
1 Samuel
5:8 - They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the
Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with
the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the
God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark
of the God of Israel about [thither].
1 Samuel
31:7 - And when the men of Israel that [were] on the other
side of the valley, and [they] that [were] on the other side Jordan,
saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were
dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines
came and dwelt in them.
2
Chronicles 17:11 - Also [some] of the Philistines
brought Jehoshaphat presents, and tribute silver; and the Arabians
brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven
thousand and seven hundred he goats.
1 Samuel
10:5 - After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where
[is] the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall
come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou
shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place
with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them;
and they shall prophesy:
1 Samuel
27:1 - And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one
day by the hand of Saul: [there is] nothing better for me than that
I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines;
and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of
Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
1 Samuel
17:46 - This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand;
and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will
give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this
day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth;
that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
2 Samuel
3:18 - Now then do [it]: for the LORD hath spoken of David,
saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel
out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the
hand of all their enemies.
Obediah
1:19 - And [they of] the south shall possess the mount of
Esau; and [they of] the plain the Philistines: and
they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria:
and Benjamin [shall possess] Gilead.
1 Samuel
6:18 - And the golden mice, [according to] the number of all
the cities of the Philistines [belonging] to the five
lords, [both] of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto
the great [stone of] Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the
LORD: [which stone remaineth] unto this day in the field of Joshua,
the Bethshemite.
1 Samuel
28:4 - And the Philistines gathered themselves
together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all
Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
1 Samuel
18:17 - And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter
Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me,
and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be
upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon
him.
1 Samuel
18:27 - Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and
slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David
brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the
king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him
Michal his daughter to wife.
1 Samuel
7:3 - And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying,
If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, [then] put away
the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your
hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you
out of the hand of the Philistines.
Judges 15:5
- And when he had set the brands on fire, he let [them] go into the
standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both
the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards [and]
olives.
1 Kings
15:27 - And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of
Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon,
which [belonged] to the Philistines; for Nadab and all
Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
1 Samuel
17:1 - Now the Philistines gathered together
their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which
[belongeth] to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in
Ephesdammim.
1
Chronicles 14:10 - And David enquired of God, saying, Shall
I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver
them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto him, Go up; for I will
deliver them into thine hand.
Jeremiah
25:20 - And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the
land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines,
and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod,
Ezekiel
16:57 - Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time
of [thy] reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all [that are]
round about her, the daughters of the Philistines,
which despise thee round about.
1
Chronicles 14:15 - And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a
sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, [that] then thou
shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite
the host of the Philistines.
1 Samuel
6:4 - Then said they, What [shall be] the trespass offering
which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods,
and five golden mice, [according to] the number of the lords of the
Philistines: for one plague [was] on you all, and on
your lords.
1 Samuel
14:19 - And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the
priest, that the noise that [was] in the host of the
Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the
priest, Withdraw thine hand.