Geshur, Geshurite(s)

See also Geshur


GESHUR, GESHURITE(S) gĕsh’ er, gĕsh’ ə rīts (גְּשֽׁוּר, גְּשׁוּרִ֖י, meaning uncertain, possibly bridge). A country E of the Jordan and a people near Sinai.

1. A country E of the upper Jordan in Syria. The area of these people, along with the Maacathites, was one of the borders of the territory given to Jair, the Manassite (Deut 3:14). The same boundary is mentioned in Joshua 12:5 as the limit of that which the Israelites took. The people are listed in Joshua 13:11, 13 as among those which the Israelites did not drive out but at the time of writing were existing within Israel. Geshur, along with Aram (Syria), took Havvoth-jair (formerly possessed by Jair, the Manassite) and other places from the Israelites (1 Chron 2:23).

Absalom was the son of David by Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur (2 Sam 3:3; 1 Chron 3:2). When Absalom killed his half-brother Amnon, he fled to Geshur for the protection by his grandfather, Talmai, for three years until he could return safely (2 Sam 13:37, 38). At this time Joab brought him back to Jerusalem (2 Sam 14:23, 32; 15:8).

2. A people S of the Philistines near Sinai, whose land was not taken originally by the Israelite forces at the time of the conquest (Josh 13:2). When David was in exile with Achish, king of Gath, he and his men made raids upon the Geshurites (and other peoples) and led Achish to believe that he was attacking his own people (1 Sam 27:8).

Bibliography L. H. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1956), 150.