PIRATHON (pĭr'a-thŏn, Heb. pir‘āthôn). A town of Ephraim in the hill country of the Amalekites, where Abdon, one of the judges, lived and was buried (Judg.12.13-Judg.12.15). Benaiah was from Pirathon (2Sam.23.30; 1Chr.11.31; 1Chr.27.14). Perhaps to be identified with Pharathon, now Far‘atā, west of Mount Gerizim, south of Samaria.
PIRATHON. Alternate form of
Pharathon.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)
pir’-a-thon, pir’-a-thon-it (pir`athon, pir`athoni; Codex Vaticanus Pharathom; Codex Alexandrinus Phraathom, Pharathuneites): The home of Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite (Jud 12:13 the King James Version), where also he was buried, "in the land of Ephraim in the mount of the Amalekites." The latter name may have clung to a district which at some former time had been held by the Amalekites. From this town also came Benaiah, one of David’s chief captains (2Sa 23:30; 1Ch 11:31; 27:14). It is probably to be identified with Fer`ata, about 6 miles Southwest of Nablus. A possible rival is Fir`on, 15 miles West of Nablus. G.A. Smith suggests a position at the head of Wady Far`ah (HGHL, 355). Moore thinks it may have been in Benjamin, Abdon being a Benjamite family (1Ch 8:23,30; 9:36). It is just possible that the place may be identical with Pharathon, one of the towns fortified by Bacchides (1 Macc 9:50).
