Gebalites
Peopleâš¡ IN BRIEF (SUMMARY)
The Gebalites were inhabitants of Gebal (modern Byblos), a Phoenician city-state whose presence is recorded in biblical texts as part of the territorial boundaries assigned to the tribe of Asher, despite the region remaining under non-Israelite control.
What is the meaning of Gebalites in the Bible?
The Gebalites were inhabitants of Gebal (modern Byblos), a Phoenician city-state whose presence is recorded in biblical texts as part of the territorial boundaries assigned to the tribe of Asher, despite the region remaining under non-Israelite control.
SIGNIFICANCE
Identifying the Gebalites clarifies the extent of the northern boundary of the Promised Land and highlights the historical reality that Israelite settlement did not encompass every territory listed in the divine allocation.
Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide
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Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been editorially modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and formatted for fast contextual reference.