Jabesh-Gilead
/ˈdʒeɪ.bɛʃ ˈɡɪl.i.əd/noun
An ancient Israelite town in Gilead, east of the Jordan River, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
Did you know?After King Saul and his sons were killed, the people of Jabesh-Gilead risked their lives to recover and bury Saul’s body, and David later praised their act of loyalty.
Etymological Timeline
Iron Age Hebrew Bible
Hebrew
יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד (Yāvēsh Gilʿād)
“Jabesh of Gilead; yāvēsh is associated with dryness, while Gilʿād is the regional name.”
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
יָבֵשׁ (yāvēsh)
“Dry or dried up; the name is connected with the Semitic root y-b-sh, relating to dryness.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
גִּלְעָד (Gilʿād)
“Gilead, the mountainous region east of the Jordan; its deeper name-origin is debated, though Genesis connects it with a “heap of witness.””
Septuagint period
Greek
Ἰαβὴς Γαλαάδ (Iabēs Galaad)
“The Greek biblical form of Jabesh-Gilead.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Iabes Galaad
“The Latin biblical form transmitted through Christian scripture.”
Modern English
English
Jabesh-Gilead
“The conventional English name of the ancient town.”