{
  "id": "dict_002167",
  "term": "Geshur",
  "slug": "geshur",
  "letter": "G",
  "entry_type": "historical_geographical_proper_noun",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Geshur was a small Aramean kingdom or district northeast of the Sea of Galilee in Old Testament times, known especially for its connection to David’s family.",
  "simple_one_line": "An Aramean kingdom northeast of the Sea of Galilee, linked to David, Absalom, and Maacah.",
  "tooltip_text": "A small Aramean polity in the region of Bashan, remembered in the David narrative.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Absalom",
    "Maacah",
    "Talmai",
    "Aram",
    "Bashan",
    "David",
    "Amnon"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Geshurites",
    "Maacah",
    "Talmai",
    "Absalom",
    "Bashan"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Geshur was a small Aramean kingdom or district in the Old Testament period, located northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Scripture mentions it chiefly in connection with David’s family life and Absalom’s exile.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Geshur was a small Aramean political region northeast of the Sea of Galilee.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Appears in Israel’s historical narratives rather than as a theological concept.",
    "Associated with Talmai king of Geshur and Maacah, wife of David.",
    "Absalom fled there after killing Amnon.",
    "Its exact borders are not fully certain, but it was tied to the Bashan region."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Geshur was a neighboring Aramean polity in the Bashan region, northeast of the Sea of Galilee. In Scripture it appears chiefly in historical narratives involving David, Maacah, and Absalom. It is a place-name and political entity, not a theological category.",
  "description_academic_full": "Geshur was a small Aramean kingdom or district on Israel’s northeastern frontier, probably in or near the Bashan region northeast of the Sea of Galilee. The Old Testament mentions it in historical contexts, especially in the accounts of David’s family. Maacah, one of David’s wives, was the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, and Absalom later fled there after killing his brother Amnon. Geshur also appears in lists of territories and in references to peoples not fully driven out in Israel’s settlement period. Because it is primarily a geographical and political proper noun, it is best classified as a historical-geographical entry rather than a theological term.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Geshur is mentioned in connection with the conquest and settlement narratives and later in the Saul-David and David-Absalom accounts. Its most memorable role is as the place where Absalom stayed after fleeing Jerusalem, and as the homeland of Maacah, Absalom’s mother.",
  "background_historical_context": "Geshur was likely an Aramean local kingdom or principality in the region east or northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Ancient Israelite texts portray it as a neighboring political entity with its own king, Talmai. Its exact territorial limits are uncertain, but it is commonly associated with the Bashan area.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In ancient Israel’s world, small regional kingdoms often stood alongside larger empires and tribal territories. Geshur fits this pattern as a minor neighboring polity whose rulers could enter dynastic ties with Israel through marriage and whose land could serve as a place of refuge or exile.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Joshua 12:5",
    "Joshua 13:11, 13",
    "2 Samuel 3:3",
    "2 Samuel 13:37-38",
    "2 Samuel 14:23, 32",
    "2 Samuel 15:8",
    "1 Chronicles 3:2"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "1 Chronicles 2:23",
    "Deuteronomy 3:14 (for the broader Bashan setting)"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The name is a Hebrew proper noun commonly transliterated as Geshur; it designates a place or people, not a doctrine or abstract concept.",
  "theological_significance": "Geshur has no direct doctrinal meaning, but it functions within the biblical narrative to show the historical setting of David’s house, the consequences of sin in his family, and the limits of political and familial reconciliation.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a proper noun, Geshur belongs to the category of historical reference rather than conceptual theology. Its significance comes from the events associated with it, not from any inherent abstract meaning.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not confuse Geshur with the southern Geshurites mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. The exact geography of Geshur is not known with certainty, so claims beyond the biblical data should be kept modest.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters treat Geshur as an Aramean territorial name associated with the northeastern Transjordan region. Specific reconstructions of its borders vary, but its role in the David narrative is clear.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Geshur should not be used to build doctrine. Its significance is historical and narrative, illustrating providence, family conflict, and the consequences of sin within David’s household.",
  "practical_significance": "The Geshur passages remind readers that biblical history is anchored in real places and real political relationships. They also show how unresolved sin and broken family relationships can shape a household for generations.",
  "meta_description": "Geshur was a small Aramean kingdom northeast of the Sea of Galilee, best known in Scripture for its connection to David, Maacah, and Absalom.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/geshur/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/geshur.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}