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Gebim

place_name theological_term standard

A biblical place name mentioned in Isaiah 10:31 in a list of locations touched by the Assyrian advance toward Jerusalem.

At a Glance

Biblical place name in Isaiah 10:31.

Key Points

Description

Gebim is the name of a place mentioned in Isaiah 10:31, where it appears in a sequence of locations describing the approach of the Assyrian invader toward Jerusalem. The passage uses recognizable place names to portray the nearness and seriousness of the threat. Scripture does not provide additional information about Gebim, and its precise identification remains uncertain. Because it is a geographical name rather than a theological concept, treatment of the term should remain brief and closely tied to the biblical text.

Biblical Context

Gebim appears in Isaiah 10:28-32, a section describing the movement of the Assyrian forces toward Jerusalem. The verse functions as part of Isaiah’s vivid, place-based portrait of impending judgment and danger.

Historical Context

The reference belongs to the historical setting of the Assyrian menace against Judah in the eighth century BC. Isaiah uses a chain of locations to show the progress of the invasion and the vulnerability of towns along the route.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Ancient readers would have understood Gebim as a real locality known in Isaiah’s day, even though later readers cannot confidently identify its exact site. Jewish and later historical traditions have proposed locations, but none is certain.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

The Hebrew form is a place name whose exact referent is uncertain. Some have suggested a connection with a word for pits or cisterns, but the biblical text does not explain it.

Theological Significance

Gebim itself carries no separate doctrine, but it contributes to Isaiah’s portrayal of God’s sovereign rule over nations and his ability to bring judgment to proud empires.

Philosophical Explanation

Biblical geography grounds prophecy in real history and real places. Even obscure names can serve an important literary function by anchoring divine speech in concrete events.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not build theological conclusions on the location or meaning of Gebim. Its precise site is unknown, and proposed identifications remain speculative.

Major Views

Interpretations differ on the exact location, but the term is generally understood as a real place name in Isaiah’s oracle rather than a symbolic term.

Doctrinal Boundaries

No doctrine depends on the identification of Gebim. The entry should be used for biblical-geographical reference only.

Practical Significance

Gebim reminds readers that prophetic judgment was announced in real historical settings, not in abstract terms detached from place and time.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Gebim

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