Gaza
가사
Named at Acts 8:26, where an angel of the Lord says to Philip, “Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert.” The Korean Revised Version gives the last words outside the angel’s saying, as 그 길은 광야라 (the way is a desert). The note in parentheses at Deuteronomy 2:23 says, “Then the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza: the Caphtorim, who came out of Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.” Joshua 10:41 has Joshua strike from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon. Joshua 11:22 says there were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain. Judges 16:1–3 says that Samson went to Gaza and went in to a prostitute there. The Gazites were told, “Samson is here!” They laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city; but Samson arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, with the two posts, plucked them up, bar and all, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron. 16:21 says the Philistines laid hold on him and put out his eyes, brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of bronze, and he ground at the mill in the prison.
Direct relationships 3
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Source-backed narrative relations; not independent historical verification. Legacy dates and coordinates are outside this review.
Collection & rightsSource evidence (18)
AI-assisted comparison with the cited narrative; not independent historical verification.
- 1KI 4:20–25, engwebp
20Judah and Israel were numerous as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry.
21Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour, sixty measures of meal,
23ten head of fat cattle, twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, and one hundred sheep, in addition to deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.
24For he had dominion over all on this side of the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on all sides around him.
25Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
- 1SA 6:17–18, engwebp
17These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to the LORD: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
18and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even to the great stone on which they set down the LORD’s ark. That stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
- 2KI 18:4–8, engwebp
4He removed the high places, broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because in those days the children of Israel burned incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.
5He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that after him was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among them that were before him.
6For he joined with the LORD. He didn’t depart from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
7The LORD was with him. Wherever he went, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria, and didn’t serve him.
8He struck the Philistines to Gaza and its borders, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.
- ACT 8:26–36, engwebp
26Then an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert.”
27He arose and went; and behold, there was a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship.
28He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29The Spirit said to Philip, “Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.”
30Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31He said, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” He begged Philip to come up and sit with him.
32Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn’t open his mouth.
33In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth.”
34The eunuch answered Philip, “Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?”
35Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him about Jesus.
36As they went on the way, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?”
- ACT 8:38–39, engwebp
38He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing.
- AMO 1:6–8, engwebp
6The LORD says: “For three transgressions of Gaza, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they carried away captive the whole community, to deliver them up to Edom;
7but I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, and it will devour its palaces.
8I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines will perish,” says the Lord GOD.
- DEU 2:20–23, engwebp
20(That also is considered a land of Rephaim. Rephaim lived there in the past, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,
21a great people, many, and tall, as the Anakim; but the LORD destroyed them from before Israel, and they succeeded them, and lived in their place,
22as he did for the children of Esau who dwell in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them; and they succeeded them, and lived in their place even to this day.
23Then the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza: the Caphtorim, who came out of Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.)
- JDG 1:18, engwebp
18Also Judah took Gaza with its border, and Ashkelon with its border, and Ekron with its border.
- JDG 6:1–6, engwebp
1The children of Israel did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, so the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made themselves the dens which are in the mountains, the caves, and the strongholds.
3So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them.
4They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep, ox, or donkey.
5For they came up with their livestock and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it.
6Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried to the LORD.
- JDG 16:1–3, engwebp
1Samson went to Gaza, and saw there a prostitute, and went in to her.
2The Gazites were told, “Samson is here!” They surrounded him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, “Wait until morning light; then we will kill him.”
3Samson lay until midnight, then arose at midnight and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, with the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.
- JDG 16:18–22, engwebp
18When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up this once, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand.
19She made him sleep on her knees; and she called for a man and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
20She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that the LORD had departed from him.
21The Philistines laid hold on him and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of bronze; and he ground at the mill in the prison.
22However, the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaved.
- JER 25:15–29, engwebp
15For the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it.
16They will drink, and reel back and forth, and be insane, because of the sword that I will send among them.”
17Then I took the cup at the LORD’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, to whom the LORD had sent me:
18Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, with its kings and its princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is today;
19Pharaoh king of Egypt, with his servants, his princes, and all his people;
20and all the mixed people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
21Edom, Moab, and the children of Ammon;
22and all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the isle which is beyond the sea;
23Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who have the corners of their beard cut off;
24and all the kings of Arabia, all the kings of the mixed people who dwell in the wilderness;
25and all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes;
26and all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world, which are on the surface of the earth. The king of Sheshach will drink after them.
27“You shall tell them, ‘The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says: “Drink, and be drunk, vomit, fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.”’
28It shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at your hand to drink, then you shall tell them, ‘The LORD of Armies says: “You shall surely drink.
29For, behold, I begin to work evil at the city which is called by my name; and should you be utterly unpunished? You will not be unpunished; for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth, says the LORD of Armies.”’
- JER 47:1–7, engwebp
1The LORD’s word that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck Gaza.
2The LORD says: “Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and will become an overflowing stream, and will overflow the land and all that is therein, the city and those who dwell therein. The men will cry, and all the inhabitants of the land will wail.
3At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers don’t look back for their children because their hands are so feeble,
4because of the day that comes to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains; for the LORD will destroy the Philistines, the remnant of the isle of Caphtor.
5Baldness has come on Gaza; Ashkelon is brought to nothing. You remnant of their valley, how long will you cut yourself?
6“‘You sword of the LORD, how long will it be before you are quiet? Put yourself back into your scabbard; rest, and be still.’
7“How can you be quiet, since the LORD has given you a command? Against Ashkelon, and against the seashore, there he has appointed it.”
- JOS 10:40–43, engwebp
40So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, the South, the lowland, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no one remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded.
41Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon.
42Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.
- JOS 11:21–22, engwebp
21Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
22There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.
- JOS 15:45–47, engwebp
45Ekron, with its towns and its villages;
46from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages.
47Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; to the brook of Egypt, and the great sea with its coastline.
- ZEC 9:1–8, engwebp
1A revelation. The LORD’s word is against the land of Hadrach, and will rest upon Damascus— for the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is toward the LORD—
2and Hamath, also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise.
3Tyre built herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver like the dust, and fine gold like the mire of the streets.
4Behold, the Lord will dispossess her, and he will strike her power in the sea; and she will be devoured with fire.
5Ashkelon will see it, and fear; Gaza also, and will writhe in agony; as will Ekron, for her expectation will be disappointed; and the king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
6Foreigners will dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
7I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth; and he also will be a remnant for our God; and he will be as a chieftain in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.
8I will encamp around my house against the army, that no one pass through or return; and no oppressor will pass through them any more: for now I have seen with my eyes.
- ZEP 2:4–7, engwebp
4For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They will drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron will be rooted up.
5Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The LORD’s word is against you, Canaan, the land of the Philistines. I will destroy you until there is no inhabitant.
6The sea coast will be pastures, with cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7The coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah. They will find pasture. In the houses of Ashkelon, they will lie down in the evening, for the LORD, their God, will visit them and restore them.
AI-assisted, human review pending, 2026-09-26
Machine comparison on 2026-10-07: the wording raised none of the 3 rules against the passages this entry cites. No person has read it.
Geographic sources & candidates
Matched to OpenBible.info’s “Gaza” by name and 20 shared verses. The coordinate of its leading identification, Tell Harube (confidence 1000 of 1000), is adopted as a sourced approximation: not verified here, and not the place of any particular event.
AI-assisted source review; human approval pending, 2026-09-29
- Tell Harube
OpenBible.info confidence 1000 of 1000 (current scholarship)
31.504, 34.4644
OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, “Gaza” (CC BY 4.0)
Original editorial notes; linked source texts retain their own rights. Candidate lists are not exhaustive.
All 3 relationships: AI-assisted, human review pending
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Narrated location (3) — Judah takes Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron; the chariots of iron in the valley, Samson carries the doors of the gate of Gaza to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron, After the seven locks of his head are shaved, the Philistines lay hold on Samson and bring him down to Gaza
A relationship with an event rests on the passages the event cites: each event’s page has them.
Verses tagged with this entry
Names in the World English Bible text that carry this entry’s tag. They are carried over from the tags on the Korean Revised Version, which are matched by name inside chapters that already have collected evidence, and a verse where the English says “he” carries none. All await human review. They are a separate list from the source passages above. An empty list does not mean the entry is absent from the text.
Then the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza: the Caphtorim, who came out of Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.)
Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon.
There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.
Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; to the brook of Egypt, and the great sea with its coastline.
Also Judah took Gaza with its border, and Ashkelon with its border, and Ekron with its border.
They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep, ox, or donkey.
Samson went to Gaza, and saw there a prostitute, and went in to her.
The Philistines laid hold on him and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of bronze; and he ground at the mill in the prison.
These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to the LORD: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
For he had dominion over all on this side of the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on all sides around him.
He struck the Philistines to Gaza and its borders, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.
and all the mixed people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
The LORD’s word that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck Gaza.
Baldness has come on Gaza; Ashkelon is brought to nothing. You remnant of their valley, how long will you cut yourself?
The LORD says: “For three transgressions of Gaza, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they carried away captive the whole community, to deliver them up to Edom;
For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They will drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron will be rooted up.
Ashkelon will see it, and fear; Gaza also, and will writhe in agony; as will Ekron, for her expectation will be disappointed; and the king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
Then an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert.”
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[Bibliadatum entry report]
Entry: Gaza (place-gaza)
Address: https://bibliadatum.org/en/wiki/place/gaza
Current wording: Named at Acts 8:26, where an angel of the Lord says to Philip, “Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert.” The Korean Revised Version gives the last words outside the angel’s saying, as 그 길은 광야라 (the way is a desert). The note in parentheses at Deuteronomy 2:23 says, “Then the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza: the Caphtorim, who came out of Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.” Joshua 10:41 has Joshua strike from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon. Joshua 11:22 says there were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain. Judges 16:1–3 says that Samson went to Gaza and went in to a prostitute there. The Gazites were told, “Samson is here!” They laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city; but Samson arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, with the two posts, plucked them up, bar and all, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron. 16:21 says the Philistines laid hold on him and put out his eyes, brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of bronze, and he ground at the mill in the prison.
Cited evidence: 1KI 4:20–25, engwebp / 1SA 6:17–18, engwebp / 2KI 18:4–8, engwebp / ACT 8:26–36, engwebp / ACT 8:38–39, engwebp / AMO 1:6–8, engwebp / DEU 2:20–23, engwebp / JDG 1:18, engwebp (and 10 more of 18)
Review state: ai-assisted / human-review-pending
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