Chephirah
כְּפִירָה/keh-FY-ruh/
“The hamlet or village”
Summary
One of the four Gibeonite cities that deceived Joshua into making a treaty, later assigned to Benjamin and reoccupied after the Babylonian exile.
☩Biblical History
Chephirah was one of the four cities of the Hivite Gibeonites who by guile made an alliance with Joshua and Israel. Though the Israelites discovered the deception three days later, they honored the treaty because it had been sworn in the name of the Lord. The city was assigned to the tribe of Benjamin and was occupied by Benjamites after the return from Babylon. It is identified with the modern Kefireh, southwest of Gibeon, standing on high ground with many ancient remains.
Key verses:Joshua 9:17Joshua 18:26Ezra 2:25Nehemiah 7:29
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Chephirah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Chephirah," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Chephirah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).