Gedor
“Wall or enclosure”
Summary
The name of a town in the mountains of Judah, a fertile valley settled by Simeonites, and several persons in the Old Testament genealogies.
☩The Town in Judah
Gedor was a town in the hill country of Judah, listed with Halhul and Beth-zur. According to Eusebius, it was located in the borders of Jerusalem near the terebinth. The site is identified with Khirbet Jedur, about seven miles north of Hebron. It was probably the same as the Geder conquered by Joshua and later rebuilt as Beth-gader.
☩Gedor in Benjamin
Among the Benjamites who joined David at Ziklag were 'the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.' While no trace of this name has been found in Benjamin's territory, some scholars suggest it may refer to the same town in Judah, since not all who joined David at Ziklag were necessarily Benjamites.
☩The Valley of Gedor
In Hezekiah's time, Simeonite chiefs went to the entrance of Gedor seeking pasture for their flocks. They found the land fat and good, smote the Hamite inhabitants, and dwelt there in their place. The Septuagint reads 'Gerar' instead of Gedor in this passage, which some scholars prefer given the geographical context.
☩Persons Named Gedor
Gedor also appears as a personal name in the genealogies. He was an ancestor of King Saul among the Benjamites. Additionally, Gedor appears in Judah's genealogy as a son of Penuel and as a son of Jered.
See Also
References
- 1.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Gedor," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Gedor," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.John McClintock and James Strong, "Gedor," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. III (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Gedor," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 5.George Morrish, "Gedor," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).