King James Bible Dictionary

A wine-vat, one of the five royal cities of the Philistines (Joshua 13:3) on which the ark brought calamity (1 Samuel 5:8, 9; 6:17). It was famous also as being the birthplace or residence of Goliath (1 Samuel 17:4). David fled from Saul to Achish, king of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10; 27:2-4; Psalms 56), and his connection with it will account for the words in 2 Samuel 1:20. It was afterwards conquered by David (2 Samuel 8:1). It occupied a strong position on the borders of Judah and Philistia (1 Samuel 21:10; 1 Chronicles 18:1). Its site has been identified with the hill called Tell esSafieh, the Alba Specula of the Middle Ages, which rises 695 feet above the plain on its east edge. It is noticed on monuments about B.C. 1500. (See METHEGAMMAH.)

a wine-press

One of the five chief cities of the Philistines
Joshua 13:3; 1 Samuel 6:17; Amos 6:2; Micah 1:10

Anakim, a race of giants, inhabitants of
Joshua 11:22

Goliath dwelt in
1 Samuel 17:4; 1 Chronicles 20:5-8

Obed-Edom belonged to
2 Samuel 6:10

The ark taken to
1 Samuel 5:8

Inhabitants of, called Gittites
Joshua 13:3

David takes refuge at
1 Samuel 21:10-15; 1 Samuel 27:2-7

Band of Gittites, attached to David
2 Samuel 15:18-22

Taken by David
1 Chronicles 18:1

Shimei's servants escape to
1 Kings 2:39-41

Fortified by Rehoboam
2 Chronicles 11:8

Taken by Hazael
2 Kings 12:17

Recovered, by Jehoash
2 Kings 13:25

Besieged, by Uzziah
2 Chronicles 26:6

Called Metheg-Ammah
2 Samuel 8:1

(a wine press), one of the five royal cities of the Philistines; (Joshua 13:3; 1 Samuel 6:17) and the native place of the giant Goliath. (1 Samuel 17:4,23) It probably stood upon the conspicuous hill now called Tell-es-Safieh , upon the side of the plain of Philistia, at the foot of the mountains of Judah; 10 miles east of Ashdod, and about the same distance south by east of Ekron. It is irregular in form, and about 200 feet high. Gath occupied a strong position, (2 Chronicles 11:8) on the border of Judah and Philistia, (1 Samuel 21:10; 1 Chronicles 18:1) and from its strength and resources forming the key of both countries, it was the scene of frequent struggles, and was often captured and recaptured. (2 Kings 12:17; 2 Chronicles 11:8; 26:6; Amos 6:2) The ravages of war to which Gath was exposed appear to have destroyed it at a comparatively early period, as it is not mentioned among the other royal cities by the later prophets. (Zephaniah 2:4; Zechariah 9:5,6) It is familiar to the Bible student as the scene of one of the most romantic incidents in the life of King David. (1 Samuel 21:10-15)","","GATHHEPHER, OR GITTAHHEPHER","(wine-press on the hill), a town on the border of the territory of Zebulun, not far from Japhia, now 'Yafa , (Joshua 19:12,13) celebrated as the native place of the prophet Jonah. (2 Kings 14:25) El-Meshhad , a village two-miles east of Sefurieh , is the ancient Gath-hepher.

GATH'ER, verb transitive

1. To bring together; to collect a number of separate things into one place or into one aggregate body.

Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap. Genesis 31:46.

2. To get in harvest; to reap or cut and bring into barns or stores. Leviticus 25:20.

3. To pick up; to glean; to get in small parcels and bring together.

Gather out the stones. Isaiah 62:10.

He must gather up money by degrees.

4. To pluck; to collect by cropping, picking or plucking.

Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Matthew 7:16.

5. To assemble; to congregate; to bring persons into one place. Ezekiel 22:19.

6. To collect in abundance; to accumulate; to amass.

I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings. Ecclesiastes 2:26.

7. To select and take; to separate from others and bring together.

Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen. Psalms 106:47.

8. To sweep together.

The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind. Matthew 13:28.

9. To bring into one body or interest.

Yet will I gather others to him. Isaiah 56:8.

10. To draw together from a state of expansion or diffusion; to contract.

Gathering his flowing robe he seemed to stand,

In act to speak, and graceful stretch'd his hand.

11. To gain.

He gathers ground upon her in the chase.

12. To pucker; to plait.

13. To deduce by inference; to collect or learn by reasoning. From what I hear I gather that he was present.

After he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. Acts 16:1.

14. To coil as a serpent.

To gather breath, to have respite.

GATH'ER, verb intransitive To collect; to unite; to increase; to be condensed. The clouds gather in the west.

1. To increase; to grow larger by accretion of like matter.

Their snow ball did not gather as it went.

2. To assemble. The people gather fast.

3. To generate pus or matter. [See Gathering.]

GATH'ERABLE, adjective That may be collected; that may be deduced. [Unusual.]

GATH'ERED, participle passive Collected; assembled; contracted; plaited; drawn by inference.

GATH'ERER, noun One who gathers or collects; one who gets in a crop.

GATH'ERING, participle present tense Collecting; assembling; drawing together; plaiting; wrinkling.

GATH'ERING, noun The act of collecting or assembling.

1. Collection; a crowd; an assembly.

2. Charitable contribution. 1 Corinthians 16:2.

3. A tumor suppurated or maturated; a collection of pus; an abscess.

GATH'ERS, noun Plaits; folds; puckers; wrinkles in cloth.

Wine-press of the well, a town of Lower Galilee, about 5 miles from Nazareth; the birthplace of Jonah (2 Kings 14:25); the same as Gittah-hepher (Joshua 19:13). It has been identified with the modern el-Meshed, a village on the top of a rocky hill. Here the supposed tomb of Jonah, Neby Yunas, is still pointed out.

A city of Zebulun.
2 Kings 14:25

Press of the pomegranate.

1. A Levitical city in the tribe of Dan (Joshua 19:45; 21:24; 1 Chronicles 6:69).

2. Another city of the same name in Manasseh, west of the Jordan (Joshua 21:25), called also Bileam (1 Chronicles 6:70).

(press of the pomegranate)

1. A city given out of the tribe of Dan to the Levites. (Joshua 21:24; 1 Chronicles 6:69) situated on the plain of Philistia, apparently not far from Joppa. (Joshua 19:45)
2. A town of the half tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan, assigned to the Levites. (Joshua 21:25) The reading Gath-rimmon is probably an error of the transcribers.

the high wine-press

1. A Levitical city of Dan
Joshua 19:45

2. A city of Manasseh

General references
Joshua 21:24-25; 1 Chronicles 6:69

Called Bileam
1 Chronicles 6:70