King James Bible Dictionary

A region; lodging-place, a very ancient town and district in the south border of Palestine, which was ruled over by a king named Abimelech (Genesis 10:19; 20:1, 2). Abraham sojourned here, and perhaps Isaac was born in this place. Both of these patriarchs were guilty of the sin of here denying their wives, and both of them entered into a treaty with the king before they departed to Beersheba (21:23-34; 26). It seems to have been a rich pastoral country (2 Chronicles 14:12-18). Isaac here reaped an hundred-fold, and was blessed of God (Genesis 26:12). The "valley of Gerar" (Genesis 26:17) was probably the modern Wady el-Jerdr.

same as Gera

1. A City of the Philistines

General references
Genesis 10:19

Abimelech, king of
Genesis 20:1; Genesis 26:6

Visited by Abraham
Genesis 20:1

Visited by Isaac
Genesis 26:1; 2 Chronicles 14:13-14

2. A valley
Genesis 26:17-22

(a lodging-place), a very ancient city south of Gaza. It occurs chiefly in Genesis, (Genesis 10:19; 20:1; 26:17) also incidentally in (2 Chronicles 14:13,14) It must have trenched on the "south" or "south country" of later Palestine. From a comparison of (Genesis 21:32) with Genesis 26:23,26 Beersheba would seem to be just on the verge of this territory, and perhaps to be its limit towards the northeast.