Bible Dictionary
Gebalites
The Gebalites were inhabitants of Gebal, the Phoenician city. They are mentioned as workers connected with Solomon’s temple and as skilled men associated with the ships of Tyre.
Definition
The Gebalites were inhabitants of Gebal, especially the Phoenician city known as Byblos.
Biblical Usage
They are described as workers connected with the construction of Solomon’s temple and as skilled men associated with the ships of Tyre and Sidon.
Historical Background
Gebal was a Phoenician maritime city and important seaport. The precise interpretation of the term in some passages is uncertain, with translations also connecting it with stoneworking or the preparation of borders.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(1 Kings 5:18 R.V., in A.V. incorrectly rendered, after the Targum, “stone-squarers,” but marg. “Giblites”), the inhabitants of Gebal (2).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>ge'-bal-its (ha-gibhlim): Inhabitants of GEBAL (which see). According to the present text of Jos 13:5, "the land of the Gebalites" was given to Israel as part of its future territory. But it was never occupied by the Israelites. Septuagint, however, has a very different reading, indicating an early corruption of the text. Perhaps with many modern scholars it is better to read "to the borders of the Gebalites."</p><p>In 1Ki 5:18 the King James Version translates this word "stone-squarers," the King James Version margin gives "Giblites," and the Revised Version (British and American) "Gebalites," as workmen who, with the men of Solomon and of Hiram, fashioned the stones for the temple. Here also the text is doubtful, and some by a slight change would read: "and made a border for them" (i.e. for the stones). In Eze 27:9 the men of Gebal are described as the "calkers" of the ships of Tyre and Sidon.</p><p>George Rice Hovey</p>