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Philistines
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Boyd’s Bible Dictionary
:
(villagers). Dwellers in
Philistia
. Origin disputed, but associated with Cretans; also with the
Caphtorim
of
Egypt
(
Jer. 47:4
4
Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the Lord will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor. (Jeremiah 47:4)
;
Amos 9:7
7
Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? (Amos 9:7)
). Permanent settlers in
time
of
Abraham
(
Gen. 21:32
32
Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. (Genesis 21:32)
). Wealthy, energetic, and warlike, with many strong cities. Land not conquered by
Joshua
.
Gaza
,
Ashkelon
,
Ashdod
,
Gath
, and
Ekron
, their chief strongholds. Subdued by
David
(
2 Sam. 5:17-25
17
But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold.
18
The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
19
And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
20
And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and said, The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim.
21
And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.
22
And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
23
And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
24
And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.
25
And David did so, as the Lord had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer. (2 Samuel 5:17‑25)
); but became practically independent under the kings. Disappeared as a distinct people after the time of
the Maccabees
.
Concise Bible Dictionary
:
Descendants, with the
Caphtorim
, of the
Pathrusim
, and the
Casluhim
, two clans descended from
Ham
(
Gen. 10:14
14
And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim. (Genesis 10:14)
;
Deut. 2:23
23
And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.) (Deuteronomy 2:23)
;
Jer. 47:4
4
Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the Lord will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor. (Jeremiah 47:4)
;
Amos 9:7
7
Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? (Amos 9:7)
). They were found in the S.W. of
Palestine
when
Abraham
went to sojourn at
Gerar
(Gen. 20); and both Abraham and
Isaac
had certain contentions with them respecting the
wells
which they had digged (
Gen. 21:25-34
25
And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
26
And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.
27
And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
28
And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29
And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
30
And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
31
Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.
32
Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
33
And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.
34
And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days. (Genesis 21:25‑34)
;
Gen. 26:1-18
1
And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
2
And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
3
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
4
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
5
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
6
And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
7
And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.
8
And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.
9
And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.
10
And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
11
And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.
12
Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.
13
And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:
14
For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.
15
For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.
16
And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.
17
And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.
18
And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. (Genesis 26:1‑18)
). They were a warlike people, which was the reason that
God
did not
lead
the Israelites near to them when He led them out of
Egypt
(
Ex. 13:17
17
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: (Exodus 13:17)
). It is probable that at first they were a sort of
colony
of Egypt. Their five cities commanded the
coast
road from Egypt to
Syria
, and there is proof that Egypt had a strong hold on Palestine before the arrival of
Joshua
; but it was then declining.
As they occupied a part of the promised land, the Israelites should have dispossessed them; but when Joshua was old “all the borders of the Philistines” were still unoccupied by the Israelites. They represent the pretension and intrusion of
man
in the
flesh
into that which belongs to God. Nazariteship in
Samson
is God’s way of
deliverance
, but the
Nazarite
utterly failed, and in the days of
Eli
the Israelites were conquered by them and the ark taken. When
Saul
was king he was in fear of them, and they were enabled to enter his dominions, and in a battle Saul and his sons lost their lives. It was by
David
, God’s king, that the Philistines were really conquered, and under
Solomon
we find they were tributary.
When the
kingdom
of
Israel
was divided, the Philistines regained their independence more or less. God used them at
times
to punish His guilty people, and at other times gave those that served Him
power
over them. In
the prophets
destruction
is pronounced upon their land and the
remnant
of the people. The five fortified cities of the Philistines, with their “daughters” or dependent
villages
, were
Gaza
,
Ashkelon
,
Ashdod
,
Gath
, and
Ekron
. The Philistines were idolaters and worshipped
Dagon
,
Ashtaroth
and
Baal
-zebub (
1 Sam. 5:2
2
When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. (1 Samuel 5:2)
;
1 Sam. 31:10
10
And they put his armor in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. (1 Samuel 31:10)
;
2 Kings 1:2
2
And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. (2 Kings 1:2)
; Jer. 47;
Ezek. 25:15-17
15
Thus saith the Lord God; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred;
16
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.
17
And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them. (Ezekiel 25:15‑17)
;
Amos 1:7-8
7
But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof:
8
And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord God. (Amos 1:7‑8)
;
Zeph. 2:5
5
Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the Lord is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant. (Zephaniah 2:5)
).
PHILISTIM
in
Genesis 10:14
14
And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim. (Genesis 10:14)
is the same
Hebrew
word that is elsewhere translated Philistines.
Jackson’s
Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names
:
same as Philistim
Call: 1-630-543-1441
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, … rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
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