H1382 H1382
Gebalite(s) — inhabitants of Gebal (Byblos), skilled craftsmen who helped build Solomon's temple
The Gebalites were inhabitants of the ancient Phoenician city of Gebal, known to the Greeks as Byblos, located on the Mediterranean coast north of Sidon. These people appear in two contexts: as inhabitants of territory not yet conquered in Joshua's time, and as skilled stoneworkers who helped prepare materials for Solomon's temple. First Kings 5:18 credits them alongside Hiram's craftsmen with shaping the magnificent stones for God's house. Their city was famous for craftsmanship and was a major center of the papyrus trade—indeed, our word 'Bible' traces back through Greek to this city's name.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The people of Gebal (Byblos), a Phoenician coastal city. Joshua 13:5 lists their unconquered territory, while 1 Kings 5:18 celebrates their craftsmanship in preparing stones for the temple. The gentilic form appears with the article, functioning as a collective noun for this people group. Their reputation for skilled stonework made them valuable partners in Solomon's building projects, and cross-linguistic transliterations (Gebalites, giblitas, Giblitas) preserve the connection to their city of origin. 2×
AR["الجِبْليِّ", "وَ-الـ-جِبْلِيُّونَ"]·ben["ও-গিব্লীয়দের", "গিব্লীয়"]·DE["der-Gebalite", "und-der-Gebalites"]·EN["and-the-Gebalites", "the-Gebalite"]·FR["et-le-Gebalites", "le-Gebalite"]·heb["ה-גבלי", "ו-ה-גבלים"]·HI["और-गबालियों-ने", "गिब्ली"]·ID["dan-orang-Gebal", "orang-Gebal"]·IT["e-il-Gebalites", "il-Gebalite"]·jav["lan-tiyang-Gebal", "tiyang-Gèbal"]·KO["그-그발-사람의", "그리고-기블-사람들이"]·PT["e-os-giv'litas", "o-giblita"]·RU["Гивлитская", "и-Гивлияне"]·ES["los-gebalitas", "y-los-giblitas"]·SW["na-Wagebali", "ya-Wagebali"]·TR["Givlilerin", "ve-Gevallılar"]·urd["اور-جبلیوں-نے", "جبلیوں-کی"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† גִּבְלִי adj.gent. offoregoing, c.art. = n.coll. Jos 13:5 והארץ הַגִּבְלִי, but read גְּבוּל הַגּ׳, cf. Di. 1 K 5:32 הַגִּבְלִים (but prob. textual error Th reads וַיַּגְבִּלוּם and they bordered them, made a border for them (the stones); 𝔊 ἔβαλαν, cf. also Klo).