GATH, a celebrated City of the 1 Sam. vi. 17. 1 Sam. xvii. 4. 2 Sam. viii. 1.Philistins, and one of their five Principalities. It is famous for having given birth to Goliath. David made a conquest of it in the beginning of his reign over all Israel; and this City continued subject to the Kings his successors till the declension and decay of the Kingdom of Judah. Rehoboam rebuilt or fortified it, 2 Chron. xi. 8. King Uzziah re-conquered it; and Hezekiah once more reduced it under his subjection. Josephus makes it to be a part of the Tribe of Dan: but Joshua takes no notice of it in his distribution of the several Cities among the Tribes of Israel. It is our opinion, that Mithcah, mentioned by Moses, is the same as Metheg in 2 Samuel viii. 1. and that we should translate it, David took Metheg and her mother, instead of, he took the bridle of Tribute, which in the Chronicles is explained by, He took Gath, and her daughters. Gath was the mother, and Metheg the daughter. According to this hypothesis, Gath of the Philistins, the birth-place of giants, must lie a great way in Arabia Petræa, towards Egypt; which is also confirmed by what is said in the Chronicles, that the sons of Ephraim being still in Egypt, attacked the City of Gath, and were there cut in pieces.
St. Jerom says, that there was a large Town called Gath, in the way from Eleutheropolis to Gaza; and Eusebius speaks of another place of the same name, five miles from Eleutheropolis, in the way to Lidda; and consequently different from that which St. Jerom speaks of. The same Eusebius mentions another place called Gath or Gattha, between Jamnia and Antipatris. St. Jerom likewise speaking of Gath-Opher, the place of the Prophet Jonah’s birth, says it was called Gath-Opher, or Gath in the canton of Opher, to distinguish it from others of the same name, which were shewn in his time round about Eleutheropolis and Diospolis. Ad distinctionem aliorum Geth urbium, quæ juxta Eleutheropolim, sive Diospolim, hodie quoque monstrantur.
Gath was the most Southern of all the Cities of the Philistins, as Eckron was the most Northern; so that Eckron and Gath are placed as the two boundaries of the land of the Philistins. Gath lay near Mareshah. See 2 Chron. xi. 8. and Micah i. 14. in the Hebrew. Which agrees pretty well with St. Jerom, who places Gath on the road from Eleutheropolis to Gaza. Eleutheropolis is in the neighbourhood of Mareshah or Morashti; and before Eusebius and St. Jerom, we have scarce any knowledge in Geography, of Eleutheropolis. Gath was a place of strength and power in the time of the Prophets Amos and Micah, independant of the Kings of Judah. But, as we have already observed, it was taken by Uzziah King of Judah, while the Prophet Amos was living; and afterwards by Hezekiah, in the Prophet Micah’s time. Gethaim, mentioned 2 Sam. iv. 3. and Neh. xi. 33. is without doubt the same as Gath. David had a Company of Gittite Guards, whereof Ethai was the Captain. Gath signifies a Press. Wherefore it is no won der that we find several places of this name in Palestine.