Where is Gaza in the Bible?
Gaza, also known as Ayyah, was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines, along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron (Joshua 13:3). Gaza appears in 20 verses across 11 books of the Bible.
What happened at Gaza?
Gaza, also known as Ayyah, was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines, along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron (Joshua 13:3). Located in the southwestern coastal plain of Canaan, Gaza was situated near the border with Egypt and served as an important trade center. The city is first mentioned in Genesis 10:19 as part of the description of the Canaanite territories. During the conquest of Canaan, Joshua defeated the king of Gaza (Joshua 10:41), but the city remained under Philistine control (Joshua 11:22). Gaza is perhaps best known for its association with Samson, the Israelite judge with extraordinary strength. Samson visited Gaza and fell in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah (Judges 16:1). Later, after being betrayed by Delilah and captured by the Philistines, Samson was imprisoned in Gaza and ultimately brought down the temple of Dagon, killing himself and many Philistines (Judges 16:21-30). Throughout the Old Testament, Gaza is mentioned in the context of conflicts between the Israelites and the Philistines (Judges 6:4; 1Sa.6.17) and as a target of prophetic judgment (Jeremiah 47:5; Amo.1.6-7; Zephaniah 2:4; Zechariah 9:5). In the New Testament, Gaza is mentioned in Act.8.26, where an angel directs Philip the evangelist to travel on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. Along this road, Philip encounters an Ethiopian eunuch and shares the gospel with him, leading to the eunuch's conversion and baptism. The name Gaza is believed to be derived from the Hebrew root meaning "to be strong" or "to be fierce," possibly reflecting the city's reputation as a well-fortified and powerful center. The name Ayyah, mentioned in 1Ch.7.28, is thought to be an alternate name for Gaza or a nearby town.
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Where does Gaza appear in the Bible?
Gaza is referenced in 20 verses across 11 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 1 Kings 4:24
- 1 Samuel 6:17
- 2 Kings 18:8
- Acts 8:26
- Amos 1:6
- Amos 1:7
- Deuteronomy 2:23
- Judges 1:18
- Judges 6:4
- Judges 16:1
- Judges 16:21
- Jeremiah 25:20
- Jeremiah 47:1
- Jeremiah 47:5
- Joshua 10:41
- Joshua 11:22
- Joshua 13:3
- Joshua 15:47
- Zechariah 9:5
- Zephaniah 2:4
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Gaza.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Gaza?
Gaza appears in 20 verses across 11 books, most often in Judges, which accounts for 4 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Gaza?
Judges, Joshua, Jeremiah, Amos, 1 Kings, 1 Samuel, 2 Kings, Acts, and 3 more.
Where can I read every verse about Gaza?
This page lists 20 of them. Protos carries all 20, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
