Places of the Bible

Philistia

Southern coastal plain of Canaan · Old Testament · 223 verses

Philistia was the coastal plain of southwestern Canaan settled by the Philistines. Its five chief cities were Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath. The name appears in Genesis, Exodus, Joshua and 15 more in the King James text.

About Philistia

Philistia was the coastal plain of southwestern Canaan settled by the Philistines. Its five chief cities were Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath.

Its place in the story

The Philistines were Israel's persistent enemies through the times of the judges, Samuel, Saul, and David. Samson, the ark's capture, and David's victory over Goliath all belong to Israel's conflicts with Philistia. Their god Dagon appears in these accounts.

Philistia in Scripture (KJV)

“Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.”

Genesis 21:32 (KJV)

“And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.”

Genesis 21:34 (KJV)

“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.”

Genesis 26:1 (KJV)

“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.”

Genesis 26:8 (KJV)

“For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.”

Genesis 26:14 (KJV)

“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.”

Genesis 26:15 (KJV)

“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 26:18 (KJV)

“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 (KJV)

Philistia is named 223 times in Scripture; 8 shown above.

Where it leads

Israel's long struggle with Philistia shaped the rise of the monarchy under David, whose throne the prophets tied to the coming Messiah.

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Scripture verbatim KJV. Place facts curated; any coordinates via Wikidata (CC0).