Jebus

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

The Jebusite city, a former name of Jerusalem ( Joshua 18:16;  Joshua 18:28;  Judges 19:10-11;  1 Chronicles 11:4-5). Jebus in Hebrew means a trodden place, as a threshing floor, namely, the dry rock, the S.W. hill, the modern, "Zion," not mount Moriah, the city of Solomon, in the center of which was a perennial spring. But the name is probably older than Hebrew times. In haughty self security the Jebusites fancied that "the blind and lame" would suffice to defend their fortress, so strong was its position, shut in by deep valleys on three sides. The Judaeans and Benjamites occupying the N. side, which was lower ground, ever since the death of Joshua ( Joshua 15:8;  Joshua 15:63;  Judges 1:8;  Judges 1:21), had been heretofore unable to gain the Jebusite citadel, such is the characteristic bravery of mountaineers.

But Joab ascended the height and took it ( 2 Samuel 5:6-9;  1 Chronicles 11:6). (See David .) In  Zechariah 9:7 "Ekron (shall be) as a Jebusite," the sense is, Even the ignoble remnant of the Jews shall be sacred to "our God" and "as a governor in Judah," whereas Philistine "Ekron" shall be a tributary bond servant "as a Jebusite," in the servile position to which Solomon consigned them ( 1 Kings 9:20-21). The Jebusites were a hardy mountain tribe ( Numbers 13:29;  Joshua 11:3). Jabin, king in the N., sent southwards to invite them to help against Joshua. Even after David's capture of Zion Araunah appears settled prosperously in the neighbourhood. (See Araunah .)

The language in  2 Samuel 24:23 admits, though it does not require, that Araunah should be regarded as the fallen "king" of the Jebusites; he certainly exhibited a true kingly spirit. In  Genesis 10:15-16 the Jebusite stands third of Canaan's descendants, between Heth (Hittites) and the Amorite, the position which the race retained subsequently. So in  Ezekiel 16:3-45 Jerusalem appears as the offspring of the union of the Amorite and Hittite. In the enumeration of the ten races occupying Canaan the Jebusites stand last ( Genesis 15:21). Some of them appear as late as the return from Babylon, termed "Solomon's servants" ( Nehemiah 7:57;  Nehemiah 11:3;  Ezra 9:1).

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Jebus ( Jç'Bus ), Place Trodden Down, Threshing-Floor. The ancient name of Jerusalem among the Canaanites,  Judges 19:10-11;  1 Chronicles 11:4-5; probably derived from a descendant of Canaan the son of Ham.  Genesis 10:16. The tribe of Jebusites were partially subdued by Joshua,  Joshua 10:23;  Joshua 10:40;  Joshua 12:10;  Joshua 15:63; and they were permitted to remain after the conquest of Jebus, by David.  Numbers 13:29;  2 Samuel 5:6-9;  2 Samuel 24:16-25;  1 Chronicles 11:4-8;  Ezra 9:1-2. "Jebusi" or "Jebusite" is sometimes put for the city Jebus.  Joshua 15:8;  Joshua 18:16;  Zechariah 9:7.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Je'bus. (Threshing-Floor). One of the names of Jerusalem, the city of the Jebusites, are called Jebusi .  Joshua 15:8;  Joshua 18:16;  Joshua 18:28;  Judges 19:10-11;  1 Chronicles 11:4-5. See Jerusalem .

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

the son of Canaan,  Genesis 10:16 , and father of the people of Palestine called Jebusites. Their dwelling was in Jerusalem and round about, in the mountains. This people were very warlike, and held Jerusalem till David's time, Joshua 15:65;  2 Samuel 5:6 , &c.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Judges 19:10 Joshua 18:29 1 Chronicles 11:4 Jebus JerusalemJebusites

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Joshua 15:8 18:16,28 Judges 19:10 1 Chronicles 11:4,5 2 Samuel 5:8

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Yebus', יְבוּס , Trodden hard, i.e. perh. Fastness; Sept. Ι᾿Εβούς ), the name of the ancient Canaanitish city which stood on Mount Zion, one of the hills on which Jerusalem was built (Jebusi,  Joshua 15:8;  Joshua 18:16;  Joshua 18:28). In  Judges 19:10 it is identified with Jerusalem, and in  1 Chronicles 11:4-5, the only other passage in which the name occurs, it is identified with the castle of Zion, subsequently called the castle or city of David. The sides of Zion descended precipitously on the west and south into the deep valley of Hinnom, and on the east into the Tyropoeon, which separated it from Moriah. On the north side a branch valley, the upper part of-the Tyropceon, swept round it; and here was a ledge of rock on which a massive tower was afterwards founded, perhaps on the site of an older one. Recent excavations on the site remarkably corroborate these facts. (See Jerusalem).

Jebus was thus naturally a place of great strength; and, being strongly fortified besides, it is not strange that the Jebusites should have gloried in it as impregnable (see Rose, Practicum Jebusceorum castri expugnati, Alt. 1729), and that the capture of it by David should have been considered one of his most brilliant achievements ( 2 Samuel 5:8). Even after Jebus was captured, and Jerusalem founded and made the capital of Israel, Zion was separately fortified. It seems that in addition to the "castle" on the summit of the hill there was a lower city or suburb, perhaps lying in the bottom of the adjoining valleys; for we read that the children of Judah had captured and burned Jerusalem ( Judges 1:7-8), while afterwards it is said "the Benjamites did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem" ( Judges 1:21). The Jebusites still held the "castle," which was within the allotted territory of Benjamin, but the children of Judah drove them out of the lower town, which was situated within their borders. This is, in substance, the explanation given by Josephus (Ant. 5, 2, 2 and 5). (See Jebusite).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

jē´bus ( יבוּס , yebhūṣ  ; Ἰεβούς , Ieboús ): In   Judges 19:10 ,  Judges 19:11 , "Jebus (the same is Jerusalem)";  1 Chronicles 11:4 ,  1 Chronicles 11:5 , "Jerusalem (the same is Jebus)." It was once thought that this was the first name of Jerusalem, as indeed might be suggested by the Biblical references, but it is now known from the Tell el-Amarna Letters that Urusa-lem was a name used centuries before the time of David (see Jerusalem , I). It would appear probable that the name "Jebus" was evolved by the Hebrews as an alternate name, and possibly they may have imagined an earlier name, for Jerusalem from Jesusite (which see), the name of the local tribe who owned the district in the first centuries of Israel's occupation of Canaan.