Moresheth-Gath

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Moresheth-Gath .   Micah 1:14 only. It was probably the birth-place of the prophet Micah (  Micah 1:1 ,   Jeremiah 26:18 ), and must have been in the Shephçlah. The Onomasticon locates it east of, and near to, Eleutheropolis.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Mor'esheth-gath. (Possession Of Gath). A place named by the prophet, Micah.  Micah 1:14. The prophet was himself, a native of a place called Moresheth.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Micah 1:14 Jeremiah 26:18

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. More'sheth-Gath, גִּת מוֹרֶשֶׁת , Possession Of Gath; Sept. Κληρονομία Γέθ , Vulg. Haereditas Geth), a town of Palestine (perhaps so named from its vicinity to Gath), where the prophet Micah appears to have been born or to have resided ( Micah 1:14), who was hence called a Morasthite ( Micah 1:1;  Jeremiah 26:18). It is named by that prophet ( Micah 1:13-15) in company with Lachish, Achzib, Mareshah, and other towns of the lowland district of Judah. His words, "Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moresheth-gath," are explained by Ewald (Propheten, page 330) as referring to Jerusalem, and as containing an allusion to the signification of the name Moresheth, which, though not so literal as the play on those of Achzib and Mareshah, is yet tolerably obvious: "Therefore shalt thou, O Jerusalem, give compensation to Moreshethgath, itself only the possession of another city." Hitzig (Comment. ad loc.) lately insists upon the old Jewish interpretation of the name as an appellative for some dependency of the Philistines (but see Maurer, Comment. ad loc.). Jerome (Onomast. s.v. Morasthi) places it a short distance east of Eleutheropolis, and remarks (Comment. In Mic. prol.) that it was still a moderately sized village ("haud grandis viculus"), containing a church over the tomb of Micah (Ep. Ad Eustach. page 677). From these intimations Dr. Robinson (Researches, 2:423) concludes that it must have been near Mareshah, perhaps at the site of the church of Santa Haanneh, twenty minutes S.S.E. of Beit-Jibrin, close by which are the ruined foundations of a village possibly ancient. Thomson inclines to identify it with Mareshah (Land and Book, 2:360); but the sacred writer clearly distinguishes them ( Micah 1:15). (See Gath); (See Micah).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mō´resh - eth - gath , mṓ - resh´eth - gath ( גּת מורשׁת , mōresheth gath , "inheritance or possession of Gath"; Septuagint κληρονομίας Γέθ , klēronomı̄as Géth ): A place mentioned only in   Micah 1:14 . It must have been in the vicinity of Gath as the meaning of the name would indicate, and was the home of the prophet Micah ( Micah 1:1;  Jeremiah 26:18 ). It was probably in the vicinity of Mareshah ( Micah 1:15 ). Jerome, in his preface to his work on Micah, places it a little to the East of Eleutheropolis ( Beit Jibrı̂n ), and it would be natural to find it there if the latter place was Gath as some think. Robinson ( BR , II, 68) found ruins of a village between one and two miles East of Beit Jibrı̂n . It must have been among the foot-hills of Judah between the hill country and the Philistine plain on the route from Jerusalem to Lachish, Gaza and Egypt. Mareshah was certainly in that region, and the prophecy of Micah mentions towns and villages in the Shephelah and the Philistine country as though they were familiar to him (see HGHL and G. A. Smith, "Micah," in his Minor Prophets ).