Ashkelon in the Torah
אשקלון
One of the five Philistine city-states, Ashkelon appears in the Tanakh as a powerful coastal city that often clashed with Israel. The strongman Samson traveled to Ashkelon after his riddle was betrayed. David's lament over Saul and Jonathan includes the famous line: 'Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon.' Today Ashkelon is a thriving Israeli beach city.
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Key Verses
5 selected passages mentioning Ashkelon
Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon
אַל־תַּגִּ֣ידֽוּ בְגַ֔ת אַֽל־תְּבַשְּׂר֖וּ בְּחוּצֹ֣ת אַשְׁקְל֑וֹן פֶּן־תִּשְׂמַ֙חְנָה֙ בְּנ֣וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים פֶּֽן־תַּעֲלֹ֖זְנָה בְּנ֥וֹת הָעֲרֵלִֽים׃
Tell it not in Gath,Do not proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon,Lest the daughters of the Philistine rejoice,Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.
Baldness has come upon Ashkelon
בָּ֤אָה קׇרְחָה֙ אֶל־עַזָּ֔ה נִדְמְתָ֥ה אַשְׁקְל֖וֹן שְׁאֵרִ֣ית עִמְקָ֑ם עַד־מָתַ֖י תִּתְגּוֹדָֽדִי׃
BaldnesscBaldness Shaving the head and gashing the body were expressions of mourning; cf. Deut. 14.1. has come upon Gaza,Ashkelon is destroyed.O remnant of their valley,dtheir valley Septuagint reads “the Anakites”; cf. Josh. 11.22. How long will you gash yourself?egash yourself Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Judah captures Ashkelon and its territory
וַיִּלְכֹּ֤ד יְהוּדָה֙ אֶת־עַזָּ֣ה וְאֶת־גְּבוּלָ֔הּ וְאֶֽת־אַשְׁקְל֖וֹן וְאֶת־גְּבוּלָ֑הּ וְאֶת־עֶקְר֖וֹן וְאֶת־גְּבוּלָֽהּ׃
And Judah capturedfAnd Judah captured Septuagint reads “But Judah did not capture Gaza….” Gaza is in the coastal plain referred to in v. 19. Gaza and its territory, Ashkelon and its territory, and Ekron and its territory.
Samson goes down to Ashkelon and strikes thirty men
וַתִּצְלַ֨ח עָלָ֜יו ר֣וּחַ יְהֹוָ֗ה וַיֵּ֨רֶד אַשְׁקְל֜וֹן וַיַּ֥ךְ מֵהֶ֣ם ׀ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים אִ֗ישׁ וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־חֲלִ֣יצוֹתָ֔ם וַיִּתֵּן֙ הַחֲלִיפ֔וֹת לְמַגִּידֵ֖י הַחִידָ֑ה וַיִּ֣חַר אַפּ֔וֹ וַיַּ֖עַל בֵּ֥ית אָבִֽיהוּ׃
The spirit of GOD gripped him. He went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of its men. He stripped them and gave the sets of clothing to those who had answered the riddle. And he left in a rage for his father’s house.
Ashkelon shall become a desolation
כִּ֤י עַזָּה֙ עֲזוּבָ֣ה תִֽהְיֶ֔ה וְאַשְׁקְל֖וֹן לִשְׁמָמָ֑ה אַשְׁדּ֗וֹד בַּֽצׇּהֳרַ֙יִם֙ יְגָ֣רְשׁ֔וּהָ וְעֶקְר֖וֹן תֵּעָקֵֽר׃ {ס}
Indeed, Gaza shall be desertedAnd Ashkelon desolate;Ashdod’s people shall be expelled in broad daylight,And Ekron shall be uprooted.
7 more verses mention Ashkelon across the Tanakh
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