Jebus

the son of Canaan, Gen 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; 2Sa 5:6, &c.

Je’bus. (threshing-floor). One of the names of Jerusalem, the city of the Jebusites, are called Jebusi. Jos 15:8; Jos 18:16; Jos 18:28; Jdg 19:10-11; 1Ch 11:4-5. See Jerusalem.

The Jebusite city, a former name of Jerusalem (Jos 18:16; Jos 18:28; Jdg 19:10-11; 1Ch 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 (Jos 15:8; Jos 15:63; Jdg 1:8; Jdg 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 (2Sa 5:6-9; 1Ch 11:6). (See DAVID.) In Zec 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 (1Ki 9:20-21). The Jebusites were a hardy mountain tribe (Num 13:29; Jos 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 2Sa 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 Gen 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 Eze 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 (Gen 15:21). Some of them appear as late as the return from Babylon, termed "Solomon’s servants" (Neh 7:57; Neh 11:3; Ezr 9:1).

Jebus (jç’bus), place trodden down, threshing-floor. The ancient name of Jerusalem among the Canaanites, Jdg 19:10-11; 1Ch 11:4-5; probably derived from a descendant of Canaan the son of Ham. Gen 10:16. The tribe of Jebusites were partially subdued by Joshua, Jos 10:23; Jos 10:40; Jos 12:10; Jos 15:63; and they were permitted to remain after the conquest of Jebus, by David. Num 13:29; 2Sa 5:6-9; 2Sa 24:16-25; 1Ch 11:4-8; Ezr 9:1-2. "Jebusi" or "Jebusite" is sometimes put for the city Jebus. Jos 15:8; Jos 18:16; Zec 9:7.

See JERUSALEM

jē´bus (יבוּס, y^ebhūṣ; Ἰεβούς, Ieboús): In Jdg 19:10, Jdg 19:11, “Jebus (the same is Jerusalem)”; 1Ch 11:4, 1Ch 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.