Gibea is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Gibea was a descendant of Caleb, the faithful spy of the tribe of Judah, through Caleb’s concubine Maacah. He is named in the genealogies of Judah recorded in 1 Chronicles 2, a chapter that traces the family lines of Israel’s southern tribe. His mention comes in a section devoted to the descendants of Caleb, a man remembered for his wholehearted devotion to the Lord and his bold request for the hill country of Hebron as his inheritance.
Gibea appears in a single verse, 1 Chronicles 2:49, which reads: “She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsa.” The verse credits Maacah, Caleb’s concubine, with bearing several sons and grandsons, and Gibea is named among the “fathers”—that is, founders or heads—of towns associated with the region. The wording “the father of Gibea” suggests that Gibea was either the founder or a significant ancestor connected with a place bearing his name.
Scripture tells us nothing more about Gibea beyond this single genealogical notice. We are not given his deeds, his character, or the length of his life. He stands in the record as one link in the chain of Judah’s descendants, part of the family that would eventually produce kings and, ultimately, the Messiah. His brief appearance reminds us that the biblical genealogies preserve real people, each one a thread in the larger tapestry of God’s unfolding purposes.
The Name
The name Gibea is closely related to the Hebrew word *gibʿah*, meaning “hill” or “height.” It is the same root behind the place-name Gibeah, a town in the territory of Benjamin that figures prominently in the books of Judges and Samuel. Given this connection, the name is best understood as meaning something like “hill” or “height,” and in this context it likely functioned as a name tied to a location—suggesting that Gibea was associated with a hill-town or elevated settlement in Judah. The meaning is reasonably well established from the Hebrew root, though the precise nuance as a personal name cannot be fixed with certainty.
A Closing Thought
Gibea’s life is recorded in a single line, yet that line matters. He was not a warrior, a prophet, or a king—just a man in a family tree, named among the descendants of Caleb. Most of us will never be famous or widely remembered, and that is perfectly fine. What matters is not the length of our obituary but our place in God’s story. Gibea belonged to a family that God was quietly building toward His purposes, and so do we. Faithfulness in obscurity is still faithfulness, and God forgets none of His own.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 2:49 — She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsa.