Lexical Definition

‎עַזָּה‎ ʻAzzâh (az-zaw') Gaza ^N:N--L
feminine of ‎עַז‎; strong

Azzah, Gaza.

• § Azzah = "the strong"
• Azzah, a place in Palestine

1) another name for 'Gaza', a city of the Philistines located in the extreme southwest of Palestine close to the Mediterranean

See Greek: Γάζα

Extended Information

• another name for 'Gaza', a city of the Philistines located in the extreme southwest of Palestine close to the Mediterranean

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎עַזָּה‎ proper name, of a location Gaza, Γαζα (Assyrian –azzutu, etc., COT^{i. 97} Dl^{Pa 290, Tel Amarna} –azati, Azzati Wkl³⁸ *; Egyptian Ga¼atu WMM^{As.u.Eur.87,96,159,392}; ᵐ5 Γαζα, so Josephus^{Ant.«JOSEPHUS:Antiquities 13:5»xiii.5},5, etc.; Herod.^{ii, 159}; iii. 5 Κάδυτις); — Philistine city (modern , Ghazze, Razze), approximately Latitude 31 degrees; 3 minutes North, Longitude 34 degrees 28 minutes East, approximately 50 miles west-southwest from Jerusalem, near the sea (Rob^{BR ii. 36 ff.} GASm^{Geogr. 181 ff.} Buhl^{Geogr. 190 f.}), Judg 16:1; Judg 16:21 (both ‎עַזָּ֑תָה‎), southernmost of the famous five cities, Gen 10:19 (J), Judg 6:4; 1Kgs 5:4*; 2Kgs 18:8, compare Deut 2:23; Josh 10:41 (D); also Josh 11:22 (D), Josh 15:47 (P), Judg 1:18; 1Sam 6:17; Amos 1:6; Amos 1:7; Zeph 2:4; Jer 25:20; Jer 47:1; Jer 47:5; Zech 9:5 (twice in verse); — On commercial importance see DHM^{B und S 989} Gatt^{ZPV vii (1884), 1 ff., 293 ff.; viii (1885), 69 ff., 179 ff}. — For ‎עַזָּה‎ 1Chr 7:28 van d. H., read ‎עַיָּה‎ Baer Ginsb (q. v.), Be Oettli Kau Kit^Hpt.; see ‎עַי‎.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Gaza • Philistine city; Samson's exploits; Philip's ministry

Gaza, one of the five major Philistine cities, was the site of Samson's exploits and a place visited by Philip the evangelist in the early church.

• A location first mentioned at Gen.10.19;
• referred to as Gaza or Ayyah עַזָּה, or Gaza or Gazite עַזָּתִי, or Gaza Γάζα.
  

Gaza, also known as Ayyah, was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines, along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron (Joshua 13:3). Located in the southwestern coastal plain of Canaan, Gaza was situated near the border with Egypt and served as an important trade center.

The city is first mentioned in Genesis 10:19 as part of the description of the Canaanite territories. During the conquest of Canaan, Joshua defeated the king of Gaza (Joshua 10:41), but the city remained under Philistine control (Joshua 11:22).

Gaza is perhaps best known for its association with Samson, the Israelite judge with extraordinary strength. Samson visited Gaza and fell in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah (Judges 16:1). Later, after being betrayed by Delilah and captured by the Philistines, Samson was imprisoned in Gaza and ultimately brought down the temple of Dagon, killing himself and many Philistines (Judges 16:21-30).

Throughout the Old Testament, Gaza is mentioned in the context of conflicts between the Israelites and the Philistines (Judges 6:4; 1 Samuel 6:17) and as a target of prophetic judgment (Jeremiah 47:5; Amos 1:6-7; Zephaniah 2:4; Zechariah 9:5).

In the New Testament, Gaza is mentioned in Acts 8:26, where an angel directs Philip the evangelist to travel on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. Along this road, Philip encounters an Ethiopian eunuch and shares the gospel with him, leading to the eunuch's conversion and baptism.

The name Gaza is believed to be derived from the Hebrew root meaning "to be strong" or "to be fierce," possibly reflecting the city's reputation as a well-fortified and powerful center. The name Ayyah, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 7:28, is thought to be an alternate name for Gaza or a nearby town.

All entries for Gaza or Ayyah: עַזָּה ☩ עַזָּתִי ☩ Γάζα