English · KJV
H1662

גַּת־הַחֵפֶר

Gath-ha-Chêpher /gath-hah-khay'-fer/ Ask about this word
Rootor (abridged) גִּתָּה־חֵפֶר · from גַּת and חָפַר with the article inserted
Meaningwine-press of (the) well; Gath-Chepher, a place in Palestine
KJV usageGath-kephr, Gittah-kephr.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Gath-ha-Chêpher — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew place name Gath-ha-Chêpher, represented by H1662, means "wine-press of (the) well". Appearing 2 times in 2 verses, it is identified as a place in Palestine, with the abridged form Gittahhepher also being used.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1662 is first mentioned as a boundary marker in Joshua 19:13, where the border passes on along the east to Gittahhepher. Its most notable appearance is in 2 Kings 14:25, where it is identified as the hometown of the prophet Jonah, the son of Amittai. This verse records that the LORD restored the coast of Israel according to the word He spoke through His servant Jonah, who was from Gathhepher.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context of this location:

  • H3124 Yôwnâh (Jonah): This is the prophet who came from Gath-ha-Chêpher. The town is primarily known as his birthplace, linking the location directly to his prophetic ministry 2 Kings 14:25.
  • H1366 gᵉbûwl (border, coast): This word is used to describe the "coast" of Israel that was restored through the word spoken by Jonah of Gathhepher 2 Kings 14:25. It reinforces the role of H1662 as a geographical marker.
  • H5030 nâbîyʼ (prophet): This term defines the identity of Jonah, the famous resident of Gath-ha-Chêpher, establishing the town as the origin of a man inspired by God 2 Kings 14:25.

Theological Significance

The significance of H1662 is primarily geographical and historical, tying prophecy to a specific place.

  • Prophetic Origin: It is the designated hometown of Jonah, the servant H5650 of the LORD H3068. This grounds the account of his ministry and the "word" H1697 of God he delivered in a tangible, named location 2 Kings 14:25.
  • Geographical Landmark: The name serves as a precise point of reference in Israel's geography. It functions as part of a border description that "passeth on along" H5674 to the east H4217 in the book of Joshua Joshua 19:13.
  • Part of a Divine Restoration: The prophecy delivered by Jonah of Gathhepher concerns the restoration of Israel's coast H1366 from the entering of Hamath H2574 to the sea of the plain H6160, marking it as a key site in a significant act of God 2 Kings 14:25.

Summary

In summary, H1662 is a specific town in Palestine whose name, "wine-press of (the) well," points to its agricultural setting. While only mentioned twice, it holds importance as both a boundary marker in the allotment of land and, more significantly, as the hometown of the prophet Jonah. Its presence in Scripture connects the divine word and major historical events to a real-world location within the land of Israel.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 4 occurrences, inflected in 1 grammatical form — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • חֵפֶר

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H3124 יוֹנָה xlit Yônâh corrected to Yôwnâh; the same as יוֹנָה; Jonah, an Israelite; Jonah. H1366 גְּבוּל or גְּבֻל; (shortened) from גָּבַל; properly, a cord (as twisted), i.e. (by implication) a boundary; by extension the te H5030 נָבִיא from נָבָא; a prophet or (generally) inspired man; prophecy, that prophesy, prophet. H5650 עֶבֶד from עָבַד; a servant; [idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant. H3068 יְהֹוָה from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹו H1697 דָּבָר from דָבַר; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause; act, advice, affair, answer,

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Joshua and 2 Kings (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

1
Joshua
1
2 Kings

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.