Garrison

A garrison is a post of soldiers set in a place to hold it, and in Samuel it changes hands. The Philistines kept one at Geba, and Jonathan struck it, and the news spread. Later, when David is king, he “put garrisons in Syria of Damascus” and throughout Edom. Each time the text adds that “the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.” Earlier, David himself hid in a stronghold while a Philistine garrison sat in his hometown, Bethlehem. Control of a post is the story’s measure of who rules the land. See 2 Samuel 8 for David’s side of it.

5 verses

1 Samuel

1 Samuel 13:3

And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

1 Samuel 14:1

Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 8:6

Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

2 Samuel 8:14

And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

2 Samuel 23:14

And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

(1.) Heb. matstsab, a station; a place where one stands (1 Sam. 14:12); a military or fortified post (1 Sam. 13:23; 14:1, 4, 6, etc.).

(2.) Heb. netsib, a prefect, superintendent; hence a military post (1 Sam. 10:5; 13:3, 4; 2 Sam. 8:6). This word has also been explained to denote a pillar set up to mark the Philistine conquest, or an officer appointed to collect taxes; but the idea of a military post seems to be the correct one.

(3.) Heb. matstsebah, properly a monumental column; improperly rendered pl. “garrisons” in Ezek. 26:11; correctly in Revised Version “pillars,” marg. “obelisks,” probably an idolatrous image.

Read the full entry

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

The Hebrew words so rendered in the Authorized Version are derivatives from the root natsab , to "place, erect," which may be applied to a variety of objects.

(1.) Mattsab and mattsabah undoubtedly mean a "garrison" or fortified post. (1 Samuel 13:23; 14:14; 1 Samuel 15; 2 Samuel 23:14)

(2.) Netsib is also used for a "garrison" in (1 Chronicles 11:16) but elsewhere for a "column" erected in an enemy’s country as a token of conquest. (1 Samuel 13:3)

(3.) The same word elsewhere means "officers" placed over a vanquished people. (2 Samuel 8:6,14; 1 Chronicles 18:13; 2 Chronicles 17:2)

(4.) Mattsebah in (Ezekiel 26:11) means a "pillar."