Bible Encyclopedias
Pirathon; Pirathonite

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

pir´a - thon , pir´a - thon - ı̄t ( פּרעתון , pir‛āthōn , פּרעתוני , pir‛āthōnı̄ ; Codex Vaticanus Φαραθώμ , Pharathṓm ; Codex Alexandrinus Φρααθώμ , Phraathṓm , Φαραθυνείτης , Pharathuneı́tēs ): The home of Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite ( Judges 12:13 ff the King James Version), where also he was buried, "in the land of Ephraim in the mount of the Amalekites." The latter name may have clung to a district which at some former time had been held by the Amalekites. From this town also came Benaiah, one of David's chief captains ( 2 Samuel 23:30; 1 Chronicles 11:31; 1 Chronicles 27:14 ). It is probably to be identified with Fer‛atā , about 6 miles Southwest of Nāblûs . A possible rival is Fir‛on , 15 miles West of Nāblûs . G.A. Smith suggests a position at the head of Wâdy Far‛ah (HGHL , 355). Moore thinks it may have been in Benjamin, Abdon being a Benjamite family (1 Chronicles 8:23 , 1 Chronicles 8:30; 1 Chronicles 9:36 ). It is just possible that the place may be identical with Pharathon, one of the towns fortified by Bacchides (1 Macc 9:50).