Tishbe

Biblical References

Tishbe does not appear in the biblical text as a place name in its own right. It is known only through the expression "the Tishbite," used of the prophet Elijah. The expression first occurs in 1 Kings 17:1, which the King James Version renders, "And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab." The New Korean Revised Version describes Elijah here as one who "sojourned" in Gilead, a term meaning to live temporarily as a resident in another's land. In this passage Elijah announces to Ahab, king of the northern kingdom of Israel, that there will be neither dew nor rain for years. Then, at the word of God, he goes and hides by the brook Cherith, which is before the Jordan (1 Kings 17:2–3).

Elijah is called "Elijah the Tishbite" several more times (1 Kings 21:17, 21:28; 2 Kings 1:3, 1:8, 9:36). "The Tishbite" thus functions as a kind of epithet distinguishing Elijah from others.

Background and Location

The Hebrew text of 1 Kings 17:1 (the Masoretic Text) can be read as "of the sojourners of Gilead." The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament), by contrast, reads "from Thisbe (Tishbe) of Gilead." Because of this difference, many hold that Tishbe was located in the region of Gilead, the hill country east of the Jordan River. Korean Bible translations also render this verse in somewhat different ways.

The area around Mar Elias (meaning "Saint Elijah") near Ajloun in present-day northern Jordan is said to have been traditionally identified as Tishbe. This identification, however, has not been confirmed archaeologically. The apocryphal book of Tobit (a book included in the Bible by the Catholic and Orthodox churches but not regarded as canonical by Protestants) mentions a place called Thisbe in the territory of Naphtali in Galilee (Tobit 1:2). On this basis some scholars locate Tishbe in Galilee. The original meaning of the place name is likewise unclear.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

The place name Tishbe does not reappear in the New Testament, but Elijah the Tishbite figures prominently there. Jesus speaks of Elijah being sent to the widow of Zarephath, outside Israel (Luke 4:25–26). The Epistle of James presents Elijah's prayer as an example for believers (James 5:16–18). The prophecy of Elijah's coming in Malachi 4:5 is linked in the New Testament with John the Baptist.

Interpretation and Issues

Elijah appears suddenly, identified only by his place of origin, with no genealogy or father's name. For this reason, the abrupt and dramatic nature of his appearance is often noted. Two understandings of Elijah's origin have been handed down side by side:

• An understanding based on the word "sojourner," which holds that Elijah came from Tishbe and had moved to Gilead
• An understanding following the Septuagint, which regards Tishbe itself as a village within Gilead

Gilead was an outlying region, removed from the center of the northern kingdom of Israel. On this basis, Elijah is often described as coming from the frontier, far from the royal court. This, however, is an interpretation drawn from the geographical setting; the text itself does not say so directly.