Bible Dictionary

Gerar

A region; lodging-place, a very ancient town and district in the south border of Palestine, which was ruled over by a king named Abimelech (Gen. 10:19; 20:1, 2). Abraham sojourned here, and perhaps I…

Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)

A region; lodging-place, a very ancient town and district in the south border of Palestine, which was ruled over by a king named Abimelech (Gen. 10:19; 20:1, 2). Abraham sojourned here, and perhaps Isaac was born in this place. Both of these patriarchs were guilty of the sin of here denying their wives, and both of them entered into a treaty with the king before they departed to Beersheba (21:23-34; 26). It seems to have been a rich pastoral country (2 Chr. 14:12-18). Isaac here reaped an hundred-fold, and was blessed of God (Gen. 26:12).

The “valley of Gerar” (Gen. 26:17) was probably the modern Wady el-Jerdr.

Smith's Bible Dictionary (1863)

(a lodging-place), a very ancient city south of Gaza. It occurs chiefly in Genesis, (Genesis 10:19; 20:1; 26:17) also incidentally in (2 Chronicles 14:13,14) It must have trenched on the “south” or “south country” of later Palestine. From a comparison of (Genesis 21:32) with Genesis26:23,26 Beersheba would seem to be just on the verge of this territory, and perhaps to be its limit towards the northeast.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible (1898) & Schaff's Bible Dictionary

GE'RAR (residence, or water-pots), a city and district in the south of Palestine, and near Gaza, Gen 10:19; visited by Abraham, Gen 20:1; by Isaac, Gen 26:1; Asa pursued the defeated Ethiopians to it. 2 Chr 14:13. Eusebius knew of Gerar as 25 miles from Eleutheropolis. The city may be Khurbet Umm Jerrar, several miles south of the valley of Ghuzzeh, which runs from Beersheba to the sea. Some locate the city at el-'Anjeh.

Hitchcock's Bible Names (1869)

same as Gera