Easton's Bible Dictionary Firm-rooted, the most northerly of the five towns belonging to the lords of the Philistines, about 11 miles north of Gath. It was assigned to Judah (Joshua 13:3), and afterwards to Dan (19:43), but came again into the full possession of the Philistines (1 Samuel 5:10). It was the last place to which the Philistines carried the ark before they sent it back to Israel (1 Samuel 5:10; 6:1-8). There was here a noted sanctuary of Baal-zebub (2 Kings 1: 2, 3, 6, 16). Now the small village Akir. It is mentioned on monuments in B.C. 702, when Sennacherib set free its king, imprisoned by Hezekiah in Jerusalem, according to the Assyrian record. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia EKRON; EKRONITE ek'-ron, ek'-ron-it 'eqron, "migration," "rooting out"; Akkaron: The most northerly of the chief cities of the Philistines. It was not subdued by Joshua (13:3) but was allotted, in the division of the land, first to Judah and then to Dan (Joshua 15:11, 45, 46; Joshua 19:43). It was taken by Judah (Judges 1:18). The people of Ekron are prominent in the story of the ark in the land of the Philistines. It was they who proposed to have it sent back to Israel (1 Samuel 5:10; 1 Samuel 6:16, 17). After the defeat of the Philistines, when David killed Goliath, the Israelites pursued them to the gates of Ekron, which was evidently the nearest walled town in which the fugitives could take refuge (1 Samuel 17:52). It was the seat of the worship of the god Baalzebub, as appears in the account of the sickness and death of Ahaziah (2 Kings 1:2, 3, 6:16). It is included among other cities in the denunciations of Amos (1:8) and of Jeremiah (25:20). Zephaniah declares that it shall be rooted up (2:4), and Zechariah speaks of its consternation at the fall of Tyre (9:5, 7). From the Assyrian records we learn that it revolted against Sennacherib and expelled Padi, the governor he had placed over it, and sent him to Hezekiah, at Jerusalem, for safe keeping. Sennacherib marched against it and Ekron called in the aid of the king of Mutsri, formerly supposed to be Egypt but now regarded by some scholars as a district of Northwestern Arabia. Sennacherib raised the siege of Ekron to defeat this army, which he did at Eltekeh, and then returned and took the city by storm and put to death the leaders of the revolt and carried their adherents into captivity. He then compelled Hezekiah to restore Padi, who was once more made governor. This affair led to the famous attack of Sennacherib on Hezekiah and Jerusalem (Rawl., Anc. Mon., II, 159). Ekron is mentioned in 1 Maccabees 10:89 as being given by Alexander Balas to Jonathan Maccabeus, and it appears in the accounts of the first Crusade. Ekronite: An inhabitant of Ekron, used in plural in Joshua 13:3 and 1 Samuel 5:10. H. Porter

Multi-Version Concordance Ekron (20 Occurrences) Joshua 13:3 from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, which is counted as Canaanite; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avvim, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 15:11 and the border went out to the side of Ekron northward; and the border extended to Shikkeron, and passed along to Mount Baalah, and went out at Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 15:45 Ekron, with its towns and its villages; (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 15:46 from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 19:43 Elon, Timnah, Ekron, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Judges 1:18 Also Judah took Gaza with its border, and Ashkelon with its border, and Ekron with its border. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 5:10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. It happened, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, "They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 6:16 When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 6:17 These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to Yahweh: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 7:14 The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and its border did Israel deliver out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Samuel 17:52 The men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until you come to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. The wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Kings 1:2 Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick. So he sent messengers, and said to them, "Go, inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover of this sickness." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Kings 1:3 But the angel of Yahweh said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and tell them,'Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron? (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Kings 1:6 They said to him, "A man came up to meet us, and said to us,'Go, return to the king who sent you, and tell him, "Thus says Yahweh,'Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you send to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'"'" (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Kings 1:16 He said to him, "Thus says Yahweh,'Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Jeremiah 25:20 and all the mixed people, and all the kings of the land of the Uz, and all the kings of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Gaza, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Amos 1:8 I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines will perish," says the Lord Yahweh. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Zephaniah 2:4 For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They will drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron will be rooted up. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Zechariah 9:5 Ashkelon will see it, and fear; Gaza also, and will writhe in agony; as will Ekron, for her expectation will be disappointed; and the king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Zechariah 9:7 I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth; and he also will be a remnant for our God; and he will be as a chieftain in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)