They are gone over the passage,.... Or "from the passage" ; not of Jordan, as the Targum; but rather of Michmash, 1Sa 13:23 this to be understood of the king of Assyria with his army:they have taken up their lodging at Geba; or "Geba was their lodging"; that is, for a night only; not that they continued here for any time, as our version seems to suggest.
This was a city in the tribe of Benjamin, Jos 21:17 called Geba of Benjamin, 1Ki 15:22.Ramah is afraid; the inhabitants of it, as the Targum, at the report of the march of the king of Assyria and his army, and their being near to them.
Ramah was in the tribe of Benjamin, Jos 18:25 it is mentioned with Gibeah in Ho 5:8 upon which place Jerom says it was seven miles from Jerusalem; but elsewhere he says it was but six, and was to the north against Bethel.
See Jud 19:13.Gibeah of Saul is fled; that is, the inhabitants of it fled, upon hearing the king of Assyria with his army was coming that way. This was also a city of Benjamin, and is called Gibeah of Benjamin, 1Sa 13:2 and Gibeah of Saul, 1Sa 11:4 as here; either because he was born there, as Jerom affirms; and certain it is, that he was of the tribe of Benjamin; or because he built it, or at least a palace in it to dwell in, as Kimchi thinks; and it is plain he dwelt here, for it is called his home, 1Sa 10:26 the name of the place with Josephus is Gabathsaoula, which he makes to be thirty furlongs or four miles from Jerusalem, and says it signifies "Saul's hill", and that it was situated in a place called the Valley of Thorns.
hrbem "a transitu". De locis Hebraicis, fol. 94. B. Comment. in Hos. v. 8. De Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 2. sect.