Bible Dictionary
Tishbite
Tishbite was the designation given to Elijah the prophet, probably indicating that he came from a place called Tishbi or Tishbeh. The exact location is uncertain.
Definition
Tishbite was the designation given to Elijah the prophet. It probably indicated that he came from a place called Tishbi or Tishbeh, though the location is uncertain.
Biblical Usage
The title identifies Elijah in the narratives of his ministry during the reign of Ahab and in later references to the prophet.
Historical Background
Some understood the term as referring to Tishbi in Gilead; others connected it with a place in Upper Galilee mentioned in Tobit. A site called el-Ishtib was also proposed.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Elijah the prophet was thus named (1 Kings 17:1; 21:17, 28, etc.). In 1 Kings 17:1 the word rendered “inhabitants” is in the original the same as that rendered “Tishbite,” hence that verse may be read as in the LXX., “Elijah the Tishbite of Tishbi in Gilead.” Some interpret this word as meaning “stranger,” and read the verse, “Elijah the stranger from among the strangers in Gilead.” This designation is probably given to the prophet as denoting that his birthplace was Tishbi, a place in Upper Galilee (mentioned in the apocryphal book of Tobit), from which for some reason he migrated into Gilead. Josephus, the Jewish historian (Ant. 8:13, 2), however, supposes that Tishbi was some place in the land of Gilead. It has been identified by some with el-Ishtib, a some place 22 miles due south of the Sea of Galilee, among the mountains of Gilead.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>tish'-bit.</p><p>See ELIJAH; Expostory Times, XII, 383.</p>