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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Pirathon; Pirathonite
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pir´a-thon, pir´a-thon-ı̄t (פּרעתון, pir‛aÌ„thoÌ„n, ×¤Ö¼×¨×¢×ª×•× ×™, pir‛aÌ„thoÌ„nı̄; Codex Vaticanus ΦαÏαθωÌμ, PharathoÌ„Ìm; Codex Alexandrinus ΦÏααθωÌμ, PhraathoÌ„Ìm, ΦαÏαθυνειÌτης, PharathuneıÌteÌ„s): The home of Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite ( ff the King James Version), where also he was buried, “in the land of Ephraim in the mount of the Amalekites.†The latter name may have clung to a district which at some former time had been held by the Amalekites. From this town also came Benaiah, one of David's chief captains (; ; ). It is probably to be identified with Fer‛ataÌ„, about 6 miles Southwest of NaÌ„bluÌ‚s. A possible rival is Fir‛on, 15 miles West of NaÌ„bluÌ‚s. G.A. Smith suggests a position at the head of WaÌ‚dy Far‛ah (HGHL, 355). Moore thinks it may have been in Benjamin, Abdon being a Benjamite family (, ; ). It is just possible that the place may be identical with Pharathon, one of the towns fortified by Bacchides (1 Macc 9:50).