Place Old Testament
Pirathon
Also known as Pirathonite =ESV, NIV, KJV; Pirathon =ESV
Pirathon was a town in the hill country of Ephraim, associated with the judge Abdon and two of David's mighty men, Benaiah and Hiddai. Mentioned in 5 verses across 3 books, first at Judges 12:13.
Why it matters. A town in Ephraim, home of several notable Israelites
- Location
- 32.286, 35.023 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Pirathon
Pirathon was a town located in the hill country of Ephraim, in the territory allocated to the tribe of Ephraim. It is mentioned in the Bible as the hometown of several notable Israelites. Abdon, one of the judges of Israel, was from Pirathon (Judg. 12:13, 15). He judged Israel for eight years and was buried in Pirathon (Judg. 12:14-15). Two of David's mighty men, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Hiddai (or Hurai) of the brooks of Gaash, were also from Pirathon (2Sam. 23:30; 1Chr. 11:31; 27:14). Benaiah, in particular, was a highly esteemed warrior who commanded the Cherethites and Pelethites, and later supported Solomon's claim to the throne (2Sam. 8:18; 1Kgs. 1:8, 38, 44). The repeated mention of Pirathon as the hometown of these significant figures suggests that it was a place of some importance during the period of the judges and the early monarchy.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 5 verses across 3 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.