Tekoa

Tekoa was a town on the edge of the wilderness of Judah, a few miles south of Bethlehem. Its best-known son was the prophet Amos, who was 'among the herdmen of Tekoa' when God called him to prophesy against the northern kingdom. Earlier, Joab fetched a wise woman from Tekoa to persuade King David, through a carefully acted story, to bring his banished son Absalom home. Rehoboam fortified Tekoa as one of Judah's defensive cities, and King Jehoshaphat led his army out into the wilderness of Tekoa, urging the people, 'Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established,' before God routed the armies of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir.

0:00

Details

Region: Canaan
Modern Location: Khirbet Tuqu', near the town of Tuqu' south of Bethlehem, West Bank

Strongest connections in Scripture

Amos 1 2 Samuel 14 2 Chronicles 11 2 Chronicles 20

Journey Paths

Jehoshaphat's Journey

Jerusalem → Tekoa

Key Passages

Amos, Among the Herdmen of Tekoa

Amos 1:1

A shepherd from a small Judean town is sent to confront a prosperous northern kingdom.

T¹he words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

The Wise Woman of Tekoa

2 Samuel 14:2

Joab uses a woman of Tekoa to move David's heart toward Absalom.

A²nd Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:

Rehoboam Fortifies Tekoa

2 Chronicles 11:5-6

Tekoa becomes one of the defensive cities guarding Judah.

A⁵nd Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

⁶ He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

Jehoshaphat in the Wilderness of Tekoa

2 Chronicles 20:20-22

Singers lead the army out, and God sets ambushments against Judah's enemies.

A²⁰nd they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

²¹ And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. ²² And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.