Tob

Tob (or Ish-tob), a region east of the Jordan River where Jephthah fled and later recruited mercenaries to fight the Ammonites (Judg. 11:3, 5; 2Sam. 10:6, 8).

Tob, also referred to as Ish-tob, was a region east of the Jordan River where Jephthah, a judge of Israel, fled after being expelled by his half-brothers (Judg. 11:3). In Tob, Jephthah gathered a group of worthless men who followed him, possibly serving as mercenaries. When the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead sought out Jephthah in the land of Tob and requested that he lead them in battle (Judg. 11:5-6). Jephthah agreed and successfully defeated the Ammonites. The region of Tob is also mentioned in 2Sa.10.6, 8, where the Ammonites hired mercenaries from Tob to fight against King David's army. The exact location of Tob is uncertain, but it was likely situated in the northern part of Gilead, near the border with Syria.

A district on the east of Jodan, about 13 miles south-east of the Sea of Galilee, to which Jephthah fled from his brethren (Judg. 11:3, 5). It was on the northern boundary of Perea, between Syria and the land of Ammon (2 Sam. 10:6, 8). Its modern name is Taiyibeh.