King James Bible Dictionary

Pitching of tents; fastening down, a town of Judah, about 12 miles south of Jerusalem, and visible from the city. From this place Joab procured a "wise woman," who pretended to be in great affliction, and skilfully made her case known to David. Her address to the king was in the form of an apologue, similar to that of Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-6). The object of Joab was, by the intervention of this woman, to induce David to bring back Absalom to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 14:2, 4, 9).

This was also the birth-place of the prophet Amos (1:1).

It is now the village of Teku'a, on the top of a hill among ruins, 5 miles south of Bethlehem, and close to Beth-haccerem ("Herod's mountain").

Ira ben-Ikkesh, one of David's warriors, is thus designated. (2 Samuel 23:26; 1 Chronicles 11:28; 27:8) The common people among the Tekoites displayed great activity in the repairs of the wall of Jerusalem under Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 3:6,27)