גֵּאֶה
𐤂𐤀𐤄
gêʼeh
H1343 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Lofty, high, or elevated—either physically (of terrain, stature) or figuratively (of status, attitude); commonly refers to a sense of pride or arrogance, describing persons, speech, or demeanor as exalted or self-important. In physical contexts, denotes eminence or height; in moral/psychological contexts, conveys haughtiness or self-exaltation.
Semantic Range
lofty, high, elevated (literal or figurative); proud, arrogant, haughty; exalted in position or attitude
Root / Etymology
From the root גאה, meaning 'to rise up, be exalted, be high.' גֵּאֶה is an adjectival formation from this root, indicating the quality of being high, exalted, or, in extended use, proud. The actual lexical meaning expands from the idea of 'height' to both literal (physical elevation) and metaphorical (exalted status or attitude, pride).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, גֵּאֶה is used both literally (of elevated places or things) and figuratively (of persons or attitudes). Its primary use in poetry, such as Psalms and Isaiah, is metaphorical—describing the proud, the arrogant, or those who exalt themselves (often in contrast to humility, which is commended). Sometimes the word describes God's majesty, where 'loftiness' indicates exalted greatness rather than negative pride. Over time, its negative sense (pride, arrogance) predominates in prophetic and wisdom literature. The English 'proud' only partially captures the term’s range, as גֵּאֶה includes notions of visible exaltation or self-magnification. Distinct from related terms such as רָם (ram, 'high, exalted') which usually denotes status or physical height without the negative moral connotation, and זָדוֹן (zadôn, 'insolence, presumption'), which involves rebellious overconfidence. In later Jewish literature, the root continues to convey both positive (majesty, grandeur) and negative (arrogance, conceit) overtones, contextually determined. The word is not applied as an ethnic or group identifier.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from גָּאָה; lofty; figuratively, arrogant; proud.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גאה (g-ʾ-h) — to rise, to be high, to be exalted
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1341 | גֵּא | proud one |
| H1342 | גָּאָה | he rose high |
| H1344 | גֵּאָה | self-exaltation |
| H1345 | גְּאוּאֵל | El has exalted |
| H1346 | גַּאֲוָה | in loftiness |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1343-01 |
גֵּאֶ֖ה | geeh | HAamsa |
proud | lofty | 4 |
H1343-02 |
גֵּאִֽים | geim | HAampa |
the proud | lofty ones | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1343-01 |
Isaiah 2:12 | גֵּאֶ֖ה | geeh | HAamsa |
proud | lofty |
H1343-01 |
Jeremiah 48:29 | גֵּאֶ֣ה | geeh | HAamsa |
he is proud | lofty |
H1343-02 |
Psalms 94:2 | גֵּאִֽים | geim | HAampa |
the proud | lofty ones |
H1343-02 |
Psalms 140:6 | גֵאִ֨ים | geim | HAampa |
proud ones | lofty ones |
H1343-02 |
Proverbs 15:25 | גֵּ֭אִים | geim | HAampa |
of the proud | lofty ones |
H1343-02 |
Proverbs 16:19 | גֵּאִֽים | geim | HAampa |
the proud | lofty ones |
H1343-01 |
Job 40:11 | גֵּ֝אֶ֗ה | geeh | HAamsa |
the proud | lofty |
H1343-01 |
Job 40:12 | גֵּ֭אֶה | geeh | HAamsa |
who is proud | lofty |