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גֵּב

𐤂𐤁

gêb

H1356 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גוב to dig, to excavate, to hollow out

Definition

A pit, cistern, or excavation in the ground, primarily denoting a dug-out or hollowed place, most often used for water storage or as a trap. The word can also refer generally to a physical depression or cavity. In rare cases, may denote something cut or hewn from a larger object, such as a log or beam.

Semantic Range

pit, cistern, well, ditch, excavation, hollow, log (as cut out), beam (as hewn)

Root / Etymology

From the root גוב, meaning 'to dig, hollow out, excavate.' The noun גֵּב derives from the action of digging or gouging out a space, turning the verbal action into the result: a pit or hollow.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, גֵּב occurs relatively rarely and primarily refers to a physical pit, cistern, or ditch, often intended for storing water or as a trap. The usage is more concrete and lacks the metaphorical or symbolic senses found with related terms such as בּוֹר (bor), which can refer both to literal pits and to metaphoric situations of danger or imprisonment. The word is found in earlier biblical strata and loses currency in later periods, where other terms (like בּוֹר or שִׁיחָה) become more prevalent. English translations often use 'pit' or 'cistern'; in some contexts, 'ditch' or 'well' may be used, but 'log' or 'beam' is best understood as an extension referring to a large, cut-out segment. In post-biblical Hebrew, the term is rare and replaced by more specific or technical vocabulary for water system architecture. In Septuagint and later translations, rendering is context-dependent and may vary between 'cistern,' 'pit,' or simply a 'hollow.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from גּוּב; a log (as cut out); also well or cistern (as dug); beam, ditch, pit.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גוב (g-w-b) — to dig, excavate, hollow out

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1357 גֵּב cutting locusts
H1359 גֹּב in Gob
H1461 גּוּב diggers
H1462 גּוֹב burrowing locust

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1356-01 גֵּבִ֔ים gevim HNcmpa trenches dug-out pits 4

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1356-01 1 Kings 6:9 גֵּבִ֔ים gevim HNcmpa with beams dug-out pits
H1356-01 2 Kings 3:16 גֵּבִ֥ים gevim HNcmpa trenches dug-out pits
H1356-01 2 Kings 3:16 גֵּבִֽים gevim-2 HNcmpa trenches dug-out pits
H1356-01 Jeremiah 14:3 גֵּבִ֞ים gevim HNcmpa cisterns dug-out pits
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