גֹּב
𐤂𐤁
gôb
H1358 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A pit, cavity, or hollowed-out enclosure, especially one designed as a trap or holding area for dangerous animals such as lions; also applied to underground chambers or cistern-like spaces, with primary focus on containment. Used metaphorically for a place of danger or confinement.
Semantic Range
pit for wild animals, den, enclosure, place of confinement (especially for lions), artificial animal trap, metaphoric place of danger or punishment
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root גב (g-b), meaning 'to dig, hollow, cut out,' though as an Aramaic noun it reflects loan or shared usage with cognate Northwest Semitic languages. 根本意义是'挖掘、挖空'，而具体词形 גֹּב 表示有意挖掘的坑或穴。
Historical & Contextual Notes
גֹּב appears exclusively in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, most notably in the Book of Daniel (e.g., Daniel 6:7, 6:17) describing the lion's den into which Daniel is cast. The term specifically designates an enclosure prepared to house wild animals, rather than any natural cave or random pit. It is distinct from Hebrew בּוֹר (bor, common 'pit' or 'cistern') and particularly connotes an artificial den of confinement or execution. English translations sometimes obscure this nuance by using generic terms like 'pit' or 'den.' In Persian and later Babylonian practice (as evidenced in biblical and extrabiblical texts), such pits served both as animal lairs and as places of execution or punishment. In post-exilic contexts, the term does not refer to burial places or natural caves but to constructed spaces for dangerous animals, often for judicial purposes.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to גּוּב; a pit (for wild animals) (as cut out); den.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גב (g-b) — to dig, to hollow out, to cut out
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1354 | גַב | your convex ridge |
| H1459 | גַּו | in her midst |
| H1465 | גֵּוָה | from the back |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1358-01 |
גֻּבָּ֑/א | guba | ANcmsd/Td |
the pit | the hollowed pit | 4 |
H1358-03 |
לְ/גֻבָּ֖/א | leguba | AR/Ncmsd/Td |
into the den | to the dug-out pit | 3 |
H1358-02 |
לְ/גֹ֖ב | legov | AR/Ncmsc |
into den | to a hollowed pit | 2 |
H1358-04 |
וּ/לְ/גֹ֤ב | ulegov | AC/R/Ncmsc |
and into den | and to a hollowed-out pit | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
10 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1358-02 |
Daniel 6:8 | לְ/גֹ֖ב | legov | AR/Ncmsc |
to pit | to a hollowed pit |
H1358-02 |
Daniel 6:13 | לְ/ג֖וֹב | legov | AR/Ncmsc |
into den | to a hollowed pit |
H1358-03 |
Daniel 6:17 | לְ/גֻבָּ֖/א | leguba | AR/Ncmsd/Td |
into the den | to the dug-out pit |
H1358-01 |
Daniel 6:18 | גֻּבָּ֑/א | guba | ANcmsd/Td |
of-the-den | the hollowed pit |
H1358-03 |
Daniel 6:20 | לְ/גֻבָּ֥/א | leguba | AR/Ncmsd/Td |
to the den | to the dug-out pit |
H1358-03 |
Daniel 6:21 | לְ/גֻבָּ֔/א | leguba | AR/Ncmsd/Td |
to-the-den | to the dug-out pit |
H1358-01 |
Daniel 6:24 | גֻּבָּ֑/א | guba | ANcmsd/Td |
the pit | the hollowed pit |
H1358-01 |
Daniel 6:24 | גֻּבָּ֗/א | guba-2 | ANcmsd/Td |
the pit | the hollowed pit |
H1358-04 |
Daniel 6:25 | וּ/לְ/גֹ֤ב | ulegov | AC/R/Ncmsc |
and into den | and to a hollowed-out pit |
H1358-01 |
Daniel 6:25 | גֻּבָּ֗/א | guba | ANcmsd/Td |
of the den | the hollowed pit |