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גָּג

𐤂𐤂

gâg

H1406 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A flat or accessible roof or housetop, typically the uppermost part of a building in ancient Israelite architecture; by extension, the upper platform or surface of an altar. In common usage, refers to the flat area on top of dwellings or temples, used for various domestic, social, or ritual activities.

Semantic Range

roof, flat roof, housetop, top of a building, top surface of an altar

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root גָּאָה (to rise, be high, be exalted), likely by reduplication to indicate 'the elevated place'. The derived noun גָּג refers specifically to the raised or upper surface. Root and lexical meanings are related but not identical: while the root indicates being elevated, the noun refers to a built structure's elevated, flat top.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, גָּג refers predominantly to the flat, usable roofs characteristic of ancient Near Eastern architecture, as opposed to pitched or inaccessible roofs common in later periods. Roofs functioned practically (e.g. for drying produce, sleeping, or as spaces of privacy), and publicly (as settings for proclamation, mourning, or in some cases, illicit acts). In ritual contexts, 'gâg' may refer to the uppermost surface of altars (cf. Lev 21:20; Ezek 43:15), likening the altar's structure to a house. The term is distinct from words denoting more generalized 'heights' or 'upper parts' (such as רֹאשׁ, 'head, top'), and from references to upper chambers or attics (עֲלִיָּה), which are enclosed spaces above the main floor. In later periods, and especially in English translations, the word 'housetop' or 'roof' may not fully capture the social and ritual functions embedded in the ancient role of the גָּג. In Second Temple and post-exilic periods, architectural styles shifted, but the semantic field largely remained.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably by reduplication from גָּאָה; a roof; by analogy, the top of an altar; roof (of the house), (house) top (of the house).

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Kikongo (Yombe dialect) koko top, summit, crown (of the head)
Kongo koko top, summit
Lingala koko summit, highest part (esp. of a head, hill, etc.)

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Root Family

גאה (Geuel) — to rise, to be high, to be exalted

Root גאה to rise, be exalted, be high
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1341 גֵּא proud one
H1342 גָּאָה he rose high
H1343 גֵּאֶה lofty
H1344 גֵּאָה self-exaltation
H1345 גְּאוּאֵל El has exalted

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1406-06 הַ/גָּֽג hagag HTd/Ncmsa the roof the elevated roof the roof 7
H1406-01 גַּ֣ג gag HNcmsc roof elevated roof of roof 6
H1406-03 גַּגּ֔וֹת gagot HNcmpa rooftops raised rooftops rooftops 4
H1406-02 גַּגּ֧/וֹ gago HNcmsc/Sp3ms its top his elevated roof its top 3
H1406-05 גַּגֹּֽתֵי/הֶם֙ gagoteyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp roofs of them their raised roofs their roofs 2
H1406-07 הַ/גָּ֣גָ/ה hagagah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd the roof to the elevated rooftop to the roof 2
H1406-04 גַּגּוֹתֶ֧י/הָ gagoteyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs rooftops of it her elevated roofs her rooftops 1
H1406-08 הַ/גַּגּ֖וֹת hagagot HTd/Ncmpa the roofs the flat roofs the flat roofs 1
H1406-09 ה/גג hgg HTd/Ncmsa the roof the elevated roof the roof 1
H1406-10 לַ/גַּגּֽוֹת lagagot HRd/Ncmpa to the roofs to the elevated rooftops to the roofs 1

Occurrences in Scripture

31 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1406-02 Exodus 30:3 גַּגּ֧/וֹ gago HNcmsc/Sp3ms its top his elevated roof its top
H1406-02 Exodus 37:26 גַּגּ֧/וֹ gago HNcmsc/Sp3ms its top his elevated roof its top
H1406-11 Deuteronomy 22:8 לְ/גַגֶּ֑/ךָ legagekha HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms for your roof your elevated roof for your roof
H1406-07 Joshua 2:6 הַ/גָּ֑גָ/ה hagagah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd to the roof to the elevated rooftop to the roof
H1406-06 Joshua 2:6 הַ/גָּֽג hagag HTd/Ncmsa the roof the elevated roof the roof
H1406-06 Joshua 2:8 הַ/גָּֽג hagag HTd/Ncmsa the roof the elevated roof the elevated roof
H1406-01 Judges 9:51 גַּ֥ג gag HNcmsc roof elevated roof of roof of
H1406-06 Judges 16:27 הַ/גָּ֗ג hagag HTd/Ncmsa the-roof the elevated roof the roof
H1406-06 1 Samuel 9:25 הַ/גָּֽג hagag HTd/Ncmsa the roof the elevated roof the elevated roof
H1406-09 1 Samuel 9:26 ה/גג hgg HTd/Ncmsa the roof the elevated roof the roof
H1406-07 1 Samuel 9:26 הַ/גָּ֣גָ/ה hagagah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd the roof to the elevated rooftop to the roof
H1406-01 2 Samuel 11:2 גַּ֣ג gag HNcmsc the roof elevated roof of the roof of
H1406-06 2 Samuel 11:2 הַ/גָּ֑ג hagag HTd/Ncmsa the roof the elevated roof the roof
H1406-06 2 Samuel 16:22 הַ/גָּ֑ג hagag HTd/Ncmsa the roof the elevated roof the roof
H1406-01 2 Samuel 18:24 גַּ֤ג gag HNcmsc roof elevated roof of the roof
H1406-03 2 Kings 19:26 גַּגּ֔וֹת gagot HNcmpa rooftops raised rooftops rooftops
H1406-06 2 Kings 23:12 הַ/גָּג֩ hagag HTd/Ncmsa the roof the elevated roof the elevated roof
H1406-04 Isaiah 15:3 גַּגּוֹתֶ֧י/הָ gagoteyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs rooftops of it her elevated roofs her rooftops
H1406-10 Isaiah 22:1 לַ/גַּגּֽוֹת lagagot HRd/Ncmpa to the roofs to the elevated rooftops to the roofs
H1406-03 Isaiah 37:27 גַּגּ֔וֹת gagot HNcmpa rooftops raised rooftops raised rooftops
H1406-05 Jeremiah 19:13 גַּגֹּֽתֵי/הֶם֙ gagoteyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp roofs of them their raised roofs their roofs
H1406-05 Jeremiah 32:29 גַּגּֽוֹתֵי/הֶ֜ם gagoteyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp roofs-of-them their raised roofs their roofs
H1406-03 Jeremiah 48:38 גַּגּ֥וֹת gagot HNcmpc rooftops raised rooftops rooftops
H1406-13 Ezekiel 40:13 מִ/גַּ֤ג migag HR/Ncmsc from roof from elevated roof-of from roof
H1406-12 Ezekiel 40:13 לְ/גַגּ֔/וֹ legago HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms to its roof to his elevated roof to its roof
H1406-08 Zephaniah 1:5 הַ/גַּגּ֖וֹת hagagot HTd/Ncmpa the roofs the flat roofs the flat roofs
H1406-01 Psalms 102:8 גָּֽג gag HNcmsa roof elevated roof of roof
H1406-03 Psalms 129:6 גַּגּ֑וֹת gagot HNcmpa of the roofs raised rooftops of roofs
H1406-01 Proverbs 21:9 גָּ֑ג gag HNcmsa housetop elevated roof of roof
H1406-01 Proverbs 25:24 גָּ֑ג gag HNcmsa of the roof elevated roof of a roof
H1406-02 Nehemiah 8:16 גַּגּ/וֹ֙ gago HNcmsc/Sp3ms his roof his elevated roof his roof
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