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גְּדִי

𐤂𐤃𐤉

gᵉdîy

H1423 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גדה to cut off, to raise, to wean

Definition

A young goat, specifically a kid, typically less than a year old. The term is often used in contexts relating to pastoral life, sacrificial practices, and dietary laws. In some contexts, the word can indicate a young animal more broadly, but the primary and most attested sense is a young, unweaned or newly weaned goat.

Semantic Range

young goat, kid (of goats), sacrificial kid, kid used for food, young animal (rarely; primarily kid goat)

Root / Etymology

From the root גָּדָה (g-d-h), meaning 'to cut off' or 'to rear/raise.' The exact mechanism of semantic development is debated, but likely relates to either the animal being separated (cut off) from its mother at weaning or reared as offspring. The noun גְּדִי retains the sense of 'young goat,' and the connection to the root relates to the notion of being separated from, or raised by, the mother.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the patriarchal and monarchic periods, גְּדִי referred specifically to a goat kid used for food, offerings, and ritual purposes. Notably, it appears in dietary and ritual contexts such as Exodus 23:19, 'You shall not boil a kid (גְּדִי) in its mother’s milk,' which became a locus for later dietary regulations. The word is distinct from צָפִיר (ṣāphîr, 'he-goat') and עֵז (ʿēz, 'goat/female goat'). English Bible translations usually render גְּדִי as 'kid' or 'young goat'; however, some translation traditions, especially in later or non-literal renderings, may use terms like 'goat' more generally, which can obscure the age and ritual significance of the animal in context. The term remained in use into Second Temple and later periods, but always maintains the focus on youth and the transitional status of the animal in social and ritual life. The term does not refer to ethnic, geographic, or religious identity and has no theological connotations in itself. In the Septuagint, the word is typically rendered as ἐρίφιον (eriphion, 'young goat').

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as גָּדָה; a young goat (from browsing); kid.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גדה (g-d-h) — cut off, raise, wean

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1428 גִּדְיָה his riverbanks
H5872 עֵין גֶּדִי young goat

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1423-04 גְּדִֽי gedi HNcmsc a kid young goat 9
H1423-02 גְּדָיֵ֥י gedayey HNcmpc kids young goats of 2
H1423-05 הַ/גְּדִ֣י hagedi HTd/Ncmsa a kid the young goat 2
H1423-06 וּ/גְדִ֥י ugedi HC/Ncmsc and a young kid of 1
H1423-01 בִּ/גְדִ֣י bigedi HR/Ncmsc with a kid young goat of 1
H1423-03 גְדָיִ֗ים gedayim HNcmpa kids goat-kids 1

Occurrences in Scripture

16 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1423-02 Genesis 27:9 גְּדָיֵ֥י gedayey HNcmpc kids young goats of
H1423-02 Genesis 27:16 גְּדָיֵ֣י gedayey HNcmpc of the young goats young goats of
H1423-04 Genesis 38:17 גְּדִֽי gedi HNcmsc a kid young goat
H1423-04 Genesis 38:20 גְּדִ֣י gedi HNcmsc young goat young goat
H1423-05 Genesis 38:23 הַ/גְּדִ֣י hagedi HTd/Ncmsa the young goat the young goat
H1423-04 Exodus 23:19 גְּדִ֖י gedi HNcmsa a kid young goat
H1423-04 Exodus 34:26 גְּדִ֖י gedi HNcmsa a kid young goat
H1423-04 Deuteronomy 14:21 גְּדִ֖י gedi HNcmsa kid young goat
H1423-04 Judges 6:19 גְּדִֽי gedi HNcmsc a kid young goat
H1423-04 Judges 13:15 גְּדִ֥י gedi HNcmsc a kid young goat
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