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גּוֹר

𐤂𐤅𐤓

gôwr

H1484 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גור to sojourn, dwell for a time, reside temporarily

Definition

A young animal, especially the offspring (cub, whelp) of large carnivores such as lions, but also used for the young of other predatory animals. In biblical usage, primarily denotes the juvenile, dependent stage of a wild animal, particularly a lion cub, not yet independent from its mother or lair.

Semantic Range

cub, whelp, young of a lion, young of a wild carnivore, animal offspring dependent on its lair or den

Root / Etymology

From the root גוּר, which conveys the idea of sojourning, residing as a foreigner, or dwelling temporarily. The noun גּוֹר (gôwr) likely refers to the state of 'abiding' or 'dwelling' in the lair or den, thus denoting an animal too young to be on its own, literally 'one who dwells (in the den).'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, גּוֹר appears most often in poetic contexts describing young lions (lion cubs), highlighting vulnerability, dependence, or untamed nature. The term is distinct from other words for young animals (such as עֵפֶר for young deer or טָלֶה for lamb), as it is reserved for predatory animals, particularly lions. While English translations frequently use 'whelp' or 'cub,' these may obscure the nuance of dependency and association with the den or lair present in the Hebrew term. The feminine form גֹּרָה (gôrāh) is much rarer but follows the same semantic pattern. The use of גּוֹר does not carry symbolic or metaphorical extensions related to people or groups, as other animal terms sometimes do. Its meaning and usage remain consistent from the monarchic through post-exilic periods, primarily in wisdom and poetic literature.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (feminine) גֹּרָה; a variation of גּוּר; {a cub (as still abiding in the lair), especially of the lion}; whelp.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גור (g-w-r) — sojourn, dwell temporarily, reside as a dependent

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1481 גּוּר I will sojourn
H1482 גּוּר Sojourn!
H1483 גּוּר Gur
H1616 גֵּר in the resident-foreigner
H1628 גֵּרוּת in sojourning-of

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1484-01 גֹֽרוֹתָ֔י/ו gorotayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his cubs his den-dwelling cubs 1
H1484-02 כְּ/גוֹרֵ֥י kegorey HR/Ncmpc like cubs of like cubs of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1484-02 Jeremiah 51:38 כְּ/גוֹרֵ֥י kegorey HR/Ncmpc like cubs of like cubs of
H1484-01 Nahum 2:13 גֹֽרוֹתָ֔י/ו gorotayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his cubs his den-dwelling cubs
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