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גַּזָז

𐤂𐤆𐤆

gazâz

H1494 verb

SILEX Entry

Root גזז to cut, to shear, to shave

Definition

To cut off or remove by cutting, primarily referencing the act of shearing sheep (removing wool), but also applying to general cutting or shaving of hair, and metaphorically to the removal or destruction of people or objects. The underlying action involves separating by cutting, either in an agricultural context (sheep shearing), in personal grooming (hair shaving), or in acts of violence/destruction (removal or annihilation of an enemy).

Semantic Range

to shear sheep, to cut hair, to shave, to remove something by cutting, to cut short, to destroy or eliminate metaphorically, to act as a shearer

Root / Etymology

Root: גזז (gazaz). The root conveys the notion of cutting or trimming closely. The verb derives directly from this root, referring to the manual action of cutting or separating, typically wool or hair. There are close parallels in other Semitic languages with similar meanings, such as Arabic jz, 'to cut.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, גַּזָז is most commonly used in the context of shearing sheep, a significant communal and economic activity in ancient Israelite society, as seen in Genesis 31:19, 38:12, and 1 Samuel 25:2-8. The word can also denote the function of a 'shearer' as a participant in these events. The metaphorical extension to destruction or removal appears in poetic or prophetic contexts, where the act of 'cutting off' becomes synonymous with eliminating adversaries or groups (e.g., Psalm 52:5). Unlike the root גזר (g-z-r), which can mean 'to cut, decree,' גזז emphasizes the physical act of cutting, typically with an agricultural nuance. English translations often provide 'shear' or 'shave,' but in some cases narrow the sense, not always reflecting the wider metaphorical uses found in Biblical Hebrew. In post-monarchic texts, the term loses its metaphorical violence and appears increasingly as an agricultural technical term. The English rendering 'to cut off' can overlook the concrete, ritual, and communal significance that sheep-shearing held in Israelite culture.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root (akin to גּוּז); to cut off; specifically to shear aflock or shave the hair; figuratively to destroy an enemy; cut off (down), poll, shave, (sheep-) shear(-er).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גזז (g-z-z) — to cut, to shear, to shave

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1488 גֵּז fleece of
H1492 גָּזַּה in the shorn fleece
H1495 גָּזֵז Shearer

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1494-06 גֹזְזִ֖ים gozezim HVqrmpa sheepshearers shearing ones 3
H1494-05 גֹזְזֶ֖י/הָ gozezeyha HVqrmpc/Sp3fs its shearers her shearers 1
H1494-08 לְ/גֹֽזְזָ֑/י legozezay HR/Vqrmpc/Sp1cs for my shearers for my shearers 1
H1494-03 גֹּֽזֲזֵ֤י gozazey HVqrmpc sheepshearers shearers of 1
H1494-04 גֹזֵ֥ז gozez HVqrmsa was shearing shearing-one 1
H1494-07 לָ/גֹ֥ז lagoz HR/Vqc to shear to shear 1
H1494-09 לִ/גְזֹ֖ז ligezoz HR/Vqc to shear to shear 1
H1494-11 תָגֹ֖ז tagoz HVqi2ms you shall shear you will shear 1
H1494-01 בִּ/גְזֹ֥ז bigezoz HR/Vqc in shearing in shearing 1
H1494-13 וַ/יָּ֖גָז vayagaz HC/Vqw3ms and shaved and he sheared 1

Occurrences in Scripture

15 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1494-09 Genesis 31:19 לִ/גְזֹ֖ז ligezoz HR/Vqc to shear to shear
H1494-03 Genesis 38:12 גֹּֽזֲזֵ֤י gozazey HVqrmpc sheepshearers shearers of
H1494-07 Genesis 38:13 לָ/גֹ֥ז lagoz HR/Vqc to shear to shear
H1494-11 Deuteronomy 15:19 תָגֹ֖ז tagoz HVqi2ms you shall shear you will shear
H1494-01 1 Samuel 25:2 בִּ/גְזֹ֥ז bigezoz HR/Vqc in shearing in shearing
H1494-04 1 Samuel 25:4 גֹזֵ֥ז gozez HVqrmsa was shearing shearing-one
H1494-06 1 Samuel 25:7 גֹזְזִ֖ים gozezim HVqrmpa shearers shearing ones
H1494-08 1 Samuel 25:11 לְ/גֹֽזְזָ֑/י legozezay HR/Vqrmpc/Sp1cs for my shearers for my shearers
H1494-06 2 Samuel 13:23 גֹֽזְזִים֙ gozezim HVqrmpa sheepshearers shearing ones
H1494-06 2 Samuel 13:24 גֹזְזִ֖ים gozezim HVqrmpa sheepshearers shearing ones
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