גְּזֵרָה
𐤂𐤆𐤓𐤄
gᵉzêrâh
H1509 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Area or territory that has been set off, separated, or designated, often referring specifically in the Hebrew Bible to a tract of land that is demarcated or assigned for a purpose. In rare contexts, can denote a region characterized by being cut off or isolated, and thus may refer to a desolate area.
Semantic Range
a demarcated area, a portion of land that is separated or cut off, a district or tract, a region characterized by isolation or desolation, a figurative sense of an assigned portion; in later Hebrew, a decree or ordinance
Root / Etymology
From the root גזר meaning 'to cut, divide, decree'. גזֵרָה is a feminine noun denoting that which is cut off, set apart, or decreed. The primary lexical sense relates to a section, portion, or area that has been demarcated—by cutting or dividing—from a larger whole.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term גְּזֵרָה is rare in the Hebrew Bible. Its occurrences are predominantly in poetic or prophetic texts, such as Isaiah 9:19 (where it is used in parallelism with wilderness/desolation imagery). The linkage between the act of dividing/cutting (from גזר) and the result (a separated tract or area) is central to its meaning. In later Hebrew, the term evolved to cover meanings such as 'decision' or 'decree' (reflecting the metaphorical 'cutting'), but in biblical usage, the primary reference is topographical—a portion of land, often characterized by isolation or being set apart, whether through natural or human action. English translations often render it 'desert' or 'district', but the word's root idea is separation, not desert per se. This distinguishes גְּזֵרָה from more common terms for wilderness (e.g., מִדְבָּר, שְׁמָמָה), which carry primary senses of wilderness or uninhabited land without the strong nuance of having been 'cut off' or demarcated. In post-biblical usage and some Dead Sea Scrolls texts, the meaning 'decree, ordinance' becomes more prominent, reflecting the semantic extension from a literal 'cutting/division' to a figurative one (a decision firmly distinguished or fixed).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from גָּזַר; a desert (as separated); not inhabited.
Bantu Hebrew
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גזר (g-z-r) — to cut, divide, separate, decree
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1504 | גָּזַר | he cut off |
| H1505 | גְּזַר | decreeing ones |
| H1506 | גֶּזֶר | the cut-off pieces |
| H1507 | גֶּזֶר | in Gezer |
| H1508 | גִּזְרָה | their separated portion |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1509-01 |
גְּזֵרָ֑ה | gezerah | HAafsa |
uninhabited | cut-off tract | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1509-01 |
Leviticus 16:22 | גְּזֵרָ֑ה | gezerah | HAafsa |
uninhabited | cut-off tract |