גֹּעָה
𐤂𐤏𐤄
Goah
H1601 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun designating a place name, Goʿah (Goath), whose precise location is not known but is referenced as being near Jerusalem. The term is traditionally interpreted as connected to the action of lowing (pertaining to cattle), likely derived from the root verb meaning to bellow, roar, or raise one's voice. In this usage, however, it serves primarily as a toponym.
Semantic Range
to bellow (as cattle), to roar, outcry, lowing (sound); as a place name, Goʿah/Goath
Root / Etymology
From the root גָּעָה meaning 'to bellow, shout, cry aloud' (typically of cattle), with גֹּעָה as its feminine active participle form. The proper noun likely draws on this association symbolically or descriptively, though the exact reason for the name is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The only attested use of גֹּעָה as a place name is found in Jeremiah 31:39, describing the expansion of Jerusalem's boundaries in a future vision. No extra-biblical evidence locates Goʿah with certainty. The connection between the possible original meaning ('lowing, bellowing') and its use as a place name is speculative and likely a poetic or descriptive designation rather than indicating an inhabited settlement. English translations vary, sometimes transliterating as 'Goah' or 'Goath,' but these do not expand on the significance of the name. The underlying verb גָּעָה is used elsewhere only in the context of animals making loud noises; there is no evidence the place itself was associated with cattle or noise in historical sources. The use of this term as a proper noun is limited to the later monarchic or early post-exilic prophetic context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine active participle of גָּעָה; lowing; Goah, a place near Jerusalem; Goath.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
געה (g-ʿ-h) — to bellow, to cry out, to shout, to roar
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1600 | גָּעָה | and bellowing |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1601-01 |
גֹּעָֽתָ/ה | goatah | HNp/Sd |
Goah | Bellowing-place | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1601-01 |
Jeremiah 31:39 | גֹּעָֽתָ/ה | goatah | HNp/Sd |
Goah | Bellowing-place |