גִּרְגָּשִׁי
𐤂𐤓𐤂𐤔𐤉
Giregashi
H1622 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Ethnonym referring to a member of the Girgashite people, recognized as one of the indigenous groups inhabiting the land of Canaan at the time of the Israelite settlement. Used nearly exclusively in genealogical and territorial lists, the term does not appear with broader semantic ranges beyond ethnic identification.
Semantic Range
member of the Girgashite people, the Girgashite people collectively (as a nation or ethnic group)
Root / Etymology
From an unused name, possibly deriving from a non-Hebrew ethnonym. The root is etymologically uncertain and not attested elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. Any connection to the Hebrew root ג־ר־שׁ ('to drive out, expel') is speculative and not widely accepted.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The Girgashites are repeatedly listed among the principal peoples of Canaan in both narrative and list passages (e.g., Genesis 10:16, Deuteronomy 7:1, Joshua 3:10), always as part of enumerations of native populations. The term is strictly genealogical or ethnic and appears only in list or summary form; there are no narrative episodes centered on the Girgashite people. The name is absent from many extra-biblical sources, and direct archaeological identification is lacking. Later Jewish and Christian traditions (including the Septuagint and Vulgate) transliterate the term as 'Girgashite' or 'Gergesene', but these later forms sometimes conflate or shift referents. English translations like 'Girgashite' accurately render the ethnic referent but may obscure the sparsity and context specificity of the term's biblical usage.
Translation Consistency
This term is an ethnonym with no broader senses; the standard, natural English form is 'Girgashite' (usable for an individual or as a collective ethnic name). It matches typical biblical translation practice and preserves the identification found in genealogical and territorial lists.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patrial from an unused name (of uncertain derivation); a Girgashite, one of the native tribes of Canaan; Girgashite, Girgasite.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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גרגש (uncertain) (g-r-g-š (uncertain)) — ethnic designation, people-group identity
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1622-01 |
הַ/גִּרְגָּשִֽׁי | hagiregashi | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Girgashite | the Girgashite | the Giregashi | 4 |
H1622-02 |
וְ/הַ/גִּרְגָּשִׁ֨י | vehagiregashi | HC/Td/Ngmsa |
and-the-Girgashite | and the Girgashite | and the Giregashi | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1622-01 |
Genesis 10:16 | הַ/גִּרְגָּשִֽׁי | hagiregashi | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Girgashite | the Girgashite | the Giregashi |
H1622-01 |
Genesis 15:21 | הַ/גִּרְגָּשִׁ֖י | hagiregashi | HTd/Ngmsa |
Girgashites | the Girgashite | the Giregashi |
H1622-02 |
Deuteronomy 7:1 | וְ/הַ/גִּרְגָּשִׁ֨י | vehagiregashi | HC/Td/Ngmsa |
and the Girgashite | and the Girgashite | and the Giregashi |
H1622-01 |
Joshua 3:10 | הַ/גִּרְגָּשִׁ֔י | hagiregashi | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Girgashite | the Girgashite | the Giregashi |
H1622-02 |
Joshua 24:11 | וְ/הַ/גִּרְגָּשִׁ֔י | vehagiregashi | HC/Td/Ngmsa |
and-the-Girgashite | and the Girgashite | and the Giregashi |
H1622-02 |
Nehemiah 9:8 | וְ/הַ/גִּרְגָּשִׁ֖י | vehagiregashi | HC/Td/Ngmsa |
and-the-Girgashite | and the Girgashite | and the Giregashi |
H1622-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:14 | הַ/גִּרְגָּשִֽׁי | hagiregashi | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Girgashite | the Girgashite | the Giregashi |