גְּשׁוּר
𐤂𐤔𐤅𐤓
Geshur
H1650 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Geshur: a region or district located northeast of the territory of the Israelite tribes, specifically east of the Sea of Kinneret (Galilee), bordering Aram (Syria). The term refers both to the land and its people (Geshurites). In the Hebrew Bible, Geshur is most commonly a toponym denoting a neighboring Aramean polity with which Israelite figures had interactions, such as marital alliances and conflicts. It carries no inherent semantic meaning beyond its function as a proper noun.
Semantic Range
Geshur (district in the Aramean region northeast of Israel), people of Geshur (Geshurites), proper noun (toponym and ethnonym)
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain; the traditional suggestion derives from a root meaning 'to join' or 'bridge,' but this is speculative and not etymologically attested in biblical Hebrew. The word functions as a place name and does not arise directly from an identifiable Semitic root with attested meaning.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Geshur is primarily attested as the name of a small Aramean kingdom or district northeast of the Israelite lands, frequently mentioned in narratives about the monarchic period. Notably, Maacah, wife of David and mother of Absalom, was a daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur (2 Samuel 3:3; 13:37). The Geshurite people are referenced as neighbors, sometimes adversaries, of the Israelites (Joshua 12:5; 13:11, 13). The standard English translations follow the Septuagint and Vulgate in using the transliterated name 'Geshur'; however, conjectures relating the name to 'bridge' are not linguistically substantiated within the biblical text. Geshur was outside the Israelite tribal allotments and maintained partial independence through much of the Israelite monarchy. Later Jewish and Christian traditions sometimes interpreted its name symbolically, but such associations are post-biblical. The term does not carry religious or ethnic connotations beyond its geographic, political, and familial associations in the monarchic era.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root (meaning to join); bridge; Geshur, a district of Syria; Geshur, Geshurite.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גשור (uncertain) (g-š-w-r (uncertain)) — proper name, toponym (no inherent lexical meaning)
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1650-01 |
גְּשׁ֤וּר | geshur | HNp |
Geshur | Geshur | 6 |
H1650-04 |
בִ/גְשׁ֛וּר | vigeshur | HR/Np |
in Geshur | in Geshur | 1 |
H1650-03 |
מִ/גְּשׁ֔וּר | migeshur | HR/Np |
from Geshur | from Geshur | 1 |
H1650-02 |
גְּשׁ֑וּרָ/ה | geshurah | HNp/Sd |
to Geshur | toward Geshur | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1650-01 |
Joshua 13:13 | גְּשׁ֤וּר | geshur | HNp |
Geshur | Geshur |
H1650-01 |
2 Samuel 3:3 | גְּשֽׁוּר | geshur | HNp |
Geshur | Geshur |
H1650-01 |
2 Samuel 13:37 | גְּשׁ֑וּר | geshur | HNp |
of Geshur | Geshur |
H1650-01 |
2 Samuel 13:38 | גְּשׁ֑וּר | geshur | HNp |
to Geshur | Geshur |
H1650-02 |
2 Samuel 14:23 | גְּשׁ֑וּרָ/ה | geshurah | HNp/Sd |
to Geshur | toward Geshur |
H1650-03 |
2 Samuel 14:32 | מִ/גְּשׁ֔וּר | migeshur | HR/Np |
from Geshur | from Geshur |
H1650-04 |
2 Samuel 15:8 | בִ/גְשׁ֛וּר | vigeshur | HR/Np |
in Geshur | in Geshur |
H1650-01 |
1 Chronicles 2:23 | גְּשֽׁוּר | geshur | HNp |
Geshur | Geshur |
H1650-01 |
1 Chronicles 3:2 | גְּשׁ֑וּר | geshur | HNp |
of Geshur | Geshur |