הָגָה
𐤄𐤂𐤄
hâgâh
H1898 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To murmur, utter, meditate; refers to low, audible sound made while contemplating or reciting, and also to the process of pondering or reflecting deeply, either inwardly or aloud. The verb is used for the action of meditatively reciting or quietly speaking, often of sacred texts, rather than silent thought.
Semantic Range
to utter low sounds, to murmur, to moan, to growl (of animals), to muse, to reflect, to ponder, to meditate (especially aloud or with movement of lips), to recite quietly (particularly sacred texts)
Root / Etymology
Root: הגה (h-g-h). The root commonly denotes the vocalization of sounds, especially low, murmuring, or muttering noise, including the noise made by animals, the movement of lips, and by extension, forms of meditation involving oral repetition. The lexical form הָגָה (hāgāh) most likely arises from this notion of reverberating or murmuring sound. The Strong's gloss 'to remove; stay away' is not supported by modern lexicography for this root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, especially in poetic and wisdom texts (e.g., Psalms and Isaiah), הָגָה frequently describes the murmurous recitation or meditation on Divine instruction (Torah), illustrating how learning and piety were practiced aloud. The verb never explicitly means 'to remove' or 'stay away'; this appears to result from confusion with another root. In contrast to silent contemplation, הָגָה describes a physical, oral practice, evident from parallels with related roots in other Semitic languages, where the root can mean to moan, growl, or mutter. English translations often obscure the audible nature of this meditation by using 'meditate.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to remove; stay, stay away.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
הגה (h-g-h) — murmuring, muttering, meditative recitation, low utterance
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1897 | הָגָה | I murmur |
| H1899 | הֶגֶה | a subdued murmur |
| H1900 | הָגוּת | and meditation-of |
| H1901 | הָגִיג | in my murmuring meditation |
| H1902 | הִגָּיוֹן | murmuring meditation |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1898-02 |
הָג֣וֹ | hago | HVqa |
remove | to murmur | 2 |
H1898-01 |
הָגָ֛ה | hagah | HVqp3ms |
he drove | he murmured | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1898-01 |
Isaiah 27:8 | הָגָ֛ה | hagah | HVqp3ms |
he drove | he murmured |
H1898-02 |
Proverbs 25:4 | הָג֣וֹ | hago | HVqa |
Take away | to murmur |
H1898-02 |
Proverbs 25:5 | הָג֣וֹ | hago | HVqa |
remove | to murmur |