עֵין גֶּדִי
𐤏𐤉𐤍 𐤂𐤃𐤉
Eyn Gedi
H5872 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name designating a specific site: 'spring of the kid.' Refers to a prominent oasis located on the western shore of the Dead Sea, characterized by fresh water springs and lush vegetation. Used as a geographic name to denote the site and surrounding region, known for its natural resources and as a place of refuge in ancient narratives.
Semantic Range
spring of the kid (proper place-name); oasis-geographic location; site of refuge; agricultural site; wilderness stronghold
Root / Etymology
Compound of עַיִן ('ayin, 'spring, fountain') and גֶּדִי (gedi, 'young goat, kid'). The literal meaning is 'spring of the kid.' Both components retain their literal sense in the toponym, signifying a spring associated with wild goats, likely referencing the ibexes native to the region.
Historical & Contextual Notes
En-Gedi functioned as a significant oasis and settlement site from the patriarchal through post-exilic periods. Its fresh springs and wildlife made it notable as an agricultural center and an oasis of refuge, famously mentioned as a place where David hid from Saul (1 Samuel 23:29; cf. 24:1). Archaeological evidence confirms its long-term habitation. In biblical contexts, En-Gedi is consistently a geographic term and not an ethnic, tribal, or religious identifier. English translations often transliterate the name; in later tradition, it became part of broader geographical and religious identities, but in biblical Hebrew usage, it refers solely to the place itself, without later Jewish connotations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from עַיִן and גְּדִי; fountain of a kid; En-Gedi, a place in Palestine; En-gedi.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אין (ʾ-y-n) — absence, non-existence, lack, voidness
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1156 | בְּעָא | and there is not |
| H369 | אַיִן | there is not |
| H370 | אַיִן | from where? |
| H371 | אִין | and is it not? |
| H575 | אָן | where? |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5872-02 |
גֶּ֑דִי | gedi | HNp |
Gedi | young goat | 6 |
H5872-01 |
עֵֽין | eyn | HNp |
En | there is not | 4 |
H5872-03 |
מֵ/עֵ֥ין | meeyn | HR/Np |
from | from non-existence | 1 |
H5872-04 |
וְ/עֵ֣ין | veeyn | HC/Np |
and En | and there is not | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
12 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5872-04 |
Joshua 15:62 | וְ/עֵ֣ין | veeyn | HC/Np |
and En | and there is not |
H5872-02 |
Joshua 15:62 | גֶּ֑דִי | gedi | HNp |
gedi | young goat |
H5872-01 |
1 Samuel 24:1 | עֵֽין | eyn | HNp |
En | there is not |
H5872-02 |
1 Samuel 24:1 | גֶּֽדִי | gedi | HNp |
Gedi | young goat |
H5872-01 |
1 Samuel 24:2 | עֵ֥ין | eyn | HNp |
En | there is not |
H5872-02 |
1 Samuel 24:2 | גֶּֽדִי | gedi | HNp |
Gedi | young goat |
H5872-03 |
Ezekiel 47:10 | מֵ/עֵ֥ין | meeyn | HR/Np |
from | from non-existence |
H5872-02 |
Ezekiel 47:10 | גֶּ֨דִי֙ | gedi | HNp |
En-Gedi | young goat |
H5872-01 |
Song of Songs 1:14 | עֵ֥ין | eyn | HNp |
En | there is not |
H5872-02 |
Song of Songs 1:14 | גֶּֽדִי | gedi | HNp |
Gedi | young goat |