גַּב
𐤂𐤁
gab
H1355 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A convex or rounded surface; primarily the back, but by extension used for the outer, curved, or elevated part of an object (such as the boss or rounded projection of a shield, the arch or vault of heaven, the rim of a structure, or the brow/arch of the eye). The term denotes primarily an external, upwardly curved or protective surface, rather than the inner or concave side.
Semantic Range
back (as the curved or convex side), boss (of a shield), rim (of a vessel or structure), vault/dome (of heavens or building), arch (of the eye), surface (of a body or object)
Root / Etymology
Root גַּב is Aramaic, corresponding to the Hebrew root גבב meaning 'to be high, convex.' The Aramaic word is derived from the idea of something protruding outward or being rounded up (the 'back' as the convex surface). The Hebrew equivalent גַב also refers to a convex object or a back.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Biblical Aramaic (primarily occurring in the Aramaic portions of Daniel), גַּב is used for both literal and metaphorical or architectural features: it describes the outward, rounded side of a physical object (e.g., the arch of an eye, the rim or dome of a building, the boss of a shield). In later Aramaic and Rabbinic literature, the term retains these senses and is regularly used for the upward surface, especially where Hebrew uses words with different nuance (e.g., Hebrew גַּבּוֹעַ or גֵּב for mound, hill, or rim). English translations tend to limit the lexical sense to 'back,' but the term’s range in the biblical Aramaic corpus is broader and contextually dependent. In Daniel 7, for instance, it refers to the surface or body (convex side) of a large object (the 'back' or 'body' of a beast).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to גַב; {the back (as rounded); by analogy, the top or rim, a boss, a vault, arch of eye, bulwarks, etc.}; back.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גבב (g-b-b) — to be high, to arch upward, to be convex
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1374 | גֵּבִים | the cisterns |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1355-02 |
גבי/ה | gvyh | ANcmpd/Td |
its back | its convex surfaces | 1 |
H1355-01 |
גַּבַּ֑/הּ | gabah | ANcmsc/Sp3fs |
back | her convex back | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1355-02 |
Daniel 7:6 | גבי/ה | gvyh | ANcmpd/Td |
its back | its convex surfaces |
H1355-01 |
Daniel 7:6 | גַּבַּ֑/הּ | gabah | ANcmsc/Sp3fs |
back | her convex back |