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גֻּדְגֹּדָה

𐤂𐤃𐤂𐤃𐤄

Gudegodah

H1412 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גדד to cut, gash, incise

Definition

Gudgodah — a place name referring to a site encountered by the Israelites during their wilderness journey, most likely marking a physical geographic location characterized by a cleft, ravine, gorge, or region of rough terrain, as implied by the root. Used as a toponym rather than a descriptive noun, its primary meaning is as the designation of a specific location.

Semantic Range

Gudgodah (a place name or campsite in the wilderness), site characterized by clefts or gorges (implied by the root); does not function as a common noun

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root גָּדַד (gadad), 'to cut, cut oneself, incise, make a gash.' The form גֻּדְגֹּדָה (Gudgodah) appears to reduplicate the root for a toponymic effect, possibly reflecting a place noted for geological features such as gorges or clefts. The name could echo the visual or topographical characteristics of the location. The exact significance of the reduplication is debated, but it is common in Hebrew place names for emphasis or descriptive purposes.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Gudgodah is mentioned in Deuteronomy 10:7 as a campsite during the Israelites' wilderness journey, corresponding closely with 'Hor Haggidgad' (חֹר הַגִּדְגָּד) found in Numbers 33:32–33. It is not a generic term for a landscape feature but a fixed toponym, though it may have descriptive etymological origins. The association with 'cutting' or 'cleft' fits regional geography, suggesting a ravine or gorge, and may point to a tradition of naming places according to their physical attributes. The duplication in the name does not create a new lexical meaning but serves to distinguish or highlight the place within narrative geography. Later English Bible translations typically transliterate the name, occasionally rendering it as 'Gudgodah.' No evidence suggests the location's continued prominence after the wilderness wanderings, and it does not recur in post-exilic lists or later biblical history. The relationship to 'Hor Haggidgad' in Numbers implies an identification or textual variant rather than two separate sites.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

by reduplication from גָּדַד (in the sense of cutting) cleft; Gudgodah, a place in the Desert; Gudgodah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גדד (g-d-d) — to cut, gash, incise

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1413 גָּדַד you will gash yourself
H1414 גְּדַד Hew down!
H1415 גָּדָה his cut-formed riverbanks
H1416 גְּדוּד in the raiding band
H1417 גְּדוּד cut furrows

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1412-01 הַ/גֻּדְגֹּ֑דָ/ה hagudegodah HTd/Np/Sd Gudgodah the Gash-Gorge 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1412-01 Deuteronomy 10:7 הַ/גֻּדְגֹּ֑דָ/ה hagudegodah HTd/Np/Sd Gudgodah the Gash-Gorge
H1412-01 Deuteronomy 10:7 הַ/גֻּדְגֹּ֣דָ/ה hagudegodah-2 HTd/Np/Sd Gudgodah the Gash-Gorge
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