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גָּדוֹל

𐤂𐤃𐤅𐤋

gâdôwl

H1419 adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Large in size, quantity, or degree; significant, important, or powerful. The adjective denotes physical greatness (size, height), social prominence (status, influence), intensity (of sound or force), or figurative importance (great in age, rank, or value). It can also denote being older, as in 'elder.'

Semantic Range

large (in size), great (in importance/status), mighty, older/elder, loud (of sound), high (in degree/scale), significant, noble, proud, exceeding; very (intensifying)

Root / Etymology

Root: ג-ד-ל (g-d-l). The root גָּדַל means 'to be great,' 'to grow up,' 'to become large' or 'powerful.' The adjective גָּדוֹל derives directly from the root, denoting one who is great, large, or significant, whether literally (size) or metaphorically (importance/status).

Historical & Contextual Notes

גָּדוֹל is one of the most common and versatile adjectives in Biblical Hebrew. In the patriarchal and monarchic periods, it described literal size (e.g., cities, stones, animals), social/political status (a 'great person' as a leader or elder), or age differentiation ('the older/greater' as opposed to 'younger/smaller'). In comparisons of siblings, גָּדוֹל marks the elder. In later periods, its abstract use expands to 'importance' and 'noteworthiness.' גָּדוֹל may also qualify sound ('loud voice'), magnitude (natural events), or degree (exceedingly, very). The semantic breadth sometimes overlaps with רַב (much, many), though רַב primarily concerns quantity and frequency, while גָּדוֹל focuses on magnitude or significance. The English terms 'great,' 'large,' 'older,' or 'important' each capture facets of the Hebrew meaning, but do not always convey the full semantic and cultural nuance, particularly where status and societal role are encoded by the term. Later translations sometimes use 'noble' or 'mighty,' reflecting established roles rather than mere size or age. In connection with kings or leaders, גָּדוֹל can indicate both literal power and recognized authority.

Translation Consistency

primary "great" 45 occurrences

'Great' is by far the dominant English rendering (491 of 530 occurrences) and naturally covers the adjective’s primary senses — large in size, important/powerful, significant in degree, or intense (e.g. loud). It is the most flexible, natural-sounding choice for literal and figurative uses (including ‘elder’/‘older’ contexts where English often uses ‘great’ in compounds like ‘great-grand…’ or can be rendered as ‘great in years’), ensuring consistent, idiomatic translation across the full semantic range.

Alternatives (5 occurrences):
"elder" (2x) "older" (1x) "oldest" (1x) "greatness of" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or גָּדֹל; (shortened) from גָּדַל; great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent; [phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phrase] exceeding(-ly), [phrase] far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, [idiom] sore, ([idiom]) very.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

ג־ד־ל (Gidaleti) — to be great, to grow, to become strong/powerful

Root ג־ד־ל to be great, to grow, to become strong/powerful
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1420 גְּדוּלָה greatness of
H1437 גִּדַּלְתִּי I have magnified
H3012 יִגְדַּלְיָהוּ Yahweh has grown great

Word Forms

28 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1419-04 גָד֖וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great 179
H1419-14 הַ/גָּד֣וֹל hagadol HTd/Aamsa the great the great one the great one 107
H1419-07 גְדוֹלָֽה gedolah HAafsa great great great 93
H1419-15 הַ/גְּדוֹלָ֑ה hagedolah HTd/Aafsa the great the great one the great one 37
H1419-13 גְּדֹל֖וֹת gedolot HAafpa great great ones great ones 35
H1419-12 גְּדֹלִ֑ים gedolim HAampa great great ones great ones 25
H1419-16 הַ/גְּדוֹלִ֖ים hagedolim HTd/Aampa great the great ones the great ones 11
H1419-25 וְ/גָד֑וֹל vegadol HC/Vqa and great and great and great 8
H1419-17 הַ/גְּדֹל֖וֹת hagedolot HTd/Aafpa great the great ones (fem.) the great ones (fem.) 6
H1419-18 כַּ/גָּד֔וֹל kagadol HRd/Aamsa as the great as a great one as a great one 4

Occurrences in Scripture

530 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1419-16 Genesis 1:16 הַ/גְּדֹלִ֑ים hagedolim HTd/Aampa great the great ones the great ones
H1419-14 Genesis 1:16 הַ/גָּדֹל֙ hagadol HTd/Aamsa greater the great one the great one
H1419-16 Genesis 1:21 הַ/גְּדֹלִ֑ים hagedolim HTd/Aampa the great the great ones the great ones
H1419-04 Genesis 4:13 גָּד֥וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-15 Genesis 10:12 הַ/גְּדֹלָֽה hagedolah HTd/Aafsa great the great one the great one
H1419-14 Genesis 10:21 הַ/גָּדֽוֹל hagadol HTd/Aamsa the elder the great one the elder
H1419-04 Genesis 12:2 גָּד֔וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-12 Genesis 12:17 גְּדֹלִ֖ים gedolim HAampa great great ones great
H1419-07 Genesis 15:12 גְדֹלָ֖ה gedolah HAafsa great great great
H1419-04 Genesis 15:14 גָּדֽוֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-14 Genesis 15:18 הַ/גָּדֹ֖ל hagadol HTd/Aamsa the great the great one the great
H1419-04 Genesis 17:20 גָּדֽוֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-04 Genesis 18:18 גָּד֖וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-04 Genesis 19:11 גָּד֑וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-07 Genesis 20:9 גְדֹלָ֑ה gedolah HAafsa great great great
H1419-04 Genesis 21:8 גָד֔וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-04 Genesis 21:18 גָּד֖וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-14 Genesis 27:1 הַ/גָּדֹ֗ל hagadol HTd/Aamsa the older the great one the elder
H1419-14 Genesis 27:15 הַ/גָּדֹל֙ hagadol HTd/Aamsa the older the great one the older
H1419-07 Genesis 27:33 גְּדֹלָ֣ה gedolah HAafsa great great great
H1419-07 Genesis 27:34 גְּדֹלָ֥ה gedolah HAafsa great great great
H1419-14 Genesis 27:42 הַ/גָּדֹ֑ל hagadol HTd/Aamsa the older the great one the great one
H1419-07 Genesis 29:2 גְּדֹלָ֖ה gedolah HAafsa great great great
H1419-04 Genesis 29:7 גָּד֔וֹל gadol HAamsa is great great great
H1419-15 Genesis 29:16 הַ/גְּדֹלָה֙ hagedolah HTd/Aafsa of the older the great one the great one
H1419-04 Genesis 39:9 גָד֜וֹל gadol HAamsa greater great great
H1419-15 Genesis 39:9 הַ/גְּדֹלָה֙ hagedolah HTd/Aafsa great the great one the great one
H1419-04 Genesis 39:14 גָּדֽוֹל gadol HAamsa loud great great
H1419-04 Genesis 41:29 גָּד֖וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-01 Genesis 44:12 בַּ/גָּד֣וֹל bagadol HRd/Aamsa beginning with the oldest in the great one in the oldest
H1419-07 Genesis 45:7 גְּדֹלָֽה gedolah HAafsa great great great
H1419-04 Genesis 46:3 גָּד֖וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-04 Genesis 50:10 גָּד֥וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-14 Exodus 3:3 הַ/גָּדֹ֖ל hagadol HTd/Aamsa sight, the great one the great one
H1419-12 Exodus 6:6 גְּדֹלִֽים gedolim HAampa great great ones great
H1419-12 Exodus 7:4 גְּדֹלִֽים gedolim HAampa great great ones great
H1419-04 Exodus 11:3 גָּד֤וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-07 Exodus 11:6 גְדֹלָ֖ה gedolah HAafsa great great great
H1419-07 Exodus 12:30 גְדֹלָ֖ה gedolah HAafsa great great great
H1419-15 Exodus 14:31 הַ/גְּדֹלָ֗ה hagedolah HTd/Aafsa the great the great one the great
H1419-02 Exodus 15:16 בִּ/גְדֹ֥ל bigedol HR/Aamsc by the greatness in great-ness of in greatness of
H1419-04 Exodus 18:11 גָד֥וֹל gadol HAamsa greater great great
H1419-14 Exodus 18:22 הַ/גָּדֹל֙ hagadol HTd/Aamsa great the great one the great one
H1419-04 Exodus 32:10 גָּדֽוֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-04 Exodus 32:11 גָּד֖וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-07 Exodus 32:21 גְדֹלָֽה gedolah HAafsa great great great
H1419-07 Exodus 32:30 גְדֹלָ֑ה gedolah HAafsa great great great
H1419-07 Exodus 32:31 גְדֹלָ֔ה gedolah HAafsa great great great
H1419-04 Leviticus 19:15 גָד֑וֹל gadol HAamsa great great great
H1419-14 Leviticus 21:10 הַ/גָּד֨וֹל hagadol HTd/Aamsa the great the great one the great one
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