גִּדְעֹם
𐤂𐤃𐤏𐤌
Gideom
H1440 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A toponym designating a specific place known as Gidʻom, the name itself likely referencing a location associated with cutting off, devastation, or ruin. The semantic range covers the place itself and its etymological sense related to destruction or a severed/ruined area.
Semantic Range
place of cutting off, location of destruction, (proper noun) Gidʻom, name of a settlement or site associated with devastation
Root / Etymology
From the root גָּדַע (gāḏa‘), 'to cut off, hew down, or destroy.' The term גִּדְעֹם (Gidʻom) is a derivative form and functions as a place name. The structure points to a nominalization (i.e., a noun form), conveying the idea of 'place of cutting off' or 'place of destruction.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Gidʻom appears in the Hebrew Bible (Judges 20:45) as a geographic location near which the remaining Benjaminites were overtaken and struck down following their flight from Gibeah. The toponym likely alludes to the slaughter or devastation that occurred there, a meaning drawn from its association with violence or the aftermath of a battle. The exact location is uncertain and not identified in later biblical or extra-biblical sources. English translations often simply transliterate the place name (as 'Gidom'), obscuring the original sense. This word exemplifies a trend among ancient Hebrew toponyms where names encode historical or narrative events as remembered by the community. The root גָּדַע is sometimes also used figuratively to mean 'to exterminate' or 'to bring to ruin,' and Gidʻom as a location name reflects this semantic background. No later historical or religious meanings are attached to the term, and there is no continued usage outside this biblical passage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from גָּדַע; a cutting (i.e. desolation); Gidom, a place in Palestine; Gidom.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גדע (g-d-ʿ) — to cut off, to hew down, to sever, to destroy
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1438 | גָּדַע | I will cut down |
| H1439 | גִּדְעוֹן | Hewer |
| H1441 | גִּדְעֹנִי | Gideoni-descendant |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1440-01 |
גִּדְעֹ֔ם | gideom | HNp |
Gidom | Cutting-Off Place | Gideom | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1440-01 |
Judges 20:45 | גִּדְעֹ֔ם | gideom | HNp |
Gidom | Cutting-Off Place | Gideom |