גַּו
𐤂𐤅
gav
H1458 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Physical back or body trunk, referring specifically to the dorsal or rear aspect of a living being (human or animal), occasionally extended to mean the body as a whole in a non-skeletal, fleshy sense. Used both concretely for the back as an anatomical part and, in rare poetic contexts, as the locus of strength or as a synecdoche for the self.
Semantic Range
back, body trunk, the person (in poetic or metaphorical usage), locus of bodily suffering, corporeal being
Root / Etymology
From the root גוּ (gû), meaning 'body' or 'trunk,' or possibly related to גֵּו (gēv), both of which designate the main body or back of a person or animal. The form גַּו (gav) represents a variant pronunciation or orthography of the same root, common in poetry and parallelism.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term גַּו (gav) is rare, primarily appearing in poetic or archaic contexts, such as in Job 30:18 and Ezekiel 10:12. While its core reference is anatomical, it can stand in for the physical self, especially in expressions denoting suffering or divine action upon the body. In the patriarchal and monarchic periods, bodily terminology was often employed concretely, but in exilic and post-exilic poetry, such terms could also serve as metaphors for the person or for corporeal experience. The term overlaps somewhat with גב (gāv), which more commonly means 'back' and sometimes 'ridge' (of landscape or structure), but גַּו suggests a focus more on the fleshy trunk than on the spine or back as a surface. English translations such as 'back' often fail to convey the full nuance of bodily involvement implied by גַּו, which can refer to the entire torso or person by implication, particularly in poetic contexts. Later Hebrew lost this word, and it does not persist into Rabbinic usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
another form for גֵּו; the back; back.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גו (g-w) — body, trunk, back
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1458-03 |
גַוֵּ֑/ךְ | gavekhe | HNcmsc/Sp2fs |
your back | your back | 1 | |
H1458-01 |
גַוָּ֔/ם | gavam | HNcmsc/Sp3mp |
their-back | their back | 1 | |
H1458-02 |
גַוֶּֽ/ךָ | gavekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your back | your back | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1458-02 |
1 Kings 14:9 | גַוֶּֽ/ךָ | gavekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your back | your back | |
H1458-03 |
Ezekiel 23:35 | גַוֵּ֑/ךְ | gavekhe | HNcmsc/Sp2fs |
your back | your back | |
H1458-01 |
Nehemiah 9:26 | גַוָּ֔/ם | gavam | HNcmsc/Sp3mp |
their-back | their back |