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גְּוִיָּה

𐤂𐤅𐤉𐤄

gᵉvîyâh

H1472 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גוה body, physical self, corporeal being

Definition

Concrete physical body, particularly as a material or tangible entity. Typically refers to a human body, most often in the context of a corpse, that is, a dead human body or carcass. Can occasionally denote the living body, but biblical usage overwhelmingly emphasizes the mortal, lifeless, or physical condition of the body after death.

Semantic Range

dead body, corpse, carcass; (rarely) physical body (of a living person)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root גוה (g-v-h), which carries the core sense of 'body' or 'self.' 'גְּוִיָּה' is a feminine noun form based on this root, formed with the -יָה suffix common to many abstract or collective nouns. The root is rare and mostly attested in this word and its variant forms, with related nouns like גֵּו (gêw), meaning 'back' or 'body.' The connection emphasizes the tangible or physical aspect of the person, separate from notions of spirit or breath of life.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, גְּוִיָּה almost exclusively refers to a dead body, as opposed to חֵלֶב (ḥēlev, 'flesh'), נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, which can mean 'life' or 'living being'), or שָׁרִיר (sharir, 'muscle, flesh'). Occurs in narratives about death, burial, and treatment of corpses (e.g., Sarah's death in Genesis 23:3-4); rarely, if ever, describes living bodies without further qualification. In the patriarchal and monarchic periods, the term is used especially for the honored or dishonored remains of important figures. In later periods, as distinctions between corporeal and spiritual developed, גְּוִיָּה retained its physical connotation, standing in contrast to more abstract terms for the human person. English translations often render it as 'corpse' or 'body;' however, 'corpse' is generally the most contextually accurate, given the frequency of usage in death and burial scenes. The Septuagint usually translates this term as σῶμα ('body'), though the Greek word does not always capture the same mortuary emphasis. Not to be confused with נְבֵלָה (nevelah), which refers more generally to a corpse, often animal, especially in priestly purity contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

prolonged for גֵּוָה; a body, whether alive or dead; (dead) body, carcase, corpse.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גוה (g-v-h) — body, physical self, corporeal being

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1466 גֵּוָה lofty exaltation
H1471 גּוֹי in the people-groups

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1472-04 גְּוִיַּ֣ת geviyat HNcfsc body corpse of 1
H1472-01 בִּ/גְוִיַּ֥ת bigeviyat HR/Ncfsc in the body of in the corpse of 1
H1472-10 גְּ֠וִיֹּתֵי/נוּ geviyoteynu HNcfpc/Sp1cp our-bodies our corpses 1
H1472-07 גְּוִיֹּ֣ת geviyot HNcfpc bodies bodies of 1
H1472-06 גְּוִיָּת/וֹ֙ geviyato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his body his corpse 1
H1472-11 לַ/גְּוִיָּ֔ה lageviyah HRd/Ncfsa to the bodies to the corpse 1
H1472-02 בִּ/גְוִיָּתָֽ/ם bigeviyatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp in their bodies in their corpse 1
H1472-09 גְּוִיֹתֵי/הֶֽנָה geviyoteyhenah HNcfpc/Sp3fp their bodies their corpses 1
H1472-13 וּ/גְוִיָּת֣/וֹ ugeviyato HC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms and his body and his corpse 1
H1472-05 גְּוִיָּתֵ֖/נוּ geviyatenu HNcfsc/Sp1cp our bodies our corpse 1

Occurrences in Scripture

13 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1472-05 Genesis 47:18 גְּוִיָּתֵ֖/נוּ geviyatenu HNcfsc/Sp1cp our bodies our corpse
H1472-01 Judges 14:8 בִּ/גְוִיַּ֥ת bigeviyat HR/Ncfsc in the body of in the corpse of
H1472-12 Judges 14:9 מִ/גְּוִיַּ֥ת migeviyat HR/Ncfsc from the body from the corpse of
H1472-06 1 Samuel 31:10 גְּוִיָּת/וֹ֙ geviyato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his body his corpse
H1472-04 1 Samuel 31:12 גְּוִיַּ֣ת geviyat HNcfsc body corpse of
H1472-07 1 Samuel 31:12 גְּוִיֹּ֣ת geviyot HNcfpc bodies bodies of
H1472-09 Ezekiel 1:11 גְּוִיֹתֵי/הֶֽנָה geviyoteyhenah HNcfpc/Sp3fp their bodies their corpses
H1472-08 Ezekiel 1:23 גְּוִיֹּתֵי/הֶֽם geviyoteyhem HNcfpc/Sp3mp their bodies their corpses
H1472-11 Nahum 3:3 לַ/גְּוִיָּ֔ה lageviyah HRd/Ncfsa to the bodies to the corpse
H1472-02 Nahum 3:3 בִּ/גְוִיָּתָֽ/ם bigeviyatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp in their bodies in their corpse
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