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גּוּר

𐤂𐤅𐤓

gûwr

H1481 verb

SILEX Entry

Root גור to sojourn, reside temporarily, be a foreigner, turn aside

Definition

To reside temporarily or live as a sojourner, foreigner, or non-native inhabitant in a land or among a people not one’s own. In some contexts, the verb also expresses feelings or states associated with being a non-native, such as uncertainty, cautiousness, or awe. The word can further denote the act of dwelling, staying, or inhabiting a place without implying permanent settlement. Its semantic range encompasses both physical residency and the existential sense of being an outsider or stranger.

Semantic Range

to reside as a sojourner; to live as a non-native or resident alien; to dwell temporarily; to stay as a guest; to inhabit without full rights; to experience or express fear or awe due to outsider status; (rarely) to assemble or gather, especially with the connotation of marginality or insecurity

Root / Etymology

From the root גּוּר (gûr), meaning at its core 'to dwell as a sojourner'. The verb form originally conveyed the idea of turning aside from the road or one’s place of origin to reside in another place temporarily. From this, extended senses of ‘sojourning’, ‘living as an alien’, and derivative ideas such as ‘standing in awe’ or ‘fearing’ due to outsider status developed.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, גּוּר is consistently used to describe the act of residing as a temporary or non-permanent inhabitant, especially referring to foreigners or migrants living among native populations. The term is fundamental for understanding Israelite attitudes toward non-natives (gerim) and the social and legal distinctions made between indigenous people and sojourners. During the patriarchal and early monarchic periods, the notion of sojourning (גּוּר) captured the experience of the patriarchs (e.g., Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) as resident aliens in Canaan. In legal texts (e.g., Exodus, Leviticus), the word underlies laws concerning protections and treatment of such non-native dwellers, who lacked full rights of citizenship. In later poetic or wisdom passages, secondary senses such as ‘standing in awe’ or ‘being fearful’ arise, likely reflecting the marginal insecurity or social vulnerability of sojourners. Some English translations employ ‘stranger’ or ‘foreigner’, but these do not always convey the temporary or socially marginal status implied by גּוּר. Notably, the root does not primarily mean 'to fear' but, in certain forms (especially Niphal or Hithpael), can be used in the sense of being cautious or feeling anxiety, usually because of outsider status.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest); also to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather forhostility (as afraid); abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, gather (together), inhabitant, remain, sojourn, stand in awe, (be) stranger, [idiom] surely.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גור (g-w-r) — sojourn, reside temporarily, live as a foreigner, turn aside

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1482 גּוּר Sojourn!
H1483 גּוּר Gur
H1484 גּוֹר his den-dwelling cubs
H1616 גֵּר in the resident-foreigner
H1628 גֵּרוּת in sojourning-of

Word Forms

30 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1481-14 לָ/ג֣וּר lagur HR/Vqc to sojourn to sojourn as a foreigner 18
H1481-12 הַ/גָּ֥ר hagar HTd/Vqrmsa who sojourns Female sojourner 14
H1481-27 יָג֨וּר yagur HVqi3ms sojourns he will sojourn 14
H1481-03 גָּֽר gar HVqp3ms sojourns he sojourned 10
H1481-28 יָג֤וּרוּ yaguru HVqi3mp they lodge they sojourn 7
H1481-21 וַ/יָּ֖גָר vayagar HC/Vqw3ms sojourned and he sojourned 5
H1481-13 הַ/גָּרִ֖ים hagarim HTd/Vqrmpa sojourning the sojourning ones 3
H1481-07 גָּרִ֔ים garim HVqrmpa are sojourners the sojourning ones 3
H1481-05 גַּ֔רְתִּי gareti HVqp1cs I have dwelt I sojourned 2
H1481-23 וְ/גָרִ֥ים vegarim HC/Vqrmpa and-sojourners and sojourning ones 2

Occurrences in Scripture

98 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1481-14 Genesis 12:10 לָ/ג֣וּר lagur HR/Vqc to sojourn to sojourn as a foreigner
H1481-14 Genesis 19:9 לָ/גוּר֙ lagur HR/Vqc to sojourn / to live as a foreigner to sojourn as a foreigner
H1481-21 Genesis 20:1 וַ/יָּ֖גָר vayagar HC/Vqw3ms sojourned and he sojourned
H1481-04 Genesis 21:23 גַּ֥רְתָּה garetah HVqp2ms you have sojourned you sojourned
H1481-21 Genesis 21:34 וַ/יָּ֧גָר vayagar HC/Vqw3ms sojourned and he sojourned
H1481-10 Genesis 26:3 גּ֚וּר gur HVqv2ms sojourn Sojourn as a foreigner!
H1481-05 Genesis 32:5 גַּ֔רְתִּי gareti HVqp1cs I have sojourned I sojourned
H1481-03 Genesis 35:27 גָּֽר gar HVqp3ms had sojourned he sojourned
H1481-14 Genesis 47:4 לָ/ג֣וּר lagur HR/Vqc to sojourn to sojourn as a foreigner
H1481-19 Exodus 3:22 וּ/מִ/גָּרַ֣ת umigarat HC/R/Vqrfsc and from the woman living in her house sojourning-woman of
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