גָּמָא
𐤂𐤌𐤀
gâmâʼ
H1572 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To swallow up or consume, typically with reference to liquid but also with potential figurative extension to the complete consumption or disappearance of something. In biblical usage, primarily describes swallowing or gulping down liquids, but can also refer to the swallowing up of objects or people, often with a sense of destruction, obliteration, or complete removal.
Semantic Range
to swallow (liquid or object), to drink up, to absorb, to consume completely, to obliterate (figuratively), to disappear (of rivers or land)
Root / Etymology
Root: גמא. The root גמא is associated with the idea of sucking in, drinking up, or absorbing, particularly in relation to liquids. The derived verb גָּמָא (gâmâʼ) primarily means 'to swallow' or 'to drink up', with a core sense of complete intake by mouth or absorption. This root and its derivatives are relatively rare in the Hebrew Bible.
Historical & Contextual Notes
גָּמָא occurs infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, with notable appearances such as Job 39:24, where it is used metaphorically to describe a horse 'swallowing the ground' (running swiftly, as if consuming the earth), and Isaiah 19:6, where it refers to rivers 'drying up' or being absorbed, likely illustrating the river's disappearance. The term is distinct from other Hebrew verbs such as לָעַע (lā‘a‘, 'to swallow, engulf') or שָׁתָה (shātâ, 'to drink'), as גָּמָא tends to emphasize not just the act of consuming, but a sense of total absorption or removal. In later Hebrew and post-biblical contexts, the root maintains the sense of swallowing or taking in, but is infrequent. English translations often simply render it as 'swallow,' 'drink up,' or 'absorb,' but may not fully convey the nuance of complete or abrupt consumption embedded in the term, especially where its use is metaphorical.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root (literally or figuratively) to absorb; to absorb; swallow, drink.
Bantu Hebrew
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גמא (g-m-ʾ) — to swallow, to drink, to absorb
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1573 | גֹּמֶא | water-absorbing marsh-reed |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1572-02 |
יְגַמֶּא | yegame | HVpi3ms |
he devours | he will gulp down | 1 |
H1572-01 |
הַגְמִיאִ֥י/נִי | hagemiini | HVhv2fs/Sp1cs |
let me drink | cause me to drink | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1572-01 |
Genesis 24:17 | הַגְמִיאִ֥י/נִי | hagemiini | HVhv2fs/Sp1cs |
let me drink | cause me to drink |
H1572-02 |
Job 39:24 | יְגַמֶּא | yegame | HVpi3ms |
he devours | he will gulp down |