גַּעַשׁ
𐤂𐤏𐤔
Gaash
H1608 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The proper noun 'Gaʻash' designates a geographical location, specifically a hill or mountain referred to as 'Mount Gaʻash' in biblical texts. The name itself appears to derive from a Hebrew root meaning 'to quake or shake,' and thus the place name likely carries the connotation of 'quaking hill' or 'shaking hill.'
Semantic Range
name of a hill or region (Mount Gaash), proper noun/toponym; from root: shaking, quaking, trembling
Root / Etymology
From the root ג-ע-ש (to shake, quake) with a locative or descriptive nominalization. The word is a toponym, formed from the root גָּעַשׁ ('to quake, shake') indicating a place associated with trembling or movement, possibly through seismic activity or metaphorical description.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Gaʻash appears exclusively as a place name in biblical literature, specifically as the location of Joshua's burial (Joshua 24:30; Judges 2:9). The term is preserved as a proper noun and does not function as a common noun in these contexts. The root גָּעַשׁ otherwise signifies shaking or quaking, whether of the earth or metaphorically (as in agitation). While Gaʻash's precise location is not definitively established in archaeological research, it is situated within the territory allotted to the descendants of Ephraim in the central hill country of ancient Israel. English Bibles typically transliterate the name directly, sometimes rendering it as 'Gaash.' The designation of Palestine in Strong's reflects 19th-century terminology; more precisely, Gaʻash is within the region later called Samaria. There is no evidence in the Hebrew Bible that the site was linked to later Judean or Jewish identity, and the term's meaning remains geographical rather than ethnic or religious.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from גָּעַשׁ; a quaking; Gaash, a hill in Palestine; Gaash.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
געש (g-ʿ-š) — shake, quake, tremble
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1607 | גָּעַשׁ | and she quaked violently |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1608-01 |
גָּֽעַשׁ | gaash | HNp |
Gaash | Quaking Hill | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1608-01 |
Joshua 24:30 | גָּֽעַשׁ | gaash | HNp |
of Gaash | Quaking Hill |
H1608-01 |
Judges 2:9 | גָּֽעַשׁ | gaash | HNp |
Gaash | Quaking Hill |
H1608-01 |
2 Samuel 23:30 | גָֽעַשׁ | gaash | HNp |
Gaash | Quaking Hill |
H1608-01 |
1 Chronicles 11:32 | גָ֔עַשׁ | gaash | HNp |
Gaash | Quaking Hill |