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גֵּר

𐤂𐤓

gêr

H1616 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גור to sojourn, live as an alien, reside temporarily

Definition

A resident foreigner who lives among an indigenous community without native clan or land rights, typically dependent on the host society's protection and subject to its customs and laws. The term is used for non-Israelites who reside permanently or semi-permanently among Israelites, distinguished from temporary visitors or merchant travelers. The word can encompass varying social statuses ranging from vulnerable outsider to integrated community member, depending on legal or social context.

Semantic Range

resident foreigner, protected sojourner, non-Israelite community member, alien, outsider under host protection

Root / Etymology

גּוּר (gûr) is the verbal root meaning 'to sojourn, reside as a temporary dweller, live as an alien.' גֵּר (gêr) is a noun formation denoting 'one who sojourns' or 'alien resident.' Although from the same root as simply 'to dwell temporarily,' the noun gêr specialized to designate a fixed social category in biblical society.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In ancient Israelite society, the גֵּר (gêr) was a non-Israelite who settled among the Israelite population, typically lacking hereditary land allotment or clan affiliation, distinguishing them from native Israelites and from transient visitors (נָכְרִי nokhrî, 'foreigner/outsider' and תּוֹשָׁב tôshav, sometimes 'settled foreigner'). The gêr was subject to distinct legal provisions, often placed alongside groups such as widows and orphans as socially vulnerable. Biblical laws mandate special protection, hospitality, and justice for the gêr (e.g., Exod 22:20; Lev 19:33-34; Deut 24:17). Over time, the term's precise social construct shifted: in the post-exilic and Second Temple periods, gêr could also denote converts or proselytes, but in most of the Hebrew Bible the term refers not to religious converts but to protected foreign residents. Standard English 'stranger' or 'sojourner' often fails to capture this distinct social-legal status.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (fully) geyr (gare); from גּוּר; properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigner; alien, sojourner, stranger.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גור (g-w-r) — to sojourn, live as an alien, reside temporarily

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1481 גּוּר I will sojourn
H1482 גּוּר Sojourn!
H1483 גּוּר Gur
H1484 גּוֹר his den-dwelling cubs
H1628 גֵּרוּת in sojourning-of

Word Forms

20 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1616-02 גֵ֣ר ger HNcmsa a stranger resident sojourner 22
H1616-05 הַ/גֵּ֔ר hager HTd/Ncmsa the stranger the resident sojourner 13
H1616-20 וְ/לַ/גֵּ֖ר velager HC/Rd/Ncmsa and for the stranger and to the resident sojourner 12
H1616-18 וְ/הַ/גֵּֽר vehager HC/Td/Ncmsa and the stranger and the resident foreigner 9
H1616-03 גֵרִ֥ים gerim HNcmpa strangers resident sojourners 7
H1616-10 לַ/גֵּ֨ר lager HRd/Ncmsa for the alien to the sojourning foreigner 6
H1616-17 וְ/גֵרְ/ךָ֖ vegerekha HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms and your sojourner and your resident foreigner 4
H1616-16 וְ/גֵ֥ר veger HC/Ncmsa and a stranger and a resident foreigner 4
H1616-08 כַּ/גֵּר֙ kager HRd/Ncmsa like the sojourner as a resident sojourner 4
H1616-07 הַ/גֵּירִים֙ hageyrim HTd/Ncmpa the sojourners the resident-foreigners 1

Occurrences in Scripture

92 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1616-02 Genesis 15:13 גֵ֣ר ger HNcmsa stranger resident sojourner
H1616-02 Genesis 23:4 גֵּר ger HNcmsa stranger resident sojourner
H1616-02 Exodus 2:22 גֵּ֣ר ger HNcmsa A sojourner resident sojourner
H1616-01 Exodus 12:19 בַּ/גֵּ֖ר bager HRd/Ncmsa whether a stranger in the resident-foreigner
H1616-02 Exodus 12:48 גֵּ֗ר ger HNcmsa a stranger resident sojourner
H1616-20 Exodus 12:49 וְ/לַ/גֵּ֖ר velager HC/Rd/Ncmsa and-for-the-stranger and to the resident sojourner
H1616-02 Exodus 18:3 גֵּ֣ר ger HNcmsa a sojourner resident sojourner
H1616-17 Exodus 20:10 וְ/גֵרְ/ךָ֖ vegerekha HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms and-sojourner-your and your resident foreigner
H1616-16 Exodus 22:20 וְ/גֵ֥ר veger HC/Ncmsa and-a-stranger and a resident foreigner
H1616-03 Exodus 22:20 גֵרִ֥ים gerim HNcmpa strangers resident sojourners
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