H1346 H1346
Pride, arrogance, or haughtiness deserving judgment; also majesty, excellence, or dignified greatness attributed to God.
Few Hebrew words illustrate the moral ambiguity of 'greatness' as sharply as ga'avah. In most of its occurrences, it names the sinful pride of nations and the wicked—Moab's arrogance (Isa 16:6), the haughtiness that precedes a fall (Prov 29:23). Yet the same noun celebrates God's majestic riding across the heavens (Deut 33:26) and Israel's God-given dignity (Deut 33:29). The difference is not in the word itself but in who is exalted: when God is the source, ga'avah becomes glory; when humans seize it for themselves, it becomes hubris.
Senses
1. pride, arrogance, haughtiness — Sinful pride, insolence, or self-exalting arrogance that provokes divine judgment. The Psalms repeatedly condemn it: the wicked hotly pursue the poor 'in pride' (Ps 10:2), pride is a necklace adorning the violent (Ps 73:6). Isaiah 9:8 and 13:11 target the pride of Ephraim and the arrogance of the ruthless. Spanish 'soberbia/orgullo' and French 'orgueil' carry the same censure. Proverbs 29:23 distills the principle: 'a person's pride will bring them low.' 15×
AR["الكِبْرُ","الكِبْرِياءِ","الْكِبْرِيَاءِ","بِ-طُغْيانِها","بِ-كِبْرِيَاءِ","بِـ-الْكِبْرِيَاءِ","بِكِبْرِيَاءَ","بِكِبْرِيَائِكِ","فَخْرُهُ","كِبْرِياءَ","كِبْرِياءُ","كِبْرِيَاءَهُ","كِبْرِيَاؤُهُ","وَ-عَظَمَةَ","وَعَظَمَتُهُ"]·ben["অহংকার","অহংকারে","অহংকারের","অহঙ্কারের","এবং-তার-গর্ব","ও-গর্ব","গর্ব","গর্বে-","তার-গর্ব","তোমার-অহংকারে","দ্বারা-গর্ব-তার"]·DE["Stolz","[בגאוה]","[גאוה]","[גאות]","[גאותו]","[גאותך]","[וגאותו]","bei-sein-swelling","in-Stolz","in-der-arrogance-von","und-Hoheit"]·EN["Pride","and-arrogance-of","and-his-arrogance","at-its-swelling","his-arrogance","in-pride","in-the-arrogance-of","pride","pride-of","with","your-pride"]·FR["dans-l'orgueil","dans-orgueil","et-orgueil","orgueil","גאוה","גאות"]·heb["ב-גאווה","ב-גאוות","ב-גאוות-ו","גאווה","גאוות","גאוותו","גאוותך","ו-גאוות","ו-גאותו"]·HI["अभिमान-का","अहंकार","उसका-घमंड","और-उसकी-डींग","और-घमंड-","घमंड","घमंड-उसका","घमंड-की","घमंड-में","घमण्ड","तेरे-घमंड-के।","में-उठान-उसके","में-घमंड"]·ID["Dalam-kesombongan","Kebanggaan","Kesombongan","dan-kemegahannya","dan-kesombongan","dengan-kesombongan","keangkuhan-mu","keangkuhannya","kesombongan"]·IT["Pride","[גאותך]","altezza","e-altezza","orgoglio","pride","pride-di"]·jav["Ing-gumedhé","Kamulyananipun","gumedhe","gumunggungipun","ing-kumalungkung","kagumedheaning-nipun","kagumedheanipun","kalayan-gumedhe","kegumungan","kumalungkung","kumalungkung-saking","lan-gumunggungipun","lan-kamulyanipun","margi-gumunggungipun"]·KO["거만을","교만-과","교만-너의-에","교만-으로","교만-의","교만을","교만이","교만함과","그-높아짐-으로","그들-의","그리고-그의-오만과","그의-거만과","그의-교만을","자랑이다"]·PT["Com-a-arrogância","Orgulho","com-soberba","com-sua-altivez","e-a-soberba-de","e-seu-orgulho","em-soberba","seu-orgulho","soberba","soberba-de","sua-arrogância","tua-soberba","é-a-soberba"]·RU["в-гордости","гордости","гордость","гордостью-твоей","гордыни","гордыню-его","гордыня","и-высокомерие","и-надменность-его","надменность-его","от-величия-его","с-гордостью"]·ES["En-soberbia-de","Orgullo","Soberbia-de","con-soberbia","orgullo","por-su-majestad","soberbia","su-arrogancia","su-orgullo","tu-soberbia","y-altivez-de","y-su-soberbia"]·SW["Kwa-kiburi-cha","katika-kiburi","kiburi","kiburi-cha","kiburi-chake","kiburi-chako","kwa-kiburi","kwa-kujivuna-kwake","majivuno-yake","na-kujigamba-kwake","na-majivuno","ni-kiburi"]·TR["-kabarmakla","Gurur","gurur","gururu","gururun","gururunu","gururunun","kibir","kibir-ile","kibirin","kibirle","kibrinde-","kibrini","ve-gururunu","ve-kibrini"]·urd["-غرور-میں","اور-بڑائی-اُس-کی","اور-تکبر","اُس-کا-تکبّر","اُس-کے-تکبّر-کو","اُس-کے-غرور-سے","تیرے-تکبّر-میں","غرور","غرور-میں","غرور-کا","غرور-کی"]
2. majesty, excellence, dignity — Majesty, excellence, or dignified grandeur—a positive quality attributed to God or conferred by God. Deuteronomy 33:26 celebrates the God of Jeshurun who 'rides the heavens in his majesty,' and 33:29 declares Israel blessed because of divine excellence. Psalm 68:34 ascribes ga'avah to God over Israel. Spanish 'majestad' and French 'majesté' capture this reverential tone. Isaiah 13:3 applies it to God's consecrated warriors, those who 'exult in my majesty'—pride sanctified by divine commission. 4×
AR["بِـ-فَخْرِي","جَلالُهُ","عَظَمَتِكَ","وَفِي-عَظَمَتِهِ"]·ben["আমার-অহংকারের","এবং-তাঁর-মহিমায়","তাঁর-গৌরব","তোমার-মহিমার"]·DE["[גאותי]","dein-majesty","ist-sein-Majestät","und-in-sein-majesty"]·EN["and-in-his-majesty","is-His-majesty","my-majesty","your-majesty"]·FR["et-dans-son-majesté","orgueil","ton-majesté"]·heb["גאוותו","גאוותי","גאוותך","ו-ב-גאוותו"]·HI["और-उसकी-महिमा-में","तेरी-महिमा-की","मेरे-गौरव-के"]·ID["dan-dalam-keagungan-Nya","keagungan-Ku","keagungan-Nya","keagunganmu"]·IT["altezza","e-in-suo-majesty","orgoglio","tuo-majesty"]·jav["ing-kamulyan-kawula","kaluhuran-panjenengan","kamulyan-ipun","lan-ing-kamulyanipun"]·KO["그-의-위엄-이","그리고-그의-위엄으로","내-자랑의","네-위엄의"]·PT["e-em-sua-majestade","minha-majestade","sua-majestade","tua-majestade"]·RU["в-гордости-Моей","величие-Его","величия-твоего","и-в-величии-Своём"]·ES["en-mi-majestad","su-majestad","tu-excelencia","y-en-su-grandeza"]·SW["kiburi-changu","na-kwa-utukufu-wake","utukufu-wake","wa-utukufu-wako"]·TR["gurur-duyanlarimi","görkemi","ve-yüceliğiyle","yüceliğinin"]·urd["اور-اپنی-شان-میں","اُس-کی-شان","تیری-شان-کی","میرے-جلال-کے"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† גַּאֲוָה n.f. majesty, pride (cf. Syriac ܓܰܐܝܽܘܬܳܐ )—Jb 41:7 + 6 times; cstr. גַּאֲוַת Pr 29:23 + 2 times; sf. גַּאֲוָתִי Is 13:3 + 8 times;— 1. rising up, swelling of the sea ψ 46:4. 2. majesty, of Israel Dt 33:29, Moab Is 16:6 = Je 48:29, scales of crocodile Jb 41:7, of God Dt 33:26 ψ 68:35. 3. pride, haughtiness ψ 10:2; 31:19, 24; 36:12; 73:6 Pr 14:3; 29:23 Is 9:8; 13:11; 25:11; עליזי גאותי my proudly exulting ones Is 13:3 cf. Zp 3:11.