H1354 H1354
Anything convex or arched: the back of a person, the rim of a wheel, a cultic mound, a shield boss, or the brow ridge.
A remarkably versatile Hebrew noun whose core meaning is 'something curved or convex.' It appears across strikingly different contexts — from the backs of plowmen in Psalm 129:3 to the rims of Solomon's bronze wheels in 1 Kings 7:33, to the illicit shrine-mounds Ezekiel denounces. Spanish translations reveal the spread nicely: 'espalda' for the human back, 'aros' for wheel rims, and 'altar' for cultic mounds. The underlying image is always an arched, rounded surface, whether anatomical, architectural, or mechanical.
Senses
1. back (of a person or animal) — The dorsal surface of a living being — literally, the back. In Psalm 129:3, plowmen furrow across Israel's back as a figure for oppression; Ezekiel 10:12 applies it to the cherubim's bodies (though some emend to 'wheels'). Spanish 'espalda' and French 'dos' consistently render this anatomical sense, confirming its primary concreteness. 4×
AR["ظَهْرُ","ظَهْرِي","ظُهُورِ","وَظُهُورِهِمْ"]·ben["আর-তাদের-পিঠ","পিঠ","পীঠের-আমার","পৃষ্ঠ"]·DE["[גב]","[גבי]","[וגבהם]","mein-zurück"]·EN["and-backs-of-them","back-of","bosses-of","my-back"]·FR["dos","et-dos","sommet"]·heb["גב","גבי","ו-גביהם"]·HI["और-उनकी-पीठ","पीठ","पीठों","मेरी-पीठ"]·ID["dan-punggung-mereka","punggung","punggungku"]·IT["[גב]","[גבי]","[וגבהם]","bosses-of"]·jav["bongkahan","geger","geger-kula","lan-gigir-tiyang-tiyang-punika"]·KO["그리고-그들의-등과","나-의-등","등들의","등의"]·PT["base-de","e-costas-delas","lombos-de","minhas-costas"]·RU["выпуклостей","выступ","и-спины-их","спине-моей"]·ES["espalda-mía","espaldas-de","respaldo-de","y-espalda-de-ellos"]·SW["mgongo-wangu","migongo-ya","msingi-wa","na-migongo-yao"]·TR["arkasıdır","sırtlarının","sırtımın","ve-sırtları"]·urd["اور-پیٹھیں","میری-پیٹھ","پیٹھ","کمر"]
2. rim, ring (of a wheel) — The circular rim or felloe of a wheel, the curved outer ring on which the tire sits. Used of Solomon's bronze cart wheels (1 Kgs 7:33) and the visionary wheels of Ezekiel 1:18. Spanish 'aros' ('rings, hoops') captures the geometry well, distinguishing this from the anatomical sense. The convex curvature links back to the root image. 3×
AR["وَ-أَطْواقُها","وَ-أَطْوَاقُهَا"]·ben["আর-তাদের-বেড়","এবং-তাদের-পৃষ্ঠ"]·DE["[וגביהן]","[וגבתם]","und-ihr-rims"]·EN["and-rims-of-them","and-their-rims"]·FR["et-dos","et-leur-rims"]·heb["ו-גבותם","ו-גבי-הם","ו-גביהן"]·HI["और-उनके-घेरे","और-धारें-उनकी"]·ID["Dan-pelek-mereka","dan-pelek-mereka","dan-peleknya"]·IT["[וגביהן]","[וגבתם]","e-loro-rims"]·jav["Lan-pinggir-ipun","lan-pinggir-ipun","lan-punggung"]·KO["그리고-그것들의-테두리들","그리고-그것들의-테두리들은","그리고-그것들의-테들과"]·PT["E-aros-delas","e-aros-delas","e-aros-seus"]·RU["и-ободья-их","и-спицы-их"]·ES["Y-aros-de-ellas","y-aros-de-ellas"]·SW["na-mikia-yao","na-nira-zake"]·TR["ve-sırtları","ve-çemberleri","ve-çemberlerine"]·urd["اور-ان-کی-پٹیاں","اور-پٹھے اُن کے"]
3. mound, vaulted place (cultic high place) — An elevated, arched mound built for illicit cultic worship — Ezekiel's 'eminent place' (16:24, 31, 39). Always paired with 'ramah' (high place) in Ezekiel's denunciations of spiritual prostitution. Spanish 'altar' and the Vulgate's connection to 'lupanar' (from Latin 'fornix,' an arched brothel entrance) show how the vaulted-structure image carried into later tradition. 3×
AR["قُبَّةً","قُبَّتَكِ"]·ben["গম্বুজ","তোমার-গম্বুজ"]·DE["[גבך]","[גב]"]·EN["mound","mound-your"]·FR["dos"]·heb["גב","גבך"]·HI["टीला","टीला-तेरा"]·ID["tempat-tinggi,","tempat-tinggimu"]·IT["[גבך]","[גב]"]·jav["gubug-suci","gubug-suci-panjenengan"]·KO["네-높은-곳을","높은-곳을"]·PT["morro","teu-morro"]·RU["возвышение","возвышение-твоё"]·ES["altar","altar-de-ti"]·SW["jukwaa","jukwaa-lako"]·TR["kubbe","kubbeni"]·urd["اپنا-چبوترہ","تیرا-چبوترہ","چبوترہ"]
4. defense, bulwark (shield boss) — The convex boss at the center of a shield, used metaphorically in Job 13:12 and 15:26 for arrogant defiance — charging God 'with thick bosses of his bucklers.' Spanish 'espaldas' and French 'dos' blur this with the anatomical sense, but the military imagery of a shield's raised center is distinct. The hardened, protruding surface becomes a figure for stubborn resistance. 2×
AR["حُصُونُكُمْ","لِ-حُصُونِ-"]·ben["তোমাদের-সুরক্ষা","সুরক্ষা"]·DE["[גביכם]","[לגבי]"]·EN["defenses-your","to-defenses-of-"]·FR["votre-dos-vous","à-dos"]·heb["גביכם","ל-גבי"]·HI["गढ़ों-के-लिए","तुम्हारे-गढ़"]·ID["bagi-punggung-punggung","punggung-punggung-kalian"]·IT["defenses-your-vostro","per-a-defenses-of"]·jav["bongkahan","bongkahan-panjenengan"]·KO["너희의-높은-것들-이다","놓은-것들-이다-"]·PT["para-montículos-de-","vossos-montículos"]·RU["для-тел-","тела-ваши"]·ES["para-espaldas-de","vuestras-espaldas"]·SW["migongo-ya","migongo-yenu"]·TR["tepeleri-","tepeleriniz"]·urd["تمہارے-ڈھیر","ڈھیر-کی-طرح"]
5. brow, eyebrow ridge — The brow ridge or eyebrow arch, used solely in the Levitical skin-disease regulations (Lev 14:9) where a person must shave 'the brows.' Spanish 'cejas' ('eyebrows') pins this sense precisely. The convex ridge above the eye is yet another instance of the root idea — a curved, protruding surface on the body. 1×
AR["حَوَاجِبَ"]·ben["ভ্রু"]·DE["brows-von"]·EN["brows-of"]·FR["brows-de"]·heb["גבת"]·HI["और-धोएगा"]·ID["alis-alis"]·IT["brows-di"]·jav["alis"]·KO["눈썽들을"]·PT["sobrancelhas-de"]·RU["брови"]·ES["cejas-de"]·SW["nyusi-za"]·TR["kaşlarını"]·urd["بھوہوں"]
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×)H0776 1. land, country, territory (2323×)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×)H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† גַּב n.m.? cf. Ez 43:13 (f. Ez 1:18) anything convex, curved, gibbous, e.g. back, chiefly late;—abs. גָּ֑ב Ez 16:24; cstr. גַּב Ez 43:13 (read גֹּבַהּ 𝔊 Ew Sm Co); sf. גַּבִּי ψ 129:3, גַּבֵּךְ Ez 16:31, 39; pl. cstr. גַּבֹּת Lv 14:9, גַּבֵּי Jb 13:12; 15:26; sf. גַּבֵּיהֶם 1 K 7:33, גַּבֵּהֶם Ez 10:12, גַּבֵּיהֶן Ez 1:18, גַּבֹּתָם Ez 1:18;— 1. back, of man (fig. of Isr.) ψ 129:3; appar. of…