H1356a H1356a
pits, ditches, trenches, cisterns—excavated holes for water or defense
This plural noun appears in contexts involving excavated depressions in the ground. In 2 Kings 3:16, Elisha commands the making of 'ditches upon ditches' to hold miraculous water for the allied armies. In Jeremiah 14:3 and possibly 39:10, it refers to cisterns—vital water-storage pits in ancient agriculture. The word derives from Arabic and Syriac roots for 'hollow' or 'depression.' There is textual complexity: some manuscripts in 2 Kings 25:12 and Jeremiah 52:16 may preserve this word (possibly meaning 'cisterns' given to the poor), though the text is uncertain.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Plural noun for pits, ditches, trenches, or cisterns—excavated holes in the ground for water storage or military purposes. In 2 Kings 3:16 (twice), it clearly means trenches dug to hold water. In Jeremiah 14:3, it refers to cisterns sought by servants in drought. Cross-linguistic glosses vary: English 'cisterns/trenches,' Spanish 'cisternas/zanjas,' French and German sometimes leave the term in brackets or render 'trenches.' The variation reflects context: military trenches versus agricultural cisterns. Arabic and Syriac cognates support the meaning 'hollow depression.' 3×
AR["الْجِبَابِ", "حِفَرًا"]·ben["গর্ত", "গর্তগুলি"]·DE["[גבים]", "trenches"]·EN["cisterns", "trenches"]·FR["[גבים]", "trenches"]·heb["גבים"]·HI["गढ़ों", "गढ़्ढे"]·ID["parit-parit", "sumur-sumur"]·IT["[גבים]", "trenches"]·jav["sumur-sumur"]·KO["우물들을", "웅덩이들", "웅덩이들-로"]·PT["cisternas", "poços,"]·RU["водоёмам", "рвами"]·ES["cisternas", "zanjas"]·SW["mashimo", "visima"]·TR["cukurlar", "sarnıçların"]·urd["حوضوں", "گڑھے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)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×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. [גֵּב] n.[m.] pit, ditch, trench (Arabic جَوْبَةٌ hollow, depression; Syriac ܓܽܘܒܳܐ cistern)—only pl. גֵּבִים Je 14:3; in 2 K 3:16 גבים גבים, i.e. full of ditches; further, cisterns (according to Klo 2 K 25:12) Je 39:10 וִיגֵבִים (read וְגֵבִים) cf. also ‖ 2 K 25:12 (ולגבים Kt, וּלְיוֹגְבִים Qr) = Je 52:16 (וּלְיֹגְבִים; both c. כֹּרְמִים); Klo proposes to emend these, so as to read in all…