H1358 H1358
Den, pit — Aramaic noun for an animal enclosure, specifically the lions' den in Daniel 6
The Aramaic noun גֹּב (gob) denotes a den or pit used for confining animals, appearing exclusively in Daniel 6 where it designates the famous lions' den into which Daniel was cast. All ten occurrences cluster within this single chapter, describing the pit variously with prepositions of motion ('into the den,' 'from the den') and in absolute reference ('the den of lions'). The word likely derives from a root meaning 'to dig' or 'hollow out,' suggesting a subterranean pit rather than a natural cave. Spanish renders it 'foso' (pit, moat), Hindi uses gupha (cave/den), Arabic jubb (pit/cistern), and Korean gul (cave/den).
Senses
1. den, pit (for animals) — A pit or enclosed den for confining animals, specifically the lions' den in the court of the Median king Darius. All ten occurrences appear in Daniel 6:7-24 (Aramaic section), describing the enclosure into which Daniel was thrown for praying to God and from which he emerged unharmed. The term appears with lamed-preposition for motion toward the den and in construct state ('den of lions'). Spanish 'foso,' Arabic جُبّ (jubb, pit/cistern), and Hindi गुफा (gupha, cave) suggest a dug-out pit rather than a natural cave. 10×
AR["إِلَى-الْجُبِّ", "إِلَى-جُبِّ", "الْجُبِّ", "فِي-جُبِّ", "وَ-فِي-جُبِّ"]·ben["-গর্তে", "এবং-গর্তে", "গর্ত", "গর্তের"]·DE["Grube", "in-die-Grube", "und-Grube"]·EN["and-into-den-of", "into-den-of", "the-den", "to-den-of", "to-the-den"]·FR["citerne", "et-citerne"]·heb["ה-גוב", "ו-ל-גוב", "ל-גוב"]·HI["और-गुफा-में", "गुफा", "गुफा-के", "गुफा-के-पास", "में-गुफा"]·ID["-gua", "dan-ke-gua", "ke-gua"]·IT["e-fossa", "fossa", "nella-fossa"]·jav["dhateng-luweng", "lan-dhateng-luweng", "luweng"]·KO["굴", "굴-에", "굴-의", "그리고-굴-에"]·PT["cova", "da-cova", "e-na-cova-dos", "na-cova", "na-cova-dos", "à-cova"]·RU["в-ров", "и-в-ров", "ко-рву", "рва"]·ES["al-foso", "al-foso-de", "el-foso", "y-al-foso-de"]·SW["na-ndani-ya-tundu-la", "ndani-ya-tundu-la", "tundu", "tundu-la"]·TR["içine-", "tabanına", "ve-içine-", "çukurdan", "çukurun"]·urd["اور-گڑھے-میں", "گڑھے", "گڑھے-میں", "گڑھے-کی", "گڑھے-کی-طرف", "گڑھے-کے"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [גֹּב] n.m. pit, den of lions (𝔗 גּוּב, Syriac ܓܽܘܒ pit;? cf.BH גֹּב n.pr.loc., √ גבב);—cstr. ג׳ Dn 6:8, 25; גּוֹב v 13; emph. גֻּבָּא v 17, 18, 20, 21, 24(×2), 25.