H1586 H1586
Gomer; (1) son of Japheth, ancestor of a northern people; (2) wife of the prophet Hosea
A proper name borne by two distinct biblical figures. The first is Gomer son of Japheth, listed in the Table of Nations (Gen 10:2; 1 Chr 1:5), identified by ancient sources with the Cimmerians or Cappadocians of Asia Minor and mentioned in Ezekiel 38:6 among the allies of Gog. The second is Gomer daughter of Diblaim, the wife of Hosea whom God commanded the prophet to marry as a living parable of Israel's unfaithfulness (Hos 1:3). The dual usage makes this name a fascinating window into both ethnography and prophetic symbolism.
Senses
1. Gomer — As a proper name, Gomer encompasses two referents. In the genealogical tradition, Gomer is a son of Japheth and father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah (Gen 10:2-3; 1 Chr 1:5-6), associated with peoples in the Anatolian region—Assyrian records mention the 'Gimirrai' (Cimmerians). Ezekiel 38:6 lists Gomer among the northern hordes allied with Gog. The second referent is Hosea's wife (Hos 1:3), whose name takes on symbolic weight in the prophetic marriage narrative. All translations uniformly render this as 'Gomer' across languages. 6×
AR["جومَرَ", "جومِر", "جُومَرَ", "جُومَرُ"]·ben["গোমর", "গোমরকে", "গোমরের"]·DE["Gomer", "Gomers", "[גמר]"]·EN["Gomer"]·FR["Gomer"]·heb["גומר", "גמר"]·HI["गोमेर", "गोमेर-के"]·ID["Gomer"]·IT["Gomer", "[גמר]"]·jav["Gomer", "Gomèr"]·KO["고메르", "고멜", "고멜의"]·PT["Gomer", "Gómer"]·RU["Гомер", "Гомера"]·ES["Gomer", "Gómer"]·SW["Gomeri"]·TR["Gomer", "Gomer'i", "Gomer'in"]·urd["جمر", "جومر", "جومر-کے"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† גֹּ֫מֶר n.pr. 1. m. a. son of Japhet Gn 10:2, 3 = 1 Ch 1:5, 6; Ez 38:6; LagOnom. Sacr. 2, 95, 2nd ed. 367, v. BN 77 proposes גמרים for גמדים Ez 27:11 q.v.; he identif. גֹּמֵר with Cappadocia (cf. 𝔗 Ez 27:11, KiepLb. d. alt. Geogr. 91) = Armen. Gamiṛ —χ (with pl. ending) v. also LagArm. Stud. 32 § 448; cf. further Assyrian Gimirrai, SchrKG 157 ff. DlPa 245 f. also LenOr. ii. 1, 332 ff. 2. f. wife of Hosea, Ho 1:3.