H1607 H1607
To shake, quake, toss violently; of earth and mountains in theophany, of surging waters, and figuratively of nations staggering under judgment.
A verb capturing violent, convulsive shaking — the kind that makes foundations tremble and waters surge. In its most iconic usage, the earth shakes at YHWH's theophanic descent (Ps 18:8 = 2 Sam 22:8), where the Hitpael describes mountains tossing back and forth like boats in a storm. Jeremiah employs it for the Nile's floodwaters surging and overflowing (Jer 46:7–8) and, strikingly, for nations reeling like drunkards after drinking the cup of God's wrath (Jer 25:16). Spanish captures this vividly with 'se estremeció' (shuddered) for earth-quaking and 'se tambalearán' (they will stagger) for the judgment image, neatly distinguishing the physical and figurative poles.
Senses
1. to shake, quake, toss — Violent shaking, quaking, or tossing — used of cosmic and natural convulsions. The Qal describes the earth quaking at theophany (Ps 18:8 = 2 Sam 22:8), while the Hitpael intensifies this to 'shaking back and forth,' applied both to mountains trembling in God's presence and to surging waters: the sea waves that cannot pass their boundary (Jer 5:22) and the Nile's floodwaters rising and tossing (Jer 46:7–8). The Pual passive in Job 34:20 describes a people 'convulsed' or shaken up, possibly by divine intervention at midnight. 9×
AR["تَضْطَرِبُ","فَارْتَجَتْ","وَ-يَتَمَوَّجُونَ","وَارْتَجَتْ","وَارْتَجَّتْ","يَضطَرِبونَ"]·ben["(কেতিব)","আন্দোলিত-হয়","এবং-কম্পিত-হল","এবং-কাঁপল","এবং-গর্জন-করে","নড়ে-চড়ে"]·DE["[k]","[ויתגעשו]","[יגעשו]","[יתגעשו]","und-shook","und-sie-shook"]·EN["[k]","and-it-shook","and-shook","and-they-shook","and-they-toss-about","are-shaken","surge"]·FR["[k]","[ויתגעשו]","[יתגעשו]","et-agiter","et-cela-shook","et-ils-shook","יגעשו"]·heb["ו-יתגעש","ו-יתגעשו","ו-תגעש","יגועשו","יתגעשו"]·HI["उबलते-हैं","और-काँपी","और-कांपी","और-कांपे","और-डगमगाईं","और-वे-उछलते-हैं","और-हिली","कांपते-हैं"]·ID["(dan-berguncang)","Dan-bergemuruh","Dan-berguncang","[dan-berguncang]","bergelora","berguncang","dan-bergoncang","dan-berguncang"]·IT["[k]","agitarsi","e-agitarsi","e-essi-shook","e-esso-shook","e-fu-scosso","sono-shaken"]·jav["(lan-goyah)","Saha-oyag","[lan-goyah]","geter","lan-goyah","lan-ngantos-gumrojog","saha-oyag","umob"]·KO["(그리고-흔들렸다)","[그리고-흔들렸다]","그리고-물결쳐도","그리고-흔들렸다","그리고-흔들렸도다","월렵거리다","흔들린다"]·PT["(e-tremeu)","E-agitam-se","E-tremeu","[e-tremeu]","agitam-se","e-se-abalaram","e-tremeram","serão-sacudidos"]·RU["[кетив]","волнуются","и-заволнуется","и-заколебалась","и-заколебались","и-потряслись","потрясается"]·ES["(y-se-estremeció)","[y-se-estremeció]","se-agitan","se-sacuden","y-se-agitarán","y-se-estremecieron","y-se-estremeció"]·SW["Na-ilitikisika","ingawa-yanachafuka","na-ikatetemeka","na-ilitikisika","wanatetemeka","yanayochafuka"]·TR["(ve-titredi)","[ve-titredi]","kabarır","sarsılır","ve-dalgalanacaklar","ve-sarsıldılar","ve-titredi"]·urd["(اور-ہلی)","[اور-ہلی]","اور-تھرتھرائیں","اور-موجیں-اُٹھتی-ہیں","اور-ہلی","اور-ہلیں","متلاطم-ہوتے-ہیں","ہلتے ہیں"]
2. to stagger, reel (figurative) — Figurative staggering or reeling under divine judgment. In Jeremiah 25:16, the Hitpoel form wehitgo'ashu describes nations who drink YHWH's cup of wrath and then 'stagger' — an extension from physical earthquake-shaking to the disorientation and collapse of peoples. Spanish translates this as 'se tambalearán' (they will totter), distinguishing it clearly from the literal earthquake sense, and highlighting how Hebrew re-uses seismic vocabulary for political and eschatological upheaval. 1×
AR["وَ-يَتَرَنَّحُونَ"]·ben["আর-থরথর-করবে"]·DE["[והתגעשו]"]·EN["and-stagger"]·FR["[והתגעשו]"]·heb["ו-התגועשו"]·HI["और-डगमगाएँ"]·ID["dan-akan-terhuyung-huyung"]·IT["e-agitarsi"]·jav["lan-sami-sempoyongan"]·KO["그리고-비틀거리리라"]·PT["e-cambalearão"]·RU["и-шататься"]·ES["y-se-tambalearán"]·SW["na-watayumba"]·TR["ve-sende-leyecekler"]·urd["اور-ڈگمگائیں"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H3701 1. silver (the metal) (391×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H0216 1. light (general / metaphorical) (116×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)H1270 1. iron (metal, tools, weapons; fig. strength/hardness) (76×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)G3037 1. stone / rock (59×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6697 1. rock, cliff, crag (49×)H3001 1. be dry, wither (intransitive) (45×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [גָּעַשׁ] vb. shake, quake (NH id.)— Qal Impf. וַתִּגְעַשׁ ψ 18:8a = 2 S 22:8a Kt (Qr Hithp.);—quake of earth at theoph, ψ 18:8 = 2 S 22:8 (read Kt; ‖ רעשׁ). Pu. Impf. be shaken up, convulsed יְגֹעֲשׁוּ־עָם Jb 34:20 a people are convulsed. Hithp. shake back and forth, toss or reel to and fro וַיִּתְגָּעַשׁ Qr 2 S 22:8a (Qal); יִתְגָּֽעֲשׁוּ Je 46:7, וַיִּתְגָּֽעֲשׁוּ ψ 18:8b + 2 times;—of…