אֲגֻדָּה (a.gud.dah)
a.gud.dah
band
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun a.gud.dah fundamentally refers to a bundle or something bound together, appearing in just four verses across the Old Testament. Its core sense is physical cohesion, whether describing the cords used to fasten an ox-yoke or the tight cluster of hyssop branches held for ritual use. This concrete imagery of binding provides the foundation for its metaphorical applications.
Translators render this word in diverse ways depending on context. In Exodus 12:22, it denotes a literal bunch of hyssop dipped in blood. In II Samuel 23:21, it describes a band of thirty mighty men who stood firm against Philistines. Isaiah uses the term metaphorically for the vault of heaven, imagining the sky as a structure bound together to cover the earth, and later for the thongs of slavery that oppress Israel.
The word’s theological weight lies in its association with both unity and constraint. It captures the strength found in being joined—whether in military loyalty or cosmic order—but also the heavy reality of bondage. By using a single term for hyssop bundles, warrior bands, and celestial vaults, the text emphasizes that all these things share a common characteristic: they are held together by force or design.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word aguddah describes things bound tightly together, whether it is a bundle of hyssop branches or a group of warriors standing as one. In Exodus 12:22, this image appears in the Passover narrative, where a bunch of hyssop dips into blood to mark the doorposts. This act shows how God uses simple, physical objects to bring about profound deliverance and protection for His people.
Sometimes this binding brings strength, as seen when loyal men stand firm together. Other times it represents heavy chains or oppression that need to be broken. Isaiah 58:6 calls us to release the bonds of wickedness, reminding us that God desires freedom rather than slavery. We can trust that He holds us securely in His care while also working to free us from what weighs us down.
This word reminds us that connection matters. Whether we are part of a community or relying on God’s protection, being bound together by love and faith brings stability. It is a comforting thought that we are held by something stronger than ourselves, secure in His design and purpose for our lives.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ vault/ his1×
- a bunch of1×
- [the] bindings of1×
- <into>/ a band1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לַ/אֲגֻדָּ֣ה1×
- וַ/אֲגֻדָּת֖/וֹ1×
- אֲגֻדַּ֣ת1×
- אֲגֻדּ֣וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 12:22
You shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two door posts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
This verse uses the word to describe the literal bunch of hyssop used in the Passover ritual, highlighting its role in divine protection.
-
Isaiah 58:6
“Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?
Here the term metaphorically represents the bonds of wickedness that God commands His people to break and release.
-
Amos 9:6
It is he who builds his rooms in the heavens, and has founded his vault on the earth; he who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth—Yahweh is his name.
The word describes the vault of heaven, illustrating God’s power in constructing the cosmos as a unified, bound structure.