גָּדָה (ga.dah)
ga.dah
bank
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun gadah refers specifically to the bank or edge of a river. It appears only three times in the Hebrew Bible, appearing in Joshua 3:15 and twice in Isaiah (23:2 and 33:21). In these contexts, it describes the solid ground where water meets land, serving as a boundary for the flow.
In Joshua, the term highlights the miraculous parting of the Jordan River. The priests stand on the dry ground of the riverbank while the waters pile up, allowing Israel to cross. This usage emphasizes stability and safety amidst moving water. Isaiah uses the word differently, describing ships that cannot pass because they lack a proper bank or quay to tie up against. Here, gadah represents a place of rest or docking.
The word is rare and concrete. It does not mean a general shore or coast, but specifically the river’s edge. Its limited occurrence means it carries no heavy theological symbolism on its own. Instead, it provides precise geographical detail in narratives about crossing and trade.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word gadah points to the solid ground where a river meets the land. It is not a vague shoreline but a specific edge that holds firm against the current. In Joshua 3:15, this bank becomes the place of safety for the priests carrying the Ark. The waters overflowed all banks, yet the priests stood on the dry gadah, waiting for God to part the flow. This image reminds us that stability is often found in the very place where we stand before a miracle.
When life feels like a rushing river, we look for solid ground. Gadah shows that God provides places of rest and safety even when circumstances seem overwhelming. It is a concrete detail that grounds our faith in reality. We do not need to fear the rising waters if we trust the One who parts them.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- banks/ its3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- גְּדוֹתָֽי/ו\׃2×
- גְּדוֹתָ֔י/ו1×
Key Verses
-
Joshua 3:15
and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest),
This verse highlights the gadah as the stable ground where priests stood safely while the Jordan River overflowed its normal bounds.
-
Isaiah 8:7
now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them the mighty flood waters of the River: the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks.
Here the word describes how invading forces will overwhelm all banks, showing the gadah as a boundary that can be breached by greater power.