גֵּוָה (ge.vah)
ge.vah
pride
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun gevah denotes pride, specifically understood as a physical lifting up. This imagery suggests an elevation of status or self that rises above its proper place. The word appears only three times in the Hebrew Bible, located in Job 21:25 and Jeremiah 48:29, 48:30.
In these contexts, gevah describes the arrogant confidence of nations or individuals who believe themselves secure. In Jeremiah, it is linked to Moab’s boastful heart, which Yahweh declares must break. The term captures not just inner arrogance but an outward posture of superiority that invites divine correction.
Its rarity in Scripture highlights how seriously such elevated pride is treated. Unlike common words for sin, gevah focuses on the structural act of raising oneself up, making its sudden fall all the more dramatic in the prophetic and wisdom literature where it appears.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word gevah paints a vivid picture of pride as a physical lifting up. It describes an elevation of status that rises above its proper place, often leading to a sudden and dramatic fall. In Scripture, this arrogance is not merely an inner feeling but an outward posture of superiority that invites divine correction. Its rarity highlights how seriously God treats this structural act of raising oneself up.
When we encounter verses like Job 33:17, we see God’s desire to hide pride from us, protecting us from the trap of self-reliance. This word reminds us that true security does not come from our own height or strength, but from humility before God. By recognizing the danger of lifting ourselves up, we can find peace in relying on His grace.
May you find comfort in knowing that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Instead of striving for elevation, you are invited to rest in His care, trusting that He will lift up those who wait on Him with a sincere heart.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- up!1×
- pride1×
- and/ pride1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/גֵוָ֖ה1×
- גֵּוָ֑ה1×
- גֵוָ֑ה1×
Key Verses
-
Job 33:17
that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
This verse shows God using pride as a warning to withdraw man from his own purpose, highlighting the word's role in divine correction.