גֵּז (gez)
gez
fleece
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun gez refers to the act of shearing or mowing, and by extension, the fleece itself or the cut grass. In the Hebrew Bible, it captures the physical reality of harvesting wool from sheep or cutting down vegetation, grounding abstract concepts in tangible agricultural labor.
This word appears in just four verses, primarily in poetic books like Job and Psalms, where it serves as a vivid metaphor for abundance or divine provision. For instance, in Psalm 65:13, the pastures are described as clothed with flocks, implying a lushness that results from such shearing or growth. The imagery connects the care of livestock to the fertility of the land.
Its usage highlights the importance of pastoral life in ancient Israel. The term does not just denote the product but often implies the process or the resulting wealth. Translators typically render it as "fleece" or "shearing," depending on whether the context emphasizes the animal’s coat or the agricultural yield.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word gez brings us back to the rhythm of ancient farming life. It describes the careful work of shearing sheep or cutting grass, processes that turned raw nature into usable resources. When Scripture mentions this, it is not just talking about wool; it is pointing to the tangible results of God’s provision. The land yields its strength, and the shepherd gathers the fleece as a sign of care and sustenance.
In our own lives, we often look for signs of blessing in large, dramatic events. Yet gez reminds us that faithfulness is found in the steady, everyday harvests too. Just as the farmer trusts the rain to nourish the grass so it can be cut and used, we can trust that God provides what we need for our daily walk. This word grounds our hope in the physical reality of a Creator who cares for the details of creation.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- mown grass1×
- and/ from/ [the] fleece of1×
- [the] mowings of1×
- [the] fleece of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/מִ/גֵּ֥ז1×
- גֵּ֥ז1×
- גֵּ֑ז1×
- גִּזֵּ֥י1×
Key Verses
-
Deuteronomy 18:4
You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep.
This verse establishes the fleece as part of the firstfruits, showing that even ordinary agricultural yields were to be offered back to God in gratitude.
-
Job 31:20
if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
Job uses the warmth of sheep’s fleece here to prove his integrity, linking the physical comfort he provided to others with his moral character.
-
Psalms 72:6
He will come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.
The psalmist compares the king’s blessing to rain on mown grass, using the imagery of gez to depict how divine favor refreshes and sustains the people.