גֶּ֫זַע (ge.za)
ge.za
stock
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun geza refers to the central structural part of a plant, specifically its stem, trunk, or stock. In the Hebrew Bible, this word describes the physical core that supports the rest of the tree, serving as the foundation for its growth and stability.
It appears in only three verses, primarily within Isaiah and Job. The sources highlight its use in poetic imagery where the health of the entire plant depends on the integrity of this central part. For instance, in Isaiah 6:13, the term describes the stump or stock remaining after a tree is cut down, symbolizing what persists even when the visible foliage is gone.
This word distinguishes the enduring core from the temporary branches or leaves. It emphasizes continuity and resilience, pointing to the essential life force that remains within the trunk even in seasons of loss or pruning. Translators typically render it as "stump," "stock," or "trunk" depending on whether the context focuses on destruction or potential regrowth.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word geza points to the sturdy core of a tree, the hidden strength that holds everything together. When life feels like it is being stripped away, leaving only bare branches, this image reminds us that the foundation often remains intact beneath the surface.
In Isaiah 6:13, the prophet sees a holy seed as the stock remaining after judgment. This suggests that even in our darkest seasons of loss or pruning, God preserves a living core within us. It is not about visible success, but about the enduring life that waits for the right moment to grow again.
When you feel cut down, remember that your true strength lies in that hidden connection to God. He sustains the root even when the leaves fall away, promising that new growth can emerge from what seems like an end.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- stump/ its1×
- rootstock/ their1×
- from/ [the] rootstock of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מִ/גֵּ֣זַע1×
- גִּזְעֽ/וֹ\׃1×
- גִּזְעָ֑/ם1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 11:1
A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.
This verse uses the stock of Jesse to show how God brings hope and leadership from a humble, seemingly dead lineage.
-
Job 14:8
Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stock dies in the ground,
Here the stock dying highlights the finality of human death, contrasting with the hope of regeneration found elsewhere in Scripture.
-
Isaiah 40:24
They are planted scarcely. They are sown scarcely. Their stock has scarcely taken root in the ground. He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the whirlwind takes them away as stubble.
The text emphasizes that human power is fragile because it lacks a deep root, unlike God who remains eternal.