גָּעַשׁ (ga.ash)
ga.ash
to shake
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb ga‘ash describes a violent shaking or quaking. It appears six times in the Old Testament, primarily in Jeremiah, II Samuel, and Job. The word captures a physical instability so intense it suggests the ground is losing its firmness or an object is being tossed about uncontrollably.
Its forms convey different degrees of this motion. In the Qal stem, it simply means to shake. The Pual form indicates that something has been shaken up or convulsed by an external force. The reflexive stems, Hithpael and Hithpoel, depict a more chaotic scene where things reel to and fro, emphasizing the disorienting nature of the movement.
This word often carries theological weight by linking physical tremors to divine presence or judgment. For instance, Jeremiah uses it to describe the earth shaking in response to God’s anger (Jeremiah 4:24). In II Samuel, it describes the ground trembling during David’s flight from Absalom (II Samuel 15:14). The imagery consistently points to a reality where stability is disrupted by powerful forces beyond human control.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life feels unstable, it is natural to look for solid ground. The Hebrew word ga‘ash describes a violent shaking, often used in Scripture to depict the earth trembling under divine judgment or human turmoil. In II Samuel 22:8, the foundations of heaven quake because God is angry. This imagery reminds us that even when our world seems to shift beneath our feet, we are not witnessing chaos without purpose.
Yet this word also points to a deeper truth about stability. Jeremiah 5:22 contrasts the surging waves that cannot cross their bounds with the fear of Yahweh. The same power that shakes the earth sets limits on destruction. We can find comfort in knowing that our security does not rest on unshakable circumstances, but on a Creator who remains steady when everything else moves.
Whether we face personal upheaval or global uncertainty, this word invites us to anchor our trust in God’s sovereignty. It is okay to acknowledge fear, but let it lead you to the one who holds all things together. His presence offers a peace that transcends the shaking of the world around us.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they surge2×
- and/ they shook back and forth2×
- they are shaken1×
- and/ they will stagger to and fro1×
- and/ it shook back and forth1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יִתְגֹּ֣עֲשׁוּ1×
- יִֽתְגָּעֲשׁ֖וּ1×
- יְגֹעֲשׁ֣וּ1×
- וַ/יִּתְגָּעַ֤שׁ1×
- וַ/יִּֽתְגָּעֲשׁוּ֙1×
- וַ/יִּֽתְגָּעֲשׁ֖וּ1×
- וְ/הִֽתְגֹּֽעֲשׁ֖וּ1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 22:8
Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
This verse uses ga‘ash to describe the cosmic reaction to God’s anger, showing that divine presence can cause even the foundations of heaven to quake.
-
Jeremiah 5:22
Don’t you fear me?’ says Yahweh; ‘Won’t you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it can’t pass it? Though its waves toss themselves, yet they can’t prevail. Though they roar, they still can’t pass over it.’
Here the word appears in a rhetorical question urging fear of Yahweh, contrasting the uncontrollable power of surging waters with God’s established limits.
-
Job 34:20
In a moment they die, even at midnight. The people are shaken and pass away. The mighty are taken away without a hand.
The verb describes how the mighty are suddenly shaken and pass away, highlighting human fragility in the face of divine sovereignty.