יָגָה (ya.gah)
ya.gah
to thrust away
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb yāgah appears in the Hiphil stem with the specific meaning of physically thrusting or pushing something away. It is a term of forceful motion, describing an action where one object is driven back from another.
This word occurs only once in the Hebrew Bible, in 2 Samuel 20:13. The context describes a violent confrontation where Abishai and Joab pursue Sheba son of Bichri. As they reach a stone mound, the woman at the siege offers a deal to avoid bloodshed. However, the text uses yāgah to describe how Joab thrusts away or repels the woman’s attempt to intervene or perhaps the obstacle she represents, allowing the military action to proceed. The rarity of the word highlights its specific use in this singular narrative moment.
Because it is so uncommon, yāgah does not carry a broad theological range like more frequent verbs. Its significance lies entirely in its vivid depiction of decisive physical force within the political turmoil of David’s reign. Translators typically render it as "thrust away" or "pushed aside," preserving the sense of abrupt, physical rejection.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew verb yāgah describes a forceful act of thrusting something away. It appears only once in Scripture, in 2 Samuel 20:13. The scene is tense. Joab and Abishai pursue Sheba, a rebel leader. A woman tries to stop them at a stone mound. The text uses this rare word to show how the path was cleared for the army to continue.
While the word itself does not carry deep theological weight, the story behind it reminds us that God’s purposes often move forward despite human conflict. In moments of confusion or violence, we can trust that God remains sovereign. This single verse shows a moment of decisive action in a chaotic time.
For your faith, this means you are not alone when life feels like a struggle. Even when circumstances seem violent or unclear, God’s plan continues. You can rest in the knowledge that He guides history, even through difficult chapters.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- he had removed [him]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הֹגָ֖ה1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 20:13
When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
This is the only occurrence of yāgah in the Hebrew Bible, describing how the path was cleared so Joab could pursue Sheba.