Job 13:12 — Word Study
WLCזִֽ֭כְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־ אֵ֑פֶר לְגַבֵּי־ חֹ֝֗מֶר גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃
BSAYour maximszikrôwn [wise sayings, memorable teachings] are proverbsmâshâl [comparisons, teachings] of ashesʼêpher [worthless things] your defensesgab [strong places, arguments] are defensesgab [protections, refuges] of claychômer [a fragile material, something easily broken]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| זִֽ֭כְרֹנֵיכֶם | memorials your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| מִשְׁלֵי־ | [are] proverbs of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| אֵ֑פֶר | ash[es] | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| לְגַבֵּי־ | [are] defenses of | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct |
| חֹ֝֗מֶר | clay | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃ | defenses your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. |
| KJV | Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay. |
| ASV | Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defences are defences of clay. |
| YLT | Your remembrances [are] similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights. |
| WEB | Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes. Your defenses are defenses of clay. |
| BBE | Your wise sayings are only dust, and your strong places are only earth. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of מִשְׁלֵי — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence contains two main clauses, each with a prepositional phrase that provides further detail about the subject.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 13:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Job's Response to His Friendsgenerated
Job 13:12 is part of Job's reply to his friends, who have been offering their interpretations of his suffering. Job counters their claims by stating that their wise sayings are nothing more than worthless proverbs, and their defenses are as weak as clay. This verse highlights Job's frustration with their lack of understanding and the superficiality of their arguments.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 18:17 | The memory of him perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the land. |
| 2 | Exodus 17:14 | Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” |
| 3 | Psalm 34:16 | But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth. |
| 4 | Psalm 102:12 | But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations. |
| 5 | Psalm 109:15 | May their sins always remain before the LORD, that He may cut off their memory from the earth. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מִשְׁלֵי, mishleigenerated
The word מִשְׁלֵי (mishlei) is a noun that refers to proverbs or wise sayings, often conveying moral lessons or insights. It is commonly found in Hebrew Wisdom literature and suggests a form of teaching through comparison or metaphor.
The parsing indicates that it is a masculine plural construct, which means it is used here to describe multiple proverbs or sayings. The context suggests that these proverbs are not just wise but are also being dismissed as lacking true value.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, we reference the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term proverbs for מִשְׁלֵי.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause of the verse is introduced by the subject זִכְרֹנֵיכֶם (zikh.ro.nei.khem), which means 'your memorials'. This is followed by a predicate that describes what these memorials are, leading to a parallel structure where Job compares them to proverbs of ashes.
The structure emphasizes the contrast between the wise sayings and their worthlessness, with the use of prepositional phrases to clarify the nature of the defenses.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word מִשְׁלֵי is rendered as ἴσα (isa), which can imply equality or similarity. This choice suggests a nuanced understanding of the proverbs as not merely wise sayings but as reflections of the speaker's condition.
This translation indicates a broader interpretation, possibly suggesting that the proverbs are not only worthless but also fail to address the deeper issues at hand.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 13:12 shows Job's response to his friends, stating that their wise sayings are like worthless ashes and their defenses are as fragile as clay. This highlights Job's frustration with their lack of understanding regarding his suffering.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is saying that the wise sayings of his friends are worthless and do not hold any real value.
Job compares their defenses to clay to illustrate their fragility and inability to provide true protection.
Ashes symbolize worthlessness and destruction, indicating that the advice given to Job is empty and unhelpful.
This verse encapsulates Job's critique of his friends' superficial understanding of his suffering and their failure to provide meaningful support.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do we sometimes rely on empty wisdom in our own lives, similar to Job's friends?
- What are some ways we can offer true support to those who are suffering?
- In what situations have I felt that the advice given to me was as fragile as clay?
- How can we discern between wise counsel and empty sayings in our lives?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early commentary from Gregory the Dialogist interprets this verse as highlighting the futility of earthly wisdom, suggesting that Job's friends fail to grasp the true nature of his suffering.
Your remembrances are like unto ashes. All that are confounded to this present state of being by an earthly temper of mind, mean, by all that they do, to leave the remembrance of themselves to the world.Early Church Fathers on Job 13 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 13:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleYour remembrances [are] like unto ashes,.... Either of things they put Job in remembrance of, the mementos which they had suggested to him; see Job 4:7; or the things which they had brought forth out
Read John Gill on Job 13 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryYour remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay. Remembrances - `proverbial maxims,' so called because well-remembered: 'memorial sentences,' are - rather, shall become.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 13 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleYour remembrances; either, 1. Actively, i.e. your memorials, or your discourses and arguments, by which you design to bring things to my remembrance. So he might possibly allude to that passage, . Remember, I pray thee, &c. That and all your other mementos are like unto ashes, i.e. contemptible and unprofitable, Heb. are parables, or speeches, of dust, or ashes. Or, 2. Passively; all that which is most excellent and memorable in you, your wealth, and dignity, and wit, and reputation, or whatsoever it is for which you expect or desire to be remembered, it is all but poor despicable dust and ashes. And therefore you have just reason to abhor yourselves, and to dread the Divine Majesty, as I…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 13 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 13:12 Your remembrances [are] like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.Ver. 12. Your remembrances are like unto ashes, &c.] Mr Beza readeth the whole verse thus: Your speeches are the words of ashes, and your stately bulwarks are but bulwarks of clay. And thus he paraphraseth: For these things which you allege as matters gathered by long observations, and which you thunder out against me as if they were most certain and grounded axioms, are indeed no more sound and substantial than ashes; and those your high forts, as it were, and turrets, out of which you assail me, are made but of dirt and mire. Others, by "your remembrances," understand with Mercer, quicquid in vobis memorabile…
Read John Trapp on Job 13 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) Remembrances—i.e. “Wise and memorable saws of garnered wisdom are proverbs of ashes, worthless as the dust, and fit for bodies of clay like your bodies.” Or, as some understand it, “Your high fabrics, or defences, are fabrics of clay,” as an independent parallelism.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 13 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 12. Your remembrances are like unto ashes] Your memorable sayings are proverbs of dust. This is properly the meaning of the original: זכרניכם משלי אפר zichroneycem mishley epher. This he speaks in reference to the ancient and reputedly wise sayings which they had so copiously quoted against him. Your bodies to bodies of clay.] This clause is variously translated: Your swelling heaps are swelling heaps of mire. That is, Your high-flown speeches are dark, involved, and incoherent; they are all sound, no sense; great swelling words, either of difficult or no meaning, or of no point as applicable to my case.
Read AdamClarke on Job 13 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges12. This verse reads, Your remembrances shall be proverbs of ashes, Your defences defences of dust. The term “remembrances” means their traditional sayings, remembered from antiquity, their maxims, such as Bildad adduced, ch. 8, and Eliphaz with his Remember now! ch. Job 4:7; these shall be found to be but ashes, easily dissipated, and not able to resist. The word “defences” is used of the boss of the buckler, ch. Job 15:26, and may refer to some sort of breastwork or cover from which men assailed the enemy. These shall turn out defences of dust, lit clay, i. e. dried clay, which crumbles into dust. “Defences” here are not works for defence strictly but for offence, they are the arguments…
Read Cambridge on Job 13 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleYour remembrances are like unto ashes - There has been a considerable variety in the interpretation of this verse. The meaning in our common version is certainly not very clear.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 13 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes. Your defenses are defenses of clay.
Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.
Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.
Tyndale line
Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defences are defences of clay.
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, your defences are defences of clay.
Your remembrances are like to ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
Your memories may be compared vnto ashes, and your bodyes to bodyes of clay.
Strictly literal
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, your bulwarks are bulwarks of mire.
Your remembrances [are] similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights.
Your remembrances [are] allegories of ashes, || For high places of clay [are] your heights.
The things you remember are mere proverbs of ashes, your high-places are high-places of clay.
Your memorable sayings are proverbs made of ashes; your defenses are defenses made of clay.
From the Latin
Your remembrance shall be compared to ashes, and your necks shall be brought to clay.
Simplified
Your sayings are as helpful as ashes; your arguments as weak as clay.
Your wise sayings are only dust, and your strong places are only earth.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text of Job 13:12 states, "זִֽ֭כְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־ אֵ֑פֶר לְגַבֵּי־ חֹ֝֗מֶר גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃" which translates to, "Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay." The Septuagint, while not providing a direct translation, matches 4 out of the 6 words in a word-by-word correspondence, indicating a level of agreement with the Masoretic Text, although the exact phrasing and structure differ. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide additional variations for this verse, so the primary comparison remains between the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint, highlighting a general alignment in the core message despite differences in expression.
זִֽ֭כְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־ אֵ֑פֶר לְגַבֵּי־ חֹ֝֗מֶר גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 13:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
זִכָּרוֹן (zikrown) refers to a memorial or remembrance, encompassing concepts like a memento or record. It is derived from the root word meaning to remember. The entries consistently highlight its use in contexts related to memory and commemoration.
זִכָּרוֹן, זִכָּרֹן n.m. memorial, remembrance
base
H2146 זִכָּרוֹן, זִכָּרֹן memorial, remembrance
2146 zikrown zik-rone'
from 2142; a memento (or memorable thing, day or
writing):--memorial, record.
see HEBREW for 02142
זִכָּרוֹן (zikh.ron) — memorial.
memorial, reminder, remembrance
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2mp
מָשָׁל (mashal) refers to a proverb or parable, often characterized by parallelism and typically found in Hebrew Wisdom literature. It encompasses various forms such as aphorisms, bywords, and ethical maxims. The word is derived from a root suggesting superiority in mental action, indicating its metaphorical nature.
מָשָׁל n.m. proverb, parable (of sentences constructed in parallelism, usu. of Hebrew Wisdom, but occas. of other types)
base
H4912 מָשָׁל proverb, parable (of sentences constructed in parallelism, usu. of Hebrew Wisdom, but occas. of other types)
4912 mashal maw-shawl'
apparently from 4910 in some original sense of superiority in
mental action; properly, a pithy maxim, usually of
metaphorical nature; hence, a simile (as an adage, poem,
discourse):--byword, like, parable, proverb.
see HEBREW for 04910
מָשָׁל (ma.shal) — proverb.
1) proverb, parable
1a) proverb, proverbial saying, aphorism
1b) byword
1c) similitude, parable
1d) poem
1e) sentences of ethical wisdom, ethical maxims
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word אֵ֫פֶר (*epher*) means 'ashes' and is derived from an unused root meaning to bestrew. It primarily refers to ashes, but can also imply worthlessness in a figurative sense. The entries suggest a connection to the light and flying nature of ashes.
אֵ֫פֶר n.[m.] ashes (as light, flying?)
base
H665 אֵ֫פֶר ashes (as light, flying?)
665 'epher ay'-fer
from an unused root meaning to bestrew; ashes:--ashes.
אֵ֫פֶר (e.pher) — ashes.
1) ashes
2) (CLBL) worthlessness (fig.)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
גַּב (gav) refers to anything convex or curved, primarily denoting the back of a person. It can also mean a mound, a boss on a shield, bulwarks, or the rim of a wheel. The word encompasses various meanings related to rounded surfaces and projections, and has an Aramaic equivalent, גַּב (H1355).
גַּב n.m. anything convex, curved, gibbous, e,g, back, chiefly late
back
mound
boss, or convex projection, of shield
bulwarks, breastworks
brow
rim of wheel
base
H1354 גַּב
1354 gab gab
from an unused root meaning to hollow or curve; the back (as
rounded (compare 1460 and 1479); by analogy, the top or rim, a
boss, a vault, arch of eye, bulwarks, etc.:--back, body, boss,
eminent (higher) place, (eye)brows, nave, ring.
see HEBREW for 01460
see HEBREW for 01479
גַּב (gav) — back/rim/brow.
1) convex surface, back
1a) back (of man)
1b) mound (for illicit worship)
1c) boss (convex projection of shield)
1d) bulwarks, breastworks (of arguments-fig.)
1e) brow, eyebrow
1f) rim (of wheel)
Aramaic equivalent: gav (גַּב "back" H1355)
Prep | N-cp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural constructHR/Ncmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
חֹ֫מֶר (chomer) refers to cement, mortar, clay, and also denotes a heap or a unit of dry measure (homer). It is built from the idea of bubbling up, relating to water or earth. The entries indicate its use in various contexts, including construction and measurement.
חֹ֫מֶר n.m. cement, mortar, clay
base
חֹ֫מֶר n.[m.] heap
base
חֹ֫מֶר n.m. homer, a dry measure
base
H2563a חֹ֫מֶר cement, mortar, clay H2563b חֹ֫מֶר heap H2563c חֹ֫מֶר homer, a dry measure
2563 chomer kho'mer
from 2560; properly, a bubbling up, i.e. of water, a wave; of
earth, mire or clay (cement); also a heap; hence, a chomer or
dry measure:--clay, heap, homer, mire, motion.
see HEBREW for 02560
חֹ֫מֶר (cho.mer) — clay.
1) cement, mortar, clay
1a) mortar, cement
1b) clay
1c) mire
חֹ֫מֶר (cho.mer) — heap.
2) heap
2a) swelling, surging (of water)
חֹ֫מֶר (cho.mer) — homer.
homer-a unit of dry measure about 65 imperial gallons (300 l)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
kla (chomer, chacaph, TiT, meleT, `abhi, ma`abheh, abhTiT; pelos, "wet clay," "mud"): True clay, which is a highly aluminous soil, is found in certain localities in Palestine, and is used in making pottery. The Hebrew and Greek words, as well as the English "clay," are, however, used loosely for any sticky mud. In making mud bricks, true clay is not always used, but ordinary soil is worked up with water and mixed with straw, molded and left to dry in the sun. Chomer (compare chmar, "slime" or "bitumen") is rendered both "clay" and "mortar." TiT is rendered "clay" or "mire." In Isa 41:25 we have: "He shall come upon rulers as upon mortar (chomer), and as the potter treadeth clay" (TiT). In Na 3:14, "Go into the clay (TiT), and tread the mortar (chomer); make strong the brickkiln"…
Clay
This word is used of sediment found in pits or in streets (Isa. 57:20; Jer. 38:60), of dust mixed with spittle (John 9:6), and of potter’s clay (Isa. 41:25; Nah. 3:14; Jer. 18:1-6; Rom. 9:21). Clay was used for sealing (Job 38:14; Jer. 32:14). Our Lord’s tomb may have been thus sealed (Matt. 27:66). The practice of sealing doors with clay is still…
As the sediment of water remaining in pits or in streets, the word is used frequently in the Old Testament. (Psalms 18:42; Isaiah 57:20; Jeremiah 38:6) and in the New Testament, (John 9:6) a mixture of sand or dust with spittle. It is also found in the sense of potter’s clay. (Isaiah 41:25) The great seat of the pottery of the present day in Palestine is Gaza, where are made the vessels in dark-blue clay so frequently met with. Another use of clay was for sealing. (Job 38:14) Our Lord’s tomb may have been thus sealed, (Matthew 27:66) as also the earthen vessel containing the evidences of Jeremiah’s purchase. (
Designed for earthenware was trodden by the feet to mix it well, Isa 41:25, was molded on a wheel, and then baked in a kiln, Jer 18:3 43:9. The potter’s art is referred to in Scripture to illustrate man’s dependence upon God, Isa 64:8 Ro 9:21. See POTTER. Clay seems to have been also used in sealing, as wax is with us, Job 38:14. The bricks of Babylon are found marked with a large seal or stamp, and modern travellers find the locks of doors in eastern khans and granaries sealed on the outside with clay.
גַּב (gav) refers to anything convex or curved, primarily denoting the back of a person. It can also mean a mound, a boss on a shield, bulwarks, or the rim of a wheel. The word encompasses various meanings related to rounded surfaces and projections, and has an Aramaic equivalent, גַּב (H1355).
גַּב n.m. anything convex, curved, gibbous, e,g, back, chiefly late
back
mound
boss, or convex projection, of shield
bulwarks, breastworks
brow
rim of wheel
base
H1354 גַּב
1354 gab gab
from an unused root meaning to hollow or curve; the back (as
rounded (compare 1460 and 1479); by analogy, the top or rim, a
boss, a vault, arch of eye, bulwarks, etc.:--back, body, boss,
eminent (higher) place, (eye)brows, nave, ring.
see HEBREW for 01460
see HEBREW for 01479
גַּב (gav) — back/rim/brow.
1) convex surface, back
1a) back (of man)
1b) mound (for illicit worship)
1c) boss (convex projection of shield)
1d) bulwarks, breastworks (of arguments-fig.)
1e) brow, eyebrow
1f) rim (of wheel)
Aramaic equivalent: gav (גַּב "back" H1355)
N-cp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2mp