Word Study for H1423 (גְּדִי)

gᵉdîy /ghed-ee'/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom the same as גָּדָה

Meaninga young goat (from browsing)

KJV usagekid.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of gᵉdîy — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word gᵉdîy, represented by H1423, refers to a young goat (from browsing); kid. It appears 16 times in 16 unique verses. This term is consistently used to denote a young goat, playing a significant role in contexts of hospitality, sacrificial offerings, and divine law.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1423 is used in several distinct ways. It is frequently presented as a form of payment, gift, or meal prepared for a guest, as when Judah sends a kid to Tamar Genesis 38:17 or when Gideon prepares a kid for the angel of the LORD Judges 6:19. The word is also central to a specific dietary law repeated three times: "Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk" (Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26, Deuteronomy 14:21). Prophetically, the kid appears as a symbol of peace in a restored creation, where "the leopard shall lie down with the kid" Isaiah 11:6. Its vulnerability is used as a metaphor for strength when Samson is described as tearing a lion apart as one would tear a kid Judges 14:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to contextualize the meaning of a kid:

H5795 ʻêz (goat): This is the general term for a goat, often used alongside H1423 to specify a young animal from the goats. For example, Jacob is instructed to fetch "two good kids of the goats" Genesis 27:9.
H2061 zᵉʼêb (wolf): This predator is mentioned in the same prophetic vision as the kid, illustrating a dramatic reversal of the natural order when "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb" and other natural enemies coexist peacefully Isaiah 11:6.
H5246 nâmêr (leopard): Like the wolf, the leopard is a predator whose peaceful coexistence with the kid signifies a time of complete safety and harmony under divine rule Isaiah 11:6.
H3196 yayin (wine): This term for wine often appears alongside a kid as part of a provision or offering, highlighting the kid's role in meals and acts of worship 1 Samuel 10:3.

Theological Significance

The symbolic weight of H1423 is demonstrated in several key themes:

Hospitality and Provision: The kid serves as a standard for a valuable and honorable meal, offered to important guests, angels, and prophets, as seen in the accounts of Gideon and Manoah (Judges 6:19, Judges 13:15).
Ritual and Law: Its inclusion in the specific prohibition against boiling it in its mother's milk elevates the kid from a simple animal to an object of theological and ethical concern within Israel's legal framework Deuteronomy 14:21.
Messianic Peace: The image of a vulnerable kid resting safely with a leopard is a powerful prophetic symbol of the shalom that will characterize the Messiah's kingdom, where even the most ingrained natural hostilities are removed Isaiah 11:6.
Sacred Offerings: A kid was a common and acceptable animal for offerings made to God, whether as a formal sacrifice or as part of a sacred meal presented to the LORD (Judges 13:19, 1 Samuel 10:3).

Summary

In summary, H1423 is a specific term with broad significance. While literally meaning a young goat, it functions as a key element in social transactions, legal codes, and prophetic imagery. From a simple meal to a symbol of eschatological peace, the kid consistently represents concepts of provision, value, vulnerability, and divinely-instituted harmony.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 16 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

גְּדִי
גְּדִי
גְּדָיֵי
גְדָיִים

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 16 verses across 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis and Judges (5 verses each); never once in the other 33.

Genesis

Exodus

Deuteronomy

Judges

1 Samuel

Isaiah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.