### 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.
TRV