### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew place name **Gidʻôm**, represented by `{{H1440}}`, is derived from a root meaning "a cutting (i.e. desolation)." It appears **1 times** across **1 unique verses** in the Bible. The name itself points to a place associated with being cut down or laid waste, a meaning that is directly reflected in its only biblical mention.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H1440}}` marks the final stage of a brutal pursuit during the civil war against the tribe of Benjamin. After a devastating battle, the surviving Benjamites attempted to escape. The Israelite forces "turned and fled toward the wilderness," but the chase was relentless. The pursuit continued "hard after them unto **Gidom**, and slew two thousand men of them" [[Judges 20:45]]. Gidom is thus memorialized as the location where this desperate flight ended in further slaughter.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from the context of [[Judges 20:45]] illuminate the action surrounding Gidom:
* `{{H6437}}` **pânâh** (to turn; by implication, to face, i.e. appear, look, etc.): This word describes the initial action of the fleeing Benjamites as they **turned** toward the wilderness in an attempt to escape their pursuers [[Judges 20:45]].
* `{{H5127}}` **nûwç** (to flit, i.e. vanish away... escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver): This captures the essence of the Benjamites' frantic effort to **fled** from the victorious Israelite army [[Judges 20:45]].
* `{{H1692}}` **dâbaq** (a primitive root; properly, to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere; figuratively, to catch by pursuit): This verb emphasizes the tenacity of the Israelites who **pursued** hard and caught up to the Benjamites on the way to Gidom [[Judges 20:45]].
* `{{H5221}}` **nâkâh** (a primitive root; to strike... kill, make (slaughter)...): This word marks the violent conclusion of the chase at Gidom, where the Israelites **slew** two thousand more men [[Judges 20:45]].
### Theological Significance
The narrative significance of `{{H1440}}` is tied directly to its role as a geographical marker of judgment and desolation.
* **Endpoint of Pursuit:** Gidom is not just a location but the destination that sealed the fate of a portion of the fleeing Benjamite remnant. The pursuit is explicitly noted as continuing "unto Gidom" [[Judges 20:45]].
* **A Place of Cutting Down:** The meaning of the name—"a cutting"—is grimly fulfilled by the events that take place there. It becomes a site of "desolation" where two thousand men are cut down.
* **Symbol of Defeat:** In the context of the larger war, Gidom represents a point of no escape and the totality of the Benjamite defeat before they reached a temporary refuge at the rock of Rimmon.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H1440}}` is a name that appears only once but carries significant weight within its narrative. As Gidom, it is the geographic point where a desperate flight ended in a massacre. Its very definition, "a cutting," perfectly encapsulates its role in scripture as a place of desolation, forever marking the spot where two thousand men were slain during a devastating Israelite civil war [[Judges 20:45]].
TRV