English · KJV
H1443

גָּדַר

gâdar /gaw-dar'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto wall in or around
KJV usageclose up, fence up, hedge, inclose, make up (a wall), mason, repairer.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of gâdar — 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 gâdar, represented by H1443, is a primitive root meaning to wall in or around. It is used to describe actions like closing up, fencing, hedging, inclosing, making up a wall, and the work of a mason or repairer. It appears 10 times across 10 unique verses in the Bible, carrying both literal and metaphorical weight.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H1443 appears in two primary contexts. Literally, it refers to the skilled labor of a mason in the physical repair and construction of the house of the LORD (2 Kings 12:12; 2 Kings 22:6). Metaphorically, the word is used to describe acts of protection, restoration, and confinement. God seeks for a man to "make up the hedge" and stand in the gap for the land Ezekiel 22:30, a task the leaders of Israel failed to perform Ezekiel 13:5. The word also conveys divine judgment, as seen when Job laments that God has "fenced up my way" Job 19:8 and when the prophet decries being "hedged about" and "inclosed" (Lamentations 3:7; Lamentations 3:9).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help define the context of building and repairing:

  • H1447 gâdêr (fence, hedge, wall): This noun is the direct object of the verb H1443 in several key passages, signifying the physical or spiritual barrier being built, such as making "a wall" Hosea 2:6 or making up "the hedge" Ezekiel 13:5.
  • H6556 perets (breach, gap): This term describes the break or gap that H1443 is meant to fix. A person can be called "The repairer of the breach" Isaiah 58:12, and God promises to "close up the breaches" of David's fallen tabernacle Amos 9:11.
  • H1129 bânâh (to build, repair): This general term for building is used alongside H1443, where "builders" and "masons" work together on the house of the LORD 2 Kings 22:6.
  • H2388 châzaq (to repair, fortify, strengthen): This verb is used synonymously with H1443 in the context of repairing God's house, where funds are allocated to "masons" and for materials "to repair the breaches" 2 Kings 12:12.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H1443 is tied to the concepts of restoration and divine boundaries.

  • Spiritual Restoration: The word moves from the literal work of a mason to the spiritual task of national renewal. God's promise to "close up the breaches" of David's tabernacle signifies a covenantal restoration Amos 9:11. Likewise, being called "The repairer of the breach" is an honorable title for those who rebuild and restore Isaiah 58:12.
  • Intercession and Leadership: "Making up the hedge" is directly linked to "standing in the gap," a metaphor for the intercessory role of a righteous leader who stands between a nation and God's judgment. The failure to find such a person results in destruction, highlighting the responsibility of leadership (Ezekiel 22:30; Ezekiel 13:5).
  • Divine Boundaries: The act of building a wall can be one of protection or of judgment. God can "hedge" someone in as a corrective measure Hosea 2:6 or as a sign of affliction, making their paths impassable (Job 19:8; Lamentations 3:7).

Summary

In summary, H1443 is a dynamic term that bridges the physical and the spiritual. It begins with the concrete image of a "mason" mending a wall and expands into a powerful metaphor for repairing spiritual decay, restoring a nation, and establishing divine boundaries. Whether it signifies the protective act of a righteous leader or the confining judgment of God, gâdar illustrates how the tangible act of building a wall can represent the profound spiritual realities of protection, restoration, and accountability.

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 verb across 10 occurrences, inflected in 5 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.

  • גָּדַר
  • גָדַרְתִּי
  • גֹּדְרִים
  • גֹּדֵר
  • תִּגְדְּרוּ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H1447 גָּדֵר from גָּדַר; a circumvallation; by implication, an inclosure; fence, hedge, wall. H6556 פֶּרֶץ from פָּרַץlemma פּרַץ missing vowel, corrected to פָּרַץ; a break (literally or figuratively); breach, breaking forth ( H1129 בָּנָה a primitive root; to build (literally and figuratively); (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), H2388 חָזַק a primitive root; to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, he

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 10 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Kings, Lamentations, and Ezekiel (2 verses each); never once in the other 32.

2
2 Kings
1
Job
1
Isaiah
2
Lamentations
2
Ezekiel
1
Hosea
1
Amos

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.