### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **gᵉvîyâh**, represented by `{{H1472}}`, refers to a **body**, whether alive or dead. It appears 13 times across 11 unique verses in the Bible. Its definition encompasses the range from a living form to a "carcase" or "corpse," making it a versatile term for the physical self.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H1472}}` is used to describe both living and deceased bodies. In a context of desperation, the Egyptians offer their **bodies** and lands in exchange for food [[Genesis 47:18]]. Similarly, in Nehemiah's prayer, the Israelites lament that foreign kings have dominion over their **bodies** and cattle as a result of their sins [[Nehemiah 9:37]]. In visions, it describes supernatural forms, such as the glorious figure whose **body** was like beryl [[Daniel 10:6]] and the living creatures in Ezekiel's vision whose **bodies** were covered by wings ([[Ezekiel 1:11]], [[Ezekiel 1:23]]). The word also frequently denotes a dead body, as in the **carcase** of the lion from which Samson took honey [[Judges 14:9]] and the **bodies** of King Saul and his sons, which were taken from the wall of Bethshan [[1 Samuel 31:12]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the contexts in which `{{H1472}}` appears:
* `{{H6297}}` **peger** (carcase, corpse, dead body): This word is used alongside `{{H1472}}` to emphasize the massive scale of death in battle, as seen in Nahum's prophecy of a great number of **carcases** and no end of **corpses** [[Nahum 3:3]].
* `{{H2491}}` **châlâl** (slain (man), deadly wounded): This term appears in parallel with `{{H1472}}` to describe the human cost of conflict, highlighting a "multitude of **slain**" whose bodies litter the ground [[Nahum 3:3]].
* `{{H1052}}` **Bêyth Shᵉʼân** (house of ease; Beth-Shean or Beth-Shan): This place name is directly linked to the use of `{{H1472}}` in the account of King Saul, as it was on the wall of **Bethshan** that his **body** was fastened [[1 Samuel 31:10]].
### Theological Significance
The use of `{{H1472}}` carries significant theological weight, illustrating the state of humanity in different relationships to God and the world.
* **Human Vulnerability and Subjection:** The body is portrayed as the seat of personal existence that can be subjected to hardship and foreign rule. This is seen when the people of Egypt surrender their **bodies** due to famine [[Genesis 47:18]] and when Israel laments that its sins have led to foreign kings having dominion over their **bodies** [[Nehemiah 9:37]].
* **Vessel for the Supernatural:** `{{H1472}}` is not limited to the mundane. It describes the forms of heavenly beings, such as the living creatures in Ezekiel's vision [[Ezekiel 1:11]] and the glorious man in Daniel's vision, whose **body** shone like beryl [[Daniel 10:6]]. This usage elevates the concept of the body to something that can contain divine glory.
* **The Corporeality of Divine Judgment:** The term is frequently used to depict the physical result of God's judgment. In Psalms, a prophesied judgment involves filling places with the **dead bodies** of the heathen [[Psalm 110:6]]. Prophecies of destruction, like in Nahum, vividly describe battlefields with an endless number of **corpses** [[Nahum 3:3]].
### Summary
In summary, **gᵉvîyâh** `{{H1472}}` is a specific term for the physical form that carries a broad range of meaning. It captures the essence of the body in states of life and death, weakness and glory. From the subjugated **bodies** of a distressed people [[Nehemiah 9:37]] to the magnificent **body** of a celestial being [[Daniel 10:6]], and from the **carcase** of an animal [[Judges 14:8]] to the **dead bodies** left after divine judgment [[Psalm 110:6]], the word powerfully illustrates the physical reality of existence in both the earthly and spiritual realms.
TRV