English · KJV
H1598

גָּנַן

gânan /gaw-nan'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto hedge about, i.e. (generally) protect
KJV usagedefend.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of gânan — 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 gânan, represented by H1598, is a primitive root meaning to hedge about, i.e. (generally) protect; defend. It appears 8 times across 7 unique verses in the Bible. This term specifically describes an act of defensive protection, often performed by God on behalf of His people and city.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H1598 is consistently used to describe the LORD's promise to protect Jerusalem. The phrase "I will defend this city" is a recurring promise from God, found in contexts of imminent threat, such as the siege by the king of Assyria (2 Kings 19:34; 2 Kings 20:6; Isaiah 37:35; Isaiah 38:6). The protection is not limited to the city itself but extends to its people, as the LORD promises he "shall defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem" Zechariah 12:8.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the nature and purpose of the defense offered by H1598:

  • H3068 Yᵉhôvâh: The agent who consistently performs the act of defending H1598 is the LORD, the self-Existent or Eternal God Zechariah 12:8.
  • H3467 yâshaʻ (to free or succor; save): This word often appears with H1598 to state the purpose of the defense. God will defend the city "to save it" (2 Kings 19:34; Isaiah 37:35).
  • H5337 nâtsal (to snatch away; deliver, rescue, save): This term is paired with H1598 to show the active result of God's protection. In defending Jerusalem, God also promises to deliver it Isaiah 31:5.
  • H4422 mâlaṭ (to release or rescue; preserve, save): Used alongside H1598 and H5337, this word completes a picture of total security. God's action is described as: "defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it" Isaiah 31:5.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1598 is centered on God's active role as a divine protector.

  • Divine Intervention: The use of H1598 almost exclusively describes a direct action by God. It is the LORD H3068 who defends His people, often pictured with powerful imagery, such as "As birds flying" Isaiah 31:5 or as a warrior who enables the feeble to be like David Zechariah 12:8.
  • Covenant Loyalty: God's motivation for defending the city is explicitly stated as being "for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake" (2 Kings 19:34; 2 Kings 20:6; Isaiah 37:35). This connects the act of protection directly to God's unwavering faithfulness to His own name and His covenant promises.
  • Comprehensive Deliverance: The word is frequently part of a chain of protective actions. The act of defending H1598 is linked to delivering H5337 and preserving H4422, showing that God's protection is a complete and multi-faceted salvation from threats Isaiah 31:5.

Summary

In summary, H1598 gânan is more than a simple word for defense; it is a theological statement about God's personal and powerful protection. Its repeated use in the context of saving Jerusalem highlights God's role as the ultimate guardian of His people. The word illustrates that God's defense is rooted in His covenant faithfulness and results in a comprehensive deliverance from danger.

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 8 occurrences, inflected in 3 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.

  • גַנּוֹתִי
  • יָגֵן
  • גָּנוֹן

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.

H3068 יְהֹוָה from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹו H3467 יָשַׁע a primitive root; properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e. (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor; H5337 נָצַל a primitive root; to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense; [idiom] at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, [idi H4422 מָלַט a primitive root; properly, to be smooth, i.e. (by implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively, to relea

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 7 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (3 verses); never once in the other 36.

2
2 Kings
3
Isaiah
2
Zechariah

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.