Word Study for H1610 (גַּף) | Strong's Concordance

gaph /gaf/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom an unused root meaning to arch

Meaningthe back; by extension the body or self

KJV usagehimself.

Idioms & phrasesphrase highest places

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of gaph — 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 gaph, represented by H1610, is derived from an unused root meaning to arch. It is used to denote the back, and by extension, the body or self. It can also be found in the phrase "highest places." This specific term appears 4 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H1610 carries two distinct meanings based on context. In the Law of Moses, it is used three times to mean "himself," establishing the legal status of a servant who enters servitude alone and must therefore leave alone (Exodus 21:3, Exodus 21:4). Separately, in Proverbs, it is used to describe the "highest places" of a city, signifying a location of great visibility from which wisdom personified sends her messengers to cry out to the public Proverbs 9:3.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words appear in the verses where H1610 is found, clarifying its application:

H3318 yâtsâʼ (to go ... out): This verb is paired with H1610 to describe the action of leaving servitude. A man who came in by himself "shall go out by himself" Exodus 21:3.
H7971 shâlach (to send away, for, or out): In Proverbs, wisdom has "sent forth" her maidens from the high places, initiating the call to the simple Proverbs 9:3.
H7121 qârâʼ (to call out to): This word describes the proclamation made from the "highest places" signified by H1610. Wisdom "crieth" from these prominent positions Proverbs 9:3.

Theological Significance

The significance of H1610 is found in its specific and dual applications, highlighting concepts of identity and position.

Legal Identity: The word is used to define a person's individual, solitary status. In the context of Exodus, "by himself" is a crucial legal distinction that determines the terms of a servant's freedom and family obligations Exodus 21:3-4.
Physical Prominence: H1610 also denotes a place of elevation. By positioning her call "upon the highest places," wisdom ensures her message of guidance is accessible and unavoidable to those in the city below Proverbs 9:3.

Summary

In summary, H1610 is a specific term that, while rare, serves two important functions. It can define a person's legal standing as a solitary individual ("by himself") or identify a prominent physical location ("highest places") for public proclamation. The word's meaning is sharply defined by its immediate context, whether in legal statutes or wisdom literature.

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 noun across 4 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

גַפּ
גַּפֵּי

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 3 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Exodus (2 verses); never once in the other 37.

Exodus

Proverbs

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.