English · KJV
H1639

גָּרַע

gâraʻ /gaw-rah'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto scrape off; by implication, to shave, remove, lessen, withhold
KJV usageabate, clip, (di-) minish, do (take) away, keep back, restrain, make small, withdraw.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of gâraʻ — 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 gâraʻ, represented by H1639, is a primitive root meaning to scrape off. It appears 21 times across 20 unique verses in the Bible. By implication, its meaning extends to concepts such as to shave, remove, lessen, withhold, diminish, take away, restrain, and withdraw.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1639 is used in several key contexts. It conveys a strict prohibition against altering God's commands, as seen in the command, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it" Deuteronomy 4:2. The word is also used to describe physical actions, such as the signs of mourning where "every beard" shall be clipped Jeremiah 48:37. It is used to express divine judgment, as when God warns, "I will also diminish thee" Ezekiel 5:11, and in more abstract terms, it can mean to hold back, as when Job is accused of restrainest prayer before God Job 15:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of taking away or adding to:

  • H3254 yâçaph (a primitive root; to add or augment): This word often appears as a direct antonym to H1639, creating a parallel structure that forbids both adding to and taking away from God's perfect word (Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32).
  • H6565 pârar (a primitive root; to break up, violate, frustrate): This term relates to H1639 in the context of nullifying or obstructing something. In Job's accusation, he is said to "cast off" (pârar) fear and at the same time "restrainest" (gâraʻ) prayer, linking the two destructive actions Job 15:4.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1639 is significant, particularly in defining boundaries and consequences.

  • Sanctity of God's Word: The word is central to the principle that divine revelation is complete and must not be altered. God's work is eternal, and nothing can be taken from it Ecclesiastes 3:14, a command given directly to prophets like Jeremiah, who was told "diminish not a word" Jeremiah 26:2.
  • Divine Sovereignty and Judgment: The act of diminishing or taking away is often an expression of God's sovereign power. He can diminish a nation's food as punishment Ezekiel 16:27 or take away an inheritance Numbers 36:4. In contrast, He shows favor when He withdraweth not His eyes from the righteous Job 36:7.
  • Human Responsibility: The term is also applied to human obligations. The Israelites were commanded not to minish their daily quota of bricks Exodus 5:19, and a man was forbidden to diminish the food and clothing of his first wife if he took another Exodus 21:10.

Summary

In summary, H1639 is far more than a simple verb for reduction. It functions as a critical term defining the integrity of God's law, the execution of divine judgment, and the fulfillment of human duties. From the tangible act of clipping a beard to the absolute command not to diminish Scripture, gâraʻ illustrates how the concept of "taking away" carries profound weight in legal, physical, and spiritual contexts throughout the Bible.

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 22 occurrences, inflected in 14 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.

  • יִגָּרַע
  • תִגְרְעוּ
  • תִגְרַע
  • תִגְרַע
  • יִגְרָע
  • גְּרוּעָה
  • נִגְרְעָה
  • נִגְרַע
  • נִגָּרַע
  • נִגְרָע
  • יְגָרַע
  • אֶגְרַע
  • אֶגְרַע
  • גְרֹעַ

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.

H3254 יָסַף a primitive root; to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing); add, [idiom] again, [idiom] any more, H6565 פָּרַר a primitive root; to break up (usually figuratively), i.e. to violate, frustrate; [idiom] any ways, break (asunder), cas

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 20 verses across 8 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Exodus, Numbers, and Job (4 verses each); never once in the other 31.

4
Exodus
1
Leviticus
4
Numbers
2
Deuteronomy
4
Job
1
Ecclesiastes
2
Jeremiah
2
Ezekiel

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.