Word Study for H1641 (גָּרַר)

gârar /gaw-rar'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto drag off roughly; by implication, to bring up the cud (i.e. ruminate); by analogy, to saw

KJV usagecatch, chew, destroy, saw.

Idioms & phrasesidiom continuing

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of gârar — 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 gârar, represented by H1641, is a primitive root with a range of meanings centered on the idea of dragging or repetitive motion. Its definitions include to drag off roughly, to bring up the cud (ruminate), to saw, and to catch. It appears 5 times in 5 unique verses, demonstrating its versatility in describing actions from construction and animal behavior to divine judgment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H1641 is applied across several distinct contexts. In construction, it describes stones being sawed with saws for a building project 1 Kings 7:9. In the context of dietary law, it refers to an unclean animal because it does not chew the cud Leviticus 11:7. Metaphorically, it is used to describe enemies who catch people in their net Habakkuk 1:15. It also conveys the idea of persistence, as seen in the "continuing" whirlwind of the LORD's fury that will fall upon the wicked Jeremiah 30:23. Finally, it illustrates a principle of consequence, where the robbery of the wicked shall destroy them Proverbs 21:7.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help illuminate the contexts in which H1641 is found:

H4050 mᵉgêrâh (a saw): This word for the tool is used directly alongside H1641 in its sense of being "sawed," highlighting the physical act of cutting stone 1 Kings 7:9.
H2764 chêrem (a net): In Habakkuk, H1641 is the action of "catching," while H2764 is the "net" used for the capture, linking the verb to an instrument of entrapment Habakkuk 1:15.
H5591 çaʻar (a hurricane; storm(-y), tempest, whirlwind): The word H1641 describes the "continuing" nature of this whirlwind, emphasizing its relentless and sustained force as an expression of God's fury Jeremiah 30:23.
H7701 shôd (violence, ravage; desolation, destruction, oppression, robbery): This term for "robbery" is the subject that performs the action of "destroying" the wicked, tying H1641 to the theme of self-inflicted consequences for sin Proverbs 21:7.

Theological Significance

The thematic weight of H1641 is seen in its application to both mundane and divine activities.

Divine Judgment: The word is connected to divine judgment through the image of a continuing whirlwind of fury directed at the wicked Jeremiah 30:23. It also underscores the principle that the robbery of the wicked will ultimately destroy them Proverbs 21:7.
Human Hostility: In Habakkuk's lament, the word is used to describe the actions of enemies who catch people in nets, illustrating a theme of predatory and hostile human action Habakkuk 1:15.
Ceremonial Distinction: The simple, repetitive action of an animal that cheweth the cud becomes a significant marker in the Mosaic Law for distinguishing between clean and unclean, grounding a theological concept in a physical observation Leviticus 11:7.

Summary

In summary, H1641 is a dynamic verb whose core meaning of a dragging or repetitive action is applied in remarkably different ways. It can signify the literal work of being sawed 1 Kings 7:9, the biological process of an animal that cheweth the cud Leviticus 11:7, the aggressive act to catch people Habakkuk 1:15, the relentless nature of a continuing storm Jeremiah 30:23, and the inevitable consequence that will destroy the wicked Proverbs 21:7. Its varied usage illustrates how a single Hebrew root can convey a wide spectrum of meaning, from physical labor to theological consequence.

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 6 occurrences, inflected in 4 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.

יִגָּר
יִתְגּוֹרָרוּ
מִתְגּוֹרֵר
מְגֹרָרוֹת

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 5 verses across 5 of the 39 books. 5 books tie for most frequent (1 verse each); never once in the other 34.

Leviticus

1 Kings

Proverbs

Jeremiah

Habakkuk

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.