Hebrew word · H1342
גָּאָה
ga'ah
to rise up
The root g-'-h means to rise up or be high. The doubled form here (an infinitive followed by the finite verb) is Hebrew's ordinary way of adding emphasis: "he has truly, towering-ly risen up."
Appears 7 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·
What it means
1) to rise up, grow up, be exalted in triumph
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to rise up
1a2) to grow up
1a3) to be lifted up, be raised up, be exalted
Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
The root g-'-h means to rise up or be high. It is used of water rising (Ezek 47:5, the river had "risen"), of plants growing tall (Job 8:11), and, in the related nouns ge'ah and ga'on, of majesty or exaltation (Exod 15:7 "the greatness of your majesty") and of human pride or arrogance (Prov 8:13; 16:18). The doubled form here (an infinitive followed by the finite verb) is Hebrew's ordinary way of adding emphasis: "he has truly, towering-ly risen up."
- Against the English
KJV, ESV and WEB render it "triumphed gloriously", which catches the battle-victory sense and the emphasis but loses the picture of height. BSB and NASB render it "is highly exalted", which keeps the height but in modern English sounds passive, as if others are lifting God up in praise. YLT's "triumphing He hath triumphed" copies the doubling.
- How it drifted
"Exalted" in church English now mostly means "praised, honoured by worshippers". The Hebrew verb is active: Yahweh himself has risen up and acted in overwhelming majesty. The song praises him because he did this; it is not the praise itself.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The Greek Septuagint translates it ἐνδόξως γὰρ δεδόξασται, "for gloriously he has been glorified", keeping the doubled emphasis. The same root returns in Exod 15:7 (ge'onkha, "your majesty") and in Deut 33:26, 29 of God riding the heavens "in his majesty". In Isaiah 2:12 and other passages God's ga'on brings down human ga'on.
From the study of Exodus 15:21
- Range of meaning
The root g-ʾ-h means “to rise up, be high, grow tall.” It is used of water swelling (Ezek 47:5), of a plant shooting up (Job 8:11), and of majesty (Isa 12:5 “he has done gloriously”). With related nouns it also means pride or arrogance in humans (geʾeh, “a proud one”; gaʾavah, “pride”). In God it is rightful majesty. In people it is overreach.
- Against the English
KJV, WEB and ESV have “triumphed gloriously,” which captures both the event and the intensity. BSB, NIV and NASB have “is highly exalted,” which sounds like a status or a level of praise. YLT keeps the doubled verb: “Triumphing He hath triumphed.”
- How it drifted
In church English “exalted” mostly means “praised, lifted up in worship.” The Hebrew is about what God has done: he has risen up and shown his height by defeating Egypt.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The same root runs through the song in 15:1–18: 15:7 “in the greatness of your majesty (geʾonkha) you overthrow your adversaries.” Job 38:11 speaks of the sea’s “proud waves” (geʾon gallekha), and Ps 93:3–4 shows God as mightier than the surging waters. Doubling the verb this way is the standard Hebrew way to intensify (GKC §113).
Where it appears
Exodus · 4
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Exodus 15:1 גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה certainly <to exalted>, he is exalted
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.
Here: A verb form placed before its own finite verb to intensify it: "truly, towering-ly". It adds force and sound: ga'oh ga'ah.
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Exodus 15:21 גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה certainly <to exalted>, he is exalted
And Miriam sang back to them: “Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; the horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.”
Here: The verb's plain form is placed before the conjugated verb to intensify it: “rising high, he has risen high.” This is how Hebrew says “truly, gloriously, completely.”
Job · 2
Ezekiel · 1
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Ezekiel 47:5 גָא֤וּ they had risen
Once again he measured off a thousand cubits, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough for swimming—a river that could not be crossed on foot.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.