Hebrew word · H1415

גָּדָה

gedotav

bank

gadah means riverbank. It occurs only four times in the Hebrew Bible, always in the phrase for a river overflowing "all its banks".

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

a river bank

Also means: gid.yah (גִּדְיָה "bank" H1428)

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

From the study of Isaiah 8:7

Range of meaning

gadah means riverbank. It occurs only four times in the Hebrew Bible, always in the phrase for a river overflowing "all its banks".

Against the English

All the major versions say "banks", which is accurate. What English cannot show is that this rare word comes with a fixed association: spring flood.

Used elsewhere in the period

Josh 3:15 (the Jordan "overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest"); Josh 4:18; 1 Chr 12:15 (16 in Hebrew). The Tigris and Euphrates flood in spring, when snow melts in the Armenian highlands.

From the study of Joshua 3:15

Range of meaning

Maleʾ means 'full, filled'. Gadah means 'riverbank', a rare word. Together: 'brimming over all its banks', the river at or above flood level along its whole course.

Against the English

KJV/WEB 'overflows all its banks', YLT 'is full over all its banks', NIV 'at flood stage'. These are close. The YLT keeps the Hebrew image of fullness, a vessel filled to the top.

Used elsewhere in the period

1 Chronicles 12:15 uses almost the same words for warriors from Gad who crossed the Jordan 'in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks'. That was remembered as a feat of daring. In Isaiah 8:7 the Euphrates 'will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks', a picture of Assyria's army sweeping in. Sirach 24:26 compares overflowing wisdom to 'the Jordan at harvest time'.

Where it appears

Joshua · 2

  1. Joshua 3:15 גְּדוֹתָ֔יו banks its

    Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,

    Here: A rare word for a riverbank. It appears only here, at 4:18, at 1 Chronicles 12:15 (also about the Jordan in flood) and at Isaiah 8:7 (the Euphrates overflowing as a picture of Assyria's invasion).

  2. Joshua 4:18 גְּדוֹתָֽיו׃ banks its

    When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.

1 Chronicles · 1

  1. 1 Chronicles 12:15 גְּדוֹתָ֑יו banks its

    These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 8:7 גְּדוֹתָֽיו׃ banks its

    the Lord will surely bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria and all his pomp. It will overflow its channels and overrun its banks.

    Here: A rare word for riverbanks. Elsewhere it is used only of the Jordan in spring flood "overflowing all its banks" (Josh 3:15; 4:18; 1 Chr 12:15), the standard picture of a seasonal flood.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.