Hebrew word · H1898

הָגָה

hagah

to remove

There are two words spelled hagah. Hagah I means murmur, groan, meditate (Ps 1:2). Hagah II (H1898) means remove or separate, used of removing dross from silver and removing the wicked from the king's presence (Prov 25:4–5).

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

(Qal) to remove, drive out

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 27:8

Range of meaning

There are two words spelled hagah. Hagah I means murmur, groan, meditate (Ps 1:2). Hagah II (H1898) means remove or separate, used of removing dross from silver and removing the wicked from the king's presence (Prov 25:4–5).

Against the English

Modern versions: 'removed / drove out'. KJV 'stayeth' (meaning 'holds back') takes the wind as being restrained.

How it drifted

Modern readers hear KJV 'stayeth' as 'stays, remains'. In 1611 it meant 'restrains, holds in check'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Proverbs 25:4–5 is the main parallel. Its picture of purifying silver suits the cleansing of altars in Isaiah 27:9.

From the study of Proverbs 25:5

Range of meaning

A rare verb meaning to remove, separate, or drive out. It should not be confused with the far more common הָגָה I, "to murmur, moan, meditate" (as in Psalm 1:2). Lexicons such as BDB and HALOT list it separately. Its few uses all involve forcibly separating or expelling something: Isaiah 27:8 (God "removed/drove out" Israel with his fierce wind), 2 Samuel 20:13 (Amasa's body "was removed" from the road), and Proverbs 25:4–5.

Against the English

"Remove" (BSB, WEB) and "take away" (KJV, YLT) are accurate. What English cannot show is that the identical form opens verse 4 and verse 5. That repetition makes the two verses one comparison: the refiner skims dross off the silver, and the king (or whoever serves him) skims the wicked out of the court.

Used elsewhere in the period

The form here is the infinitive absolute, a verb form with no subject that Hebrew uses for commands and general maxims. The Greek translation (LXX) rendered it with the strong imperative κτεῖνε, "kill", in verse 5. Isaiah's refining oracle (Isa 1:22–26), from the same Judean setting, uses the dross-and-silver picture for purging corrupt rulers and judges.

Where it appears

Proverbs · 2

  1. Proverbs 25:4 הָג֣וֹ remove

    Remove the dross from the silver, and a vessel for a silversmith will come forth.

  2. Proverbs 25:5 הָג֣וֹ remove

    Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.

    Here: A bare verb form with no person attached, here working as a command or a general rule: "remove!" or "when you remove...". It is the same word that opens verse 4 about skimming dross off molten silver, so it carries the picture of a refiner separating out waste.

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 27:8 הָגָ֛ה he drove out

    By warfare and exile You contended with her and removed her with a fierce wind, as on the day the east wind blows.

    Here: This is the less common 'hagah', meaning 'remove, separate', as when dross is removed from silver in Proverbs 25:4–5. It is not the familiar 'hagah' meaning 'murmur, meditate'. The speaker switches from 'you' to 'he', which is common in Hebrew poetry.

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