גַּו
the back
Definition
The Hebrew noun גַּו (gav) primarily refers to the 'back' of a person or animal, specifically the upper back or shoulders. In its three biblical occurrences, it is used metaphorically to depict turning away from God in rebellion or defiance. In 1 Kings 14:9, God declares that Jeroboam has done more evil than all before him, 'and have cast me behind your back' (וַתַּשְׁלֵךְ אֹתִי אַחֲרֵי גַוֶּךָ), a vivid image of contemptuous rejection. Similarly, in Nehemiah 9:26, the people 'cast your law behind their backs' (וְאֶת־תּוֹרָתְךָ הִשְׁלִיכוּ אַחֲרֵי גַוָּם), signifying willful disobedience. In Ezekiel 23:35, the phrase 'you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back' (וַתִּשְׁכְּחִי אוֹתִי וַתַּשְׁלִיכִי אוֹתִי אַחֲרֵי גַוֵּךְ) reinforces this imagery of deliberate abandonment.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only three times in the Old Testament, always in the phrase 'to cast [something] behind the back' (הִשְׁלִיךְ אַחֲרֵי גַו). This idiom is used exclusively in contexts of covenantal unfaithfulness, where Israel or its leaders reject God and His commands. It is found in historical narrative (1 Kings 14:9), a penitential prayer (Nehemiah 9:26), and prophetic judgment (Ezekiel 23:35), consistently portraying a conscious, contemptuous act of turning away from divine authority.
Etymology
גַּו (gav) is a variant or byform of the more common noun גֵּו (gev, H1460), which also means 'back' or 'body.' Both words likely derive from a root (גוה) conveying the sense of 'to bow' or 'be arched,' relating to the curvature of the spine. The specific form גַּו appears to be a later or poetic variant used in the idiomatic expression noted above.
Semantic Range
Though a simple anatomical term, גַּו gains profound theological weight through its consistent idiomatic usage. The phrase 'to cast behind the back' is a powerful metaphor for sin, not as mere weakness or ignorance, but as a deliberate, prideful act of rejection against God. It visualizes the posture of rebellion—turning one's back on the Creator. This enriches our understanding of passages about Israel's idolatry, framing it not just as adding false gods, but as an active, contemptuous dismissal of the true God (1 Kings 14:9, Ezekiel 23:35). It underscores that repentance requires turning back to face God.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, turning one's back on a superior, especially a king or deity, was a grave sign of disrespect and rebellion. The idiom 'to cast behind the back' would have been immediately understood as a proverbial expression for contemptuous rejection and willful forgetting, stronger than simply 'forgetting.' It implies a conscious decision to treat something as worthless and unworthy of attention.
גֵּו (gev, H1460) — The more common synonym for 'back' or 'body,' used in a wider range of physical contexts. שְׁכֶם (shekem, H7926) — Specifically refers to the 'shoulder' or 'back' as a place for bearing burdens, often used for carrying or submitting to a yoke.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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