גִּזְרִי
a Grizite (collectively) or member of a native tribe in Palestine
Definition
The Hebrew word גִּזְרִי (Gizrîy) refers to a member or group of people known as the Gizrites, a native tribe in ancient Palestine. It is a gentilic noun, meaning it identifies people based on their geographic or tribal origin. The term appears only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Samuel 27:8, where it is listed among the peoples David raided while living in Philistine territory. Some textual traditions and scholars suggest the word may be a variant or scribal transposition of 'Gezerite,' referring to inhabitants of the city of Gezer, but the Masoretic Text reads 'Gizrites.'
Biblical Usage
This word is used only one time in the entire Old Testament, in 1 Samuel 27:8. In this context, it appears in a list of ancient peoples—the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites—whom David attacked during his time of exile among the Philistines. The usage is purely descriptive, identifying a specific tribal group within the land of Canaan. There are no other biblical books or contexts where this term is employed, making its usage pattern extremely limited and specific to this historical military account.
Etymology
The word גִּזְרִי (Gizrîy) is a patrial noun, a form that denotes origin from a place or tribe. It is derived from the presumed root גֶּזֶר (gezer), though the exact location or tribe of 'Gizri' is uncertain. Strong's and some manuscripts connect it by transposition to גְּרִזִי (Girzîy, H1630), potentially linking it to the inhabitants near Mount Gerizim. The primary etymological debate centers on whether it refers to the Gizrites as a distinct group or is a textual variant for 'Gezerite,' from the Canaanite city of Gezer (H1507).
Semantic Range
The Gizrites were one of the many small, indigenous tribal groups inhabiting Canaan during the late second millennium BC, a period characterized by fluid tribal identities and territories. Their mention alongside the Geshurites and Amalekites in 1 Samuel 27:8 places them in the southern region of Judah or the Negev, areas David traversed. This reflects the complex ethnic and political landscape of ancient Palestine, where Israel interacted with—and often came into conflict with—numerous local peoples. The term highlights the diversity of Canaan's population prior to and during the early Israelite monarchy.
גְּרִזִי (Girzîy, H1630) — A potential variant or related gentilic, possibly referring to inhabitants associated with Mount Gerizim. גְּשׁוּרִי (Geshurîy, H1650) — Another neighboring tribal group mentioned in the same verse (1 Samuel 27:8). עֲמָלֵקִי (Amalekîy, H6003) — A well-known nomadic enemy tribe of Israel, also listed alongside the Gizrites in 1 Samuel 27:8.
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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