גּוּב
to dig
Definition
The Hebrew verb גּוּב (gûwb) means 'to dig,' specifically referring to the act of excavating or hollowing out the ground. In its sole biblical occurrence in 2 Kings 25:12, it describes the work of a 'husbandman' or vinedresser who digs in vineyards. As a primitive root, its core meaning is straightforward and does not carry extended metaphorical senses in the biblical text. The action implies agricultural labor, preparing or tending the soil for cultivation, particularly for vines.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in 2 Kings 25:12. It appears in the context of the Babylonian captivity, describing the poorest people of the land whom the Babylonian captain left behind 'to be vinedressers and husbandmen' (לְכֹרְמִים וּלְיֹגְבִים). Here, 'digging' is specifically associated with viticulture—the care and maintenance of vineyards. The usage is purely descriptive of an agricultural occupation during a historical narrative.
Etymology
גּוּב (gûwb) is a primitive root in Hebrew, meaning its derivation is not from another known Hebrew word. It shares a common Semitic root concept related to digging or hollowing out. Cognates may exist in other Semitic languages with similar meanings for excavation or creating a pit. Its meaning remained narrow and concrete, not developing significant metaphorical extensions in biblical Hebrew.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, digging was a fundamental agricultural task, especially for planting vines and trees or creating irrigation channels. A 'yogev' (יֹגֵב), one who digs, was specifically a vinedresser, a low-status but essential agricultural worker. This reflects an agrarian society where such manual labor was common. The term in 2 Kings 25:12 highlights that after the Babylonian conquest, only the poorest, land-tied laborers were left to work the soil, underscoring the thorough devastation of Judah's social structure.
כָּרָה (kârâh, H3738) — to dig, carve, or engrave; often used for digging wells or pits (e.g., Genesis 26:25). חָפַר (châphar, H2658) — to dig, search out; commonly used for digging wells, graves, or exploring (e.g., Genesis 21:30).
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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