Lexical Summary
gearah: Gerah
Original Word:גְּעָרָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:g`arah
Pronunciation:gheh-aw-raw'
Phonetic Spelling:(gheh-aw-raw')
KJV: rebuke(-ing), reproof
NASB:rebuke, threat
Word Origin:[fromH1605 (גָּעַר - rebuke)]
1. a chiding
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
rebukeing, reproof
Fromga'ar; a chiding -- rebuke(-ing), reproof.
see HEBREWga'ar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
gaarDefinitiona rebuke
NASB Translationrebuke (13), threat (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
—
Proverbs 13:1 2t.;
Ecclesiastes 7:5 5t.; suffix
Psalm 18:16 + (suffixes 6 t.); —
Proverbs 13:1,8;Proverbs 17:10;Ecclesiastes 7:5;Isaiah 30:17 (twice in verse).
Job 26:11;Psalm 18:16 (=2 Samuel 22:16)Psalm 76:7;Psalm 80:17;Psalm 104:7;Isaiah 50:2;Isaiah 51:20;Isaiah 66:15.
Topical Lexicon
Overview of Biblical UsageThe term occurs fifteen times, stretching from the historical books through Wisdom literature into the Prophets. It consistently conveys the idea of a forceful spoken intervention—whether by God, a human father, or a wise counselor—that arrests wrongdoing, halts chaos, and calls the hearer to account. The settings range from cosmic upheaval (2 Samuel 22:16) to household instruction (Proverbs 13:1), underscoring Scripture’s seamless portrayal of one Reality: the God whose word commands both galaxies and consciences.
Divine Authority Displayed through Rebuke
•2 Samuel 22:16;Psalm 18:15;Job 26:11;Psalm 104:7 portray creation itself recoiling before God’s voice. “At the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils, the channels of the sea appeared” (Psalm 18:15). Such passages remind believers that the stability of the universe rests not on impersonal forces but on the personal sovereignty of its Creator.
•Isaiah 50:2 announces the same power in redemptive history: “By My rebuke I dry up the sea; I turn rivers into a wilderness.” The Exodus pattern—chaos restrained for the sake of covenant mercy—previews the consummate deliverance wrought in Christ.
Judgment upon Nations and Armies
Psalm 76:6 records cavalry and chariot collapsing “at Your rebuke, O God of Jacob.”Isaiah 66:15 expands the scene: the coming Day of the Lord when “His rebuke” is executed “with flames of fire.” Rebuke here is not a mere verbal censure; it is the active judgment that dismantles military pride and vindicates divine holiness.
Corporate Discipline of the Covenant People
Isaiah 51:20 pictures Jerusalem’s sons “full of the LORD’s fury, the rebuke of your God,” explaining exile as paternal discipline.Psalm 80:16 pleads for mercy on the vine burned “at Your rebuke.” These texts frame national calamity as a severe mercy designed to restore covenant loyalty.
Cultivating Wisdom through Correction
Proverbs 13:1, 13:8, 17:10 andEcclesiastes 7:5 relocate the term from battlefield to family room. “A wise son heeds his father’s discipline, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke” (Proverbs 13:1). The righteous value corrective words more than entertainment (Ecclesiastes 7:5), revealing that teachability is a hallmark of godliness. The same voice that stills seas also reaches into daily relationships, shaping character through spoken truth.
Prophetic Warnings of Futility without Trust
Isaiah 30:17 twice forecasts Judah’s panic: “A thousand will flee at the threat of one.” When God’s people spurn His counsel, even minimal opposition triggers overwhelming fear. The passage exposes the emptiness of self-reliance and the inevitability of divine discipline for covenant breach.
Christological Echoes
In the Gospels, Jesus rebukes winds, fevers, and demons—acts resonant with the Old Testament portrait of Yahweh whose word stills oceans and routs enemies. The same authority that undid chaos in Genesis and silenced armies in Psalms is vested in the incarnate Son, validating His deity and assuring believers of ultimate victory.
Pastoral and Discipleship Implications
1. Proclaim the Word: God’s rebuke is His Word applied. Preaching that exposes sin and exalts grace mirrors the biblical pattern.
2. Embrace Correction: Congregations must prize godly admonition, seeing it as an instrument of love rather than shame (Proverbs 17:10).
3. Offer Hope after Discipline: Texts such asIsaiah 51:20–23 assure the penitent that rebuke is preparatory to comfort.
4. Intercede with Awe: Worship leaders can draw onPsalm 18 andPsalm 104 to awaken reverence for the divine voice that commands nature.
Guidelines for Personal Application
• Welcome Scripture’s searching voice; it is safer than the silence of divine withdrawal.
• Correct others with the goal of restoration, modeling the balance of firmness and compassion found in God’s own dealings.
• Anchor courage in the God whose single word can scatter thousands (Isaiah 30:17), confident that the battle is His.
Conclusion
From the trembling pillars of heaven to the humble hearth of family life, the biblical portrait of גְּעָרָה testifies that God’s spoken intervention is both terrifying and tender. It shatters resistance, purifies His people, and ultimately secures their salvation in Jesus Christ, in whom every divine rebuke finds its righteous resolution and every repentant heart finds rest.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּגַעֲרַ֣ת בְּגַעֲרָתִ֞י בגערת בגערתי גְּעָרָ֣ה גְּעָרָֽה׃ גַּעֲרַ֣ת גַּעֲרַ֥ת גַּעֲרָ֣תְךָ֣ גערה גערה׃ גערת גערתך וְגַעֲרָת֖וֹ וגערתו מִ֭גַּעֲרָ֣תְךָ מִגַּעֲרַ֖ת מִגַּעֲרָ֣תְךָ֣ מִגַּעֲרָתֽוֹ׃ מגערת מגערתו׃ מגערתך bə·ḡa·‘ă·rā·ṯî bə·ḡa·‘ă·raṯ bəḡa‘ăraṯ bəḡa‘ărāṯî begaaRat begaaraTi ga‘ăraṯ ga‘ărāṯəḵā ga·‘ă·rā·ṯə·ḵā ga·‘ă·raṯ gaaRat gaaRatecha gə‘ārāh gə·‘ā·rāh geaRah mig·ga·‘ă·rā·ṯə·ḵā mig·ga·‘ă·rā·ṯōw mig·ga·‘ă·raṯ migga‘ăraṯ migga‘ărāṯəḵā migga‘ărāṯōw miggaaRat miggaaRatecha miggaaraTo vegaaraTo wə·ḡa·‘ă·rā·ṯōw wəḡa‘ărāṯōw
Links
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