Lexical Summary
gay: Valley
Original Word:גַּיְא
Part of Speech:Noun
Transliteration:gay'
Pronunciation:gah'-ee
Phonetic Spelling:(gah'-ee)
KJV: valley
NASB:valley, valleys
Word Origin:[probably (by transmutation) from the same root asH1466 (גֵּוָה - pride) (abbreviated)]
1. a gorge (from its lofty sides
2. (hence) narrow, but not a gully or winter-torrent)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
valley
Or (shortened) gay {gah'-ee}; probably (by transmutation) from the same root asgevah (abbreviated); a gorge (from its lofty sides; hence, narrow, but not a gully or winter-torrent) -- valley.
see HEBREWgevah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitiona valley
NASB TranslationGe-harashim* (1), Valley (8), valley (43), valleys (7).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Isaiah 40:4 (
Zechariah 14:4) — absolute
Numbers 21:20 8t. +
1 Samuel 17:52 (compare below),
1 Chronicles 4:39,
Zechariah 14:4,
Isaiah 40:4,
Deuteronomy 34:6 2t.; construct
Isaiah 22:1 21t.;
Joshua 15:8 13t.; plural absolute
Ezekiel 31:12;
Ezekiel 36:4,6 +
Ezekiel 7:16;
Ezekiel 32:5 (strike out Co) +
Ezekiel 6:3;
2 Kings 2:16 Qr (so Co
Ezekiel 6:3; Kt ); suffix
Ezekiel 35:8; —
valleyJoshua 8:11 (E)
Micah 1:6;
1 Samuel 17:3;
2 Kings 2:16 (opposed to )
Isaiah 40:4 (opposed to , ),
Ezekiel 6:3;
Ezekiel 35:8;
Ezekiel 36:4,6 (in all with , ),
Ezekiel 31:12 (opposed to ), compare
Ezekiel 7:16 (strike out B Co)
Ezekiel 32:5; specifically, valley in Moab, a station of Israel
Numbers 21:20 (E); over against Beth-Peor
Deuteronomy 3:29;
Deuteronomy 4:46;
Deuteronomy 34:6; a valley near
1 Chronicles 4:39;
Isaiah 22:1,5 near Jerusalem;
Isaiah 28:1,4
valley of fatness, fertility, the valley surrounding Samaria; 2Chronicles 26:9;
Nehemiah 2:13,15;
Nehemiah 3:13; apocalyptic valley
Zechariah 14:4, made by cleaving Mt. of Olives, compare
Zechariah 14:5;
Zechariah 14:5; valley of slaughter , a future name of valley of Hinnom
Jeremiah 7:32;
Jeremiah 19:6;
1 Samuel 17:52 () reads compare We Dr;
Jeremiah 2:23 of valley of Hinnom, see below; figurative
Psalm 23:4 compare ;
Ezekiel 39:11 , Co proper name compare below; elsewhere in combination with proper names: —
Joshua 19:14,27 perhaps =Jotapata JosBJ iii. 7, 7; Rabbin. RelandPal 816; —Tell Jefât RobBR iii. 107. GuérinGal. i. 476 f. compare BdPal 243.
1 Samuel 13:18.
2 Kings 14:7 (Kt; Qr omits article)1 Chronicles 18:12; 2Chronicles 25:11 =2 Samuel 8:13;Psalm 60:2 (title); south of Dead Sea, in or bordering on Edom;el-Ghôr RobBR ii. 109.
1 Chronicles 4:14;Nehemiah 11:35, apparently near Lod & Ono, northwest of Jerusalem, not far from the sea.
2Chron 14:9 (? read , ,to the north of M.) probably near the great plain of Judah, west of Jerusalem, toward the sea;Ezekiel 39:11, east of Dead Sea (Hi Sm), Co reads
Ezekiel 39:11,15. Most frequently
Joshua 15:8;Joshua 18:16;Nehemiah 11:30,Joshua 15:8;Joshua 18:16;2 Kings 23:10 Qr (Kt ) 2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6;Jeremiah 7:31,32;Jeremiah 19:2,6;Jeremiah 32:35; valley southwest & south of Jerusalem (RobBR ii. 273 f.), where incense was burned, and children were offered in sacrifice to 'Molech.' Others identify with the TyropÊon valley, compare RSSemitic i. 353; see further , .
Topical Lexicon
Overview of Usageגַּיְא (valley, ravine) appears about sixty times, spanning the historical books, poetic literature, and prophets. When Scripture depicts a literal depression in the landscape, it often layers that setting with spiritual meaning: conflict, refuge, judgment, or hope. The word is flexible enough to describe narrow gorges such as Hinnom, wide basins like Elah, and dramatic prophetic chasms such as the future valley opened on the Mount of Olives.
Israel’s Physical Topography
1. Southern Highlands
• Valley of Achor (Joshua 7:26;Hosea 2:15) marks the transition from judgment on Achan to promised restoration.
• Valley of Hinnom (Joshua 15:8) skirts Jerusalem’s southern flank and became infamous for child sacrifice (Jeremiah 7:31).
2. Shephelah and Coastal Foothills
• Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17:2) is where David met Goliath, illustrating how God brings victory in apparently disadvantageous terrain.
• Valleys of Rephaim and Sorek frame repeated Philistine incursions (2 Samuel 5:22;Judges 16:4).
3. Central and Northern Regions
• Jezreel, Dothan, and other basins are usually termed עֵמֶק, yet גַּיְא is occasionally substituted to stress narrow defiles or tactical choke-points (Judges 21:13).
• Zechariah foresees a “great valley” cleaving the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4), situating end-time upheaval at the very gateway of Jerusalem.
Battles and Deliverance
Valleys in the biblical narrative become theatres of war that magnify divine intervention:
• Joshua pursues Amorite kings “down the descent of Beth-horon” to the valley (Joshua 10:11), where hailstones decide the combat.
• Absalom’s rebellion is quelled when forces assemble in the forested valley east of the Jordan (2 Samuel 18:6).
• God promises Judah they will “look upon those they pierced” when He stands on the Mount of Olives and a new valley opens, providing both a route of escape and a sign of victory (Zechariah 14:3–5).
Idolatry and Judgment
The Valley of Hinnom, or Ge-Hinnom, epitomizes defilement. Kings Ahaz and Manasseh burned their children there (2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6). Josiah desecrated the site (2 Kings 23:10), making it a symbol of final judgment that Jesus later evokes (Gehenna).
Jeremiah labels the same locale “Valley of Slaughter” (Jeremiah 19:6) because the rebellion of Judah will turn their sacred grove into a mass grave.
Comfort and Presence
The same noun frames the believer’s deepest consolation:
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4).
The valley is not an obstacle to communion with God; it becomes the arena where His shepherding care is most palpable.
Prophetic Hope
1. Reversal of Topography
“Every valley shall be lifted up” (Isaiah 40:4). Exile ends not only with a highway of return but with cosmic leveling that signals the arrival of divine glory.
2. Door of Hope
Hosea’s pledge, “make the Valley of Achor a door of hope” (Hosea 2:15), reinterprets a scene of ancient defeat as the threshold of covenant renewal.
3. Eschatological Escape
Zechariah’s split mountain forms a new valley so that “you will flee by My mountain valley” (Zechariah 14:5). What once trapped armies now affords deliverance for the faithful remnant.
Worship and Spiritual Formation
Psalmists and prophets employ גַּיְא to cultivate humility: valleys symbolize lowliness before God, inviting Him to “lift up the humble” (cf.Psalm 147:6). Corporate worship texts remember historic valleys—Achor, Elah, Hinnom—to confess past failures and celebrate present mercy.
Applications for Ministry
• Shepherding: Valleys represent seasons of vulnerability; leaders model God’s presence by accompanying believers through grief, doubt, or trial.
• Discipleship: Teaching on the Valley of Achor helps reclaim life’s failures as entry points for renewed obedience.
• Evangelism: The contrast between Hinnom’s fires and the Good Shepherd’s guidance clarifies the urgency of repentance.
• Eschatology: Zechariah’s yet-future valley anchors hope in a tangible, geographical fulfillment of promise, encouraging steadfast anticipation.
Key References
Genesis 26:17;Deuteronomy 8:7;Joshua 7:24–26;Joshua 10:11–12;Judges 7:8;1 Samuel 17:2;2 Samuel 5:22;2 Kings 23:10;2 Chronicles 28:3;Psalm 23:4;Psalm 60:1;Isaiah 40:4;Jeremiah 7:31;Ezekiel 32:5;Hosea 2:15;Joel 3:12;Zechariah 14:4–5.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּגֵ֣י בְּגֵ֣יא בְּגֵ֥יא בְּגֵ֪יא בְּגֵיא־ בַּגַּ֔יְא בַּגַּ֗יְא בַּגָּ֔יְא בַגַּיְ֙ בגי בגיא בגיא־ גֵּ֖י גֵּ֖יא גֵּ֣י גֵּ֣יא גֵּ֤י גֵּ֥י גֵּ֥יא גֵּ֨אָי֜וֹת גֵּ֨י גֵּֽיא־ גֵּי־ גֵֽי־ גֶּיא֙ גַ֔יְא גאיות גי גי־ גיא גיא־ הַגֵּאָי֖וֹת הַגֵּאָי֛וֹת הַגַּ֖יְא הַגַּ֜יְא הַגַּ֜יא הַגַּיְא֙ הַגָּ֑יְא הַגֵּאָיֹ֑ות הגאיות הגיא וְגֵ֣יא וְגֵאוֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ וְהַגַּ֖י וְהַגַּ֖יְא וְלַגֵּאָי֗וֹת וְלַגֵּאָי֜וֹת וְלַגֵּאָיֹ֗ות וּבְגֵ֨י ובגי וגאותיך וגיא והגי והגיא ולגאיות לַגַּי֙ לגי bag·gay bag·gāy ḇag·gay baggay baggāy ḇaggay bə·ḡê bə·ḡê- bəḡê bəḡê- begei Gay ḡay ge gê gê- ḡê- gê’āyōwṯ gê·’ā·yō·wṯ geaYot gei hag·gay hag·gāy hag·gê·’ā·yō·wṯ hagGai haggay haggāy haggê’āyōwṯ haggeaYot lag·gay lagGai laggay ū·ḇə·ḡê ūḇəḡê uveGei vaggaY veGei vegeoTeicha vehagGai vehagGay velaggeaYot wə·ḡê wə·ḡê·’ō·w·ṯe·ḵā wə·hag·gay wə·lag·gê·’ā·yō·wṯ wəḡê wəḡê’ōwṯeḵā wəhaggay wəlaggê’āyōwṯ
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