Lexical Summary
gaar: To rebuke, to reprove, to chide
Original Word:גָּעַר
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:ga`ar
Pronunciation:gah-ar'
Phonetic Spelling:(gaw-ar')
KJV: corrupt, rebuke, reprove
NASB:rebuke, rebuked, rebukes
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to chide
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
corrupt, rebuke, reprove
A primitive root; to chide -- corrupt, rebuke, reprove.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto rebuke
NASB Translationrebuke (9), rebuked (4), rebukes (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Aramaic
id., Ethiopic
cry out, Sabean proper name, SabDenkm
p. 29.30) —
Isaiah 17:13;
Psalm 9:6 2t., etc.;
ImperfectZechariah 3:2 3t.,
Ruth 2:16;
ImperativePsalm 68:31;
InfinitiveIsaiah 54:9;
ParticipleNahum 1:4,
Malachi 2:3; — with except
Psalm 9:6;
Psalm 68:31;
Psalm 119:21;
Malachi 2:3 where accusative; —
rebuke, father his sonGenesis 37:10 (E), reapers RuthRuth 2:16, priest JeremiahJeremiah 29:27.
Psalm 9:6;Isaiah 17:13, proudPsalm 119:21, SatanZechariah 3:2 (twice in verse),Psalm 68:31, (the devouring swarm of locusts, restraining them)Malachi 3:11, the sea drying it upPsalm 106:9;Nahum 1:4, ZionIsaiah 54:9; theseed (prevent the usual harvest)Malachi 2:3 ( Aq ,the arm, namely, of priests, that they may not extend it to bless).
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scope of גָּעַרגָּעַר conveys the authoritative act of “rebuking,” “reproving,” or “threatening” with the intent of restraining evil, correcting error, or asserting sovereign control. Its occurrences move along a continuum from ordinary human correction to the overwhelming, universe-shaking voice of the Lord.
Familial and Social Rebuke
Genesis 37:10 records the first occurrence, where Jacob “rebuked” Joseph for his dream. The context highlights parental responsibility to regulate youthful zeal while still discerning God’s unfolding plan (see verses 11–12). InRuth 2:16 Boaz orders his men not to “rebuke” Ruth, protecting the vulnerable and modeling compassionate leadership. These passages ground גָּעַר in everyday relationships, teaching that rebuke, when righteous, safeguards order and dignity, and when withheld in mercy, upholds grace.
Divine Rebuke in Worship and Warfare
The Psalms present גָּעַר as a liturgical declaration of God’s victory:
•Psalm 9:5 – “You have rebuked the nations; You have destroyed the wicked.”
•Psalm 68:30 – “Rebuke the beast in the reeds.”
•Psalm 106:9 – “He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up.”
•Psalm 119:21 – “You rebuke the arrogant, the cursed ones who stray from Your commands.”
Here God’s rebuke is inseparable from covenant faithfulness. He subdues political powers, natural forces, and personal pride. Worshipers thus celebrate not only what God has done but what He continues to do whenever evil threatens His redeemed people.
Prophetic Rebuke: Judgment and Restoration
Isaiah and Jeremiah underscore God’s prerogative to silence nations and prophets alike.Isaiah 17:13 envisions hostile peoples scattering “as chaff before the wind” at the Lord’s rebuke, whileIsaiah 54:9 assures post-exilic Israel that, as in Noah’s day, He will never again “rebuke” them in wrath—a promise of enduring peace fulfilled ultimately in the gospel.
Jeremiah 29:27 exposes the failure of Shemaiah to “rebuke Jeremiah,” illustrating that refusing to confront error invites God’s censure. The prophetic books therefore treat גָּעַר as both the corrective voice within the covenant community and the thunderous decree over the nations.
Priestly Rebuke and the Cosmic Courtroom
Zechariah 3:2 twice records the Angel of the LORD declaring, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan!” The setting is a heavenly tribunal where Joshua the high priest stands polluted yet chosen. Divine rebuke silences the Accuser and anticipates the New Testament proclamation of justification by grace through the cross.
Malachi applies the concept to priestly negligence and agricultural blight. In 2:3 God threatens, “I will rebuke your descendants,” exposing spiritual leadership to stern discipline. Conversely,Malachi 3:11 promises, “I will rebuke the devourer,” attaching material blessing to faithful tithes and demonstrating that God’s rebuke can both punish and protect.
Rebuke over Creation
Nahum 1:4 parallelsPsalm 106:9: “He rebukes the sea and dries it up.” Whether the Nile in Egypt or the Red Sea at the Exodus, nature obeys. These texts foreshadow Jesus Christ, who “rebuked the wind and the raging waters” (Luke 8:24), revealing the same divine authority invested in the incarnate Son.
New Testament Continuity
Though גָּעַר is Hebrew, its theological thread continues in Greek with epitimaō (e.g.,Mark 1:25;2 Timothy 4:2). The pattern remains: rebuke restrains demons, sickness, false doctrine, and moral decay. The church’s pastoral mandate to “reprove, rebuke, and encourage” stands on the Old Testament foundation of God’s holy confrontation with sin.
Practical Ministry Application
1. Authority: Rebuke derives legitimacy from alignment with God’s character and Word, never mere personal irritation.
2. Balance: Scripture distinguishes between corrective rebuke and nurturing grace (Ruth 2:16;Isaiah 54:9). Healthy ministry incorporates both.
3. Spiritual Warfare:Zechariah 3 shows that spiritual conflict is won by invoking the Lord’s rebuke, not by human bravado.
4. Creation and Providence: Trust that the same voice commanding seas can still calm personal and societal storms today.
5. Eschatology: God’s final rebuke awaits unrepentant nations (Revelation 19:15), reinforcing the urgency of gospel witness.
The fourteen appearances of גָּעַר thus weave a unified testimony: the almighty God confronts disorder, protects His purposes, and shepherds His people through authoritative, effective, and ultimately redemptive rebuke.
Forms and Transliterations
גְּעַ֨ר גָּ֭עַרְתָּ גָּעַ֣רְתָּ גָעַ֔רְתָּ גֹעֵ֤ר גּוֹעֵ֤ר גוער גער גערת וְגָ֥עַר וְגָעַרְתִּ֤י וְיִגְעַ֤ר וַיִּגְעַ֣ר וַיִּגְעַר־ וּמִגְּעָר־ וגער וגערתי ויגער ויגער־ ומגער־ יִגְעַ֨ר יגער תִגְעֲרוּ־ תגערו־ gā‘artā ḡā‘artā gā·‘ar·tā ḡā·‘ar·tā gaArta gə‘ar gə·‘ar geAr ḡō‘êr ḡō·‘êr gō·w·‘êr goEr gōw‘êr ṯiḡ‘ărū- ṯiḡ·‘ă·rū- tigaru ū·mig·gə·‘ār- ūmiggə‘ār- umiggeor vaiyigar veGaar vegaarTi veyigAr way·yiḡ·‘ar way·yiḡ·‘ar- wayyiḡ‘ar wayyiḡ‘ar- wə·ḡā·‘ar wə·ḡā·‘ar·tî wə·yiḡ·‘ar wəḡā‘ar wəḡā‘artî wəyiḡ‘ar yiḡ‘ar yiḡ·‘ar yigAr
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