Lexical Summary
hagah: meditate, moan, devise
Original Word:הָגָה
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:hagah
Pronunciation:hah-GAH
Phonetic Spelling:(daw-gaw')
KJV: imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, X sore, speak, study, talk, utter
NASB:meditate, moan, devise, mutter, utter, declare, devising
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to murmur (in pleasure or anger)
2. (by implication) to ponder
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, sore, speak, study,
A primitive root (comparehagiyg); to murmur (in pleasure or anger); by implication, to ponder -- imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, X sore, speak, study, talk, utter.
see HEBREWhagiyg
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto moan, growl, utter, speak, muse
NASB Translationdeclare (1), devise (2), devising (1), growls (1), make a sound (1), meditate (5), meditates (1), moan (3), moan sadly (1), mutter (2), mutters (1), ponders (1), utter (2), uttering (1), utters (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. (only poetry) (onomatopoetic; Late Hebrew
muse, speak, spell a word, so Aramaic ;
muse, especially Ethpa`al; Arabic
satirize, insult, scold, also
spell (borrowed meaning)) —
Perf.2masculine singular consecutiveJoshua 1:8; 1singularPsalm 143:5, consecutivePsalm 77:13;ImperfectJob 27:4 8t.; 3 feminine singularPsalm 35:28 2t.,Psalm 63:7;Isaiah 38:14,Psalm 2:1 + 2t.,Isaiah 16:7;Isaiah 59:11;Infinitive absoluteIsaiah 59:11; —
:
growl, of lion growling over prey, followed byIsaiah 31:4.
groan, moan, in distress (like dove), absolute,Isaiah 38:14;Isaiah 59:11 ();sigh for () in sorrow, mourning,moan forIsaiah 16:7 ("" ), so alsoJeremiah 48:31.
utter, followed by accusative of thing,Psalm 38:13; subjectJob 27:4 ("" )Psalm 35:28;Psalm 71:24;Isaiah 59:3; subjectPsalm 37:30;Proverbs 8:7 — compare also below below;speak (absolute)Psalm 115:7 ( instrumental)
(soliloquize) meditate, muse, with of thing,Joshua 1:8;Psalm 1:2;Psalm 63:7;Psalm 77:13;Psalm 143:5; with accusativeIsaiah 33:18, subject .
imagine, devise, with accusativePsalm 2:1;Proverbs 24:2 (subject ); with InfinitiveProverbs 15:28 (subjectid.)
Infinitive absolute onlyIsaiah 59:13a conceiving and an uttering, out of the heart, lying words ("" ); — on form compare Köi. 555; but read rather
Infinitive absolute compare Di; BaNB 77 retains & explanation as Qal Infinitive passive
Participle pluralIsaiah 8:19those that make chirpings and mutterings, of necromancers and wizards.
Topical Lexicon
OverviewStrong’s Hebrew 1897 occurs twenty-five times, embracing a spectrum of sounds and intentions that range from quiet meditation on God’s instruction to the throaty growl of unrest or complaint. The varied settings show that what the lips utter and what the heart ponders are inseparably linked in biblical spirituality.
Meditative Delight in God’s Instruction
Joshua 1:8 inaugurates the covenant life of Israel in the land: “This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night.” The verb marks an audible, continual musing that shapes obedience and prosperity.Psalm 1:2 echoes the same rhythm of day-and-night devotion, portraying the blessed man whose inner dialogue is saturated with the Torah. The Psalter expands the theme: “When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night” (Psalm 63:6), and “I will meditate on all You have done and ponder Your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:12). Meditation is thus an act of covenant loyalty, anchoring memory, identity, and hope.
Righteous Speech that Publishes Praise
From inner rumination spring verbal testimonies. “My tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long” (Psalm 35:28). The righteous “utter wisdom” (Psalm 37:30), and “my mouth will proclaim Your righteous acts” (Psalm 71:24). Wisdom literature concurs: “My mouth speaks what is true” (Proverbs 8:7) and “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer” (Proverbs 15:28). The verb underscores that godly speech is the overflow of sustained meditation; proclamation is first incubated in private reflection.
The Murmur of Conspiracy and Rebellion
Conversely the same term exposes sinister plots: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” (Psalm 2:1). The wicked “plan injustice on their beds” (Psalm 36:4, context ofPsalm 38:12) and “devise violence in their hearts” (Proverbs 24:2). Isaiah rebukes Judah for invoking mediums “who whisper and mutter” (Isaiah 8:19). The prophet also laments a society whose lips “utter lies” and “speak oppression” (Isaiah 59:3, 13). What is cherished in the heart eventually surfaces in destructive schemes or deceitful rhetoric.
Groaning, Growling, and Lament
Job refuses to let deceit control his tongue (Job 27:4), yet Isaiah pictures a distressed Hezekiah: “I moan like a dove” (Isaiah 38:14). A lion’s low growl before its prey illustrates determined resolve (Isaiah 31:4). Exiles “growl like bears” and “moan mournfully like doves” in their estrangement (Isaiah 59:11). Jeremiah weeps over Moab: “I wail for Moab; I cry out for all Moab” (Jeremiah 48:31). The verb captures audible grief that seeks relief in God.
Historical and Canonical Trajectory
From Joshua’s conquest to post-exilic lament, the term charts Israel’s spiritual health. When the nation treasures revelation, meditation fosters courage and covenant fidelity. When revelation is spurned, the same tongue incubates rebellion, superstition, and social injustice. Prophetic literature amplifies the moral polarity, underscoring that words are never neutral— they reveal allegiance.
Ministry Implications
1. Discipleship: Biblical meditation is not silent daydreaming but voiced rehearsal of Scripture that renews the mind and readies obedience.
2. Preaching and Teaching: Effective proclamation springs from patient, prayerful rumination; the pulpit should echo hours of scriptural pondering.
3. Pastoral Care: The verb invites sufferers to articulate their pain before God, legitimizing sighs, groans, and honest lament within faith.
4. Spiritual Warfare: Because ungodly schemes begin as whispered plots, guarding the heart’s meditations is crucial for personal and communal holiness.
Christological and Eschatological Pointers
Psalm 2:1 is applied inActs 4:25-26, where the early church prays in light of Christ’s rejection. The conspiratorial “murmur” of the nations ultimately fulfills God’s redemptive plan in the crucifixion. Conversely, Jesus models perfect meditation on the Father’s will (John 8:28-29), and His followers are called to let “the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16), echoingJoshua 1:8.
Devotional Summation
Whether in the hush of night watches or the roar of societal upheaval, הָגָה summons God’s people to steward their inner speech under the gaze of the Lord. Where Scripture fills the mouth, praise and justice flourish; where self and sin dominate, murmuring breeds chaos. The call endures: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
Forms and Transliterations
אֶהְגֶּ֖ה אֶהְגֶּה־ אהגה אהגה־ הָגִ֥יתִי הָגֹ֣ה הגה הגיתי וְהַמַּהְגִּ֑ים וְהָגִ֤יתָ וְהָגִ֥יתִי וְהֹג֛וֹ והגו והגית והגיתי והמהגים יֶ֝הְגּ֗וּ יֶהְגֶּ֗ה יֶהְגֶּ֣ה יֶהְגֶּ֥ה יֶהְגֶּֽה׃ יֶהְגֶּה֩ יֶהְגּֽוּ׃ יֶהְגּוּ־ יהגה יהגה׃ יהגו יהגו־ יהגו׃ נֶהְגֶּ֑ה נהגה תֶּהְגֶּ֣ה תֶּהְגּ֖וּ תֶהְגֶּֽה׃ תהגה תהגה׃ תהגו ’eh·geh ’eh·geh- ’ehgeh ’ehgeh- ehgeh hā·ḡî·ṯî hā·ḡōh haGiti hāḡîṯî haGoh hāḡōh neh·geh nehgeh teh·geh ṯeh·geh teh·gū tehgeh ṯehgeh tehGu tehgū vehaGita vehaGiti vehammahGim vehoGo wə·hā·ḡî·ṯā wə·hā·ḡî·ṯî wə·ham·mah·gîm wə·hō·ḡōw wəhāḡîṯā wəhāḡîṯî wəhammahgîm wəhōḡōw yeh·geh yeh·gū yeh·gū- yehgeh yehgu yehgū yehgū-
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