1365. gabhuth
Lexical Summary
gabhuth: Height, exaltation, pride

Original Word: גַּבְהוּת
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: gabhuwth
Pronunciation: gah-vooth
Phonetic Spelling: (gab-hooth')
KJV: loftiness, lofty
NASB: pride, proud
Word Origin: [from H1361 (גָּבַהּ - To be high)]

1. pride

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
loftiness, lofty

From gabahh; pride -- loftiness, lofty.

see HEBREW gabahh

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from gabah
Definition
haughtiness
NASB Translation
pride (1), proud (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
גַּבְהוּת noun feminine haughtiness, Isaiah 2:11,17.

Topical Lexicon
Overview

The noun גַּבְהוּת appears twice in the prophetic corpus, both times in Isaiah chapter 2. It speaks of an elevation that has become synonymous with human arrogance—“loftiness” that sets itself against the unrivaled greatness of the LORD. Whereas the biblical narrative repeatedly affirms legitimate elevation (for example, Mount Zion as the “mountain of the LORD”), גַּבְהוּת is consistently portrayed as an illegitimate height that must be brought low. Its rarity intensifies its force, allowing Isaiah to spotlight a defining sin of Judah’s leadership and people: pride.

Occurrences and Immediate Context

Isaiah 2:11 “The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.”

Isaiah 2:17 “The pride of man will be humbled and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.”

Both verses form an inclusio around a catalogue of everything men deem exalted: cedars of Lebanon, lofty mountains, high towers, and the ships of Tarshish. The repetition of גַּבְהוּת brackets the entire section, underscoring the certainty of divine intervention that will flatten every human elevation.

Prophetic Message

1. Supreme Exaltation of the LORD – The phrase “the LORD alone will be exalted” is the theological axis of Isaiah 2. גַּבְהוּת functions rhetorically to contrast the transient height of human pretension with the eternal height of God.
2. Universal Humbling – Unlike limited judgments against a single nation, Isaiah’s vision anticipates a global reckoning (“against all the lofty mountains,” 2:14), making גַּבְהוּת a universal diagnostic for fallen humanity.
3. Eschatological Day of the LORD – Both occurrences anchor in “that day,” a future historical crisis culminating in divine glorification. The humbling of גַּבְהוּת is thus not merely moral instruction but an eschatological certainty.

Historical Setting

Isaiah’s ministry (eighth century B.C.) overlapped the prosperous reigns of Uzziah and Jotham, when Judah’s wealth and military strength fostered complacency. Archaeological finds confirm expansion in Jerusalem and fortified cities, matching Isaiah’s imagery of “fortified walls” and “high towers.” The prophet confronts this sociopolitical zenith, tracing it to spiritual arrogance symbolized by גַּבְהוּת.

Intertextual Echoes

Though the term itself is rare, its theme reverberates throughout Scripture:
Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction.”
• Obadiah 3 – “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock.”
Luke 18:14 – “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled.”

These parallels confirm the canonical consistency of God’s opposition to arrogant heights.

Theological Significance

1. Anthropology – Humanity, created “a little lower than the angels” (Psalm 8:5), distorts its derivative glory into autonomous self-exaltation. גַּבְהוּת names this distortion.
2. Theology Proper – Divine uniqueness is upheld: if “the LORD alone will be exalted,” then no creaturely glory can rival or share His throne.
3. Eschatology – The term anticipates the ultimate leveling of all earthly power structures before the Kingdom of God (cf. Revelation 11:15).

Practical and Ministry Application

• Preaching – Isaiah 2 provides a homiletic framework for confronting idolatries of status, technology, and affluence. The rare term גַּבְהוּת invites congregations to identify modern equivalents of “lofty cedars” and “high towers.”
• Discipleship – Spiritual formation calls believers to cultivate humility. Philippians 2:5–11 offers the Christological antidote to גַּבְהוּת, urging the mindset of the One who “made Himself nothing.”
• Corporate Worship – Liturgical readings of Isaiah 2 during Advent or any focus on the coming Kingdom remind the church that true exaltation belongs to God alone. Songs that magnify divine supremacy answer the prophetic call to dethrone human pride.

Related Terms and Concepts

• שְׂגָב (“height,” “stronghold”) – sometimes positive, distinguishing it from the negative nuance of גַּבְהוּת.
• גָּאוֹן (“pride,” “majesty”) – positive when applied to the LORD, negative when describing human arrogance (Amos 6:8).
• ὕψος (Greek “height”) – in Septuagint renderings of Isaiah 2, maintaining the metaphor of elevation.

Summation

גַּבְהוּת crystallizes the prophetic critique of self-exaltation. Isaiah employs it sparingly yet powerfully, framing a vision in which every human pretense collapses before the unrivaled majesty of God. Its message endures: in the day the LORD arises, only He will stand tall, and every soul that has taken refuge in pride must either be humbled or seek the shelter of grace in the exalted Christ.

Forms and Transliterations
גַּבְה֣וּת גַּבְה֤וּת גבהות gaḇ·hūṯ gaḇhūṯ gavHut
Links
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Englishman's Concordance
Isaiah 2:11
HEB: עֵינֵ֞י גַּבְה֤וּת אָדָם֙ שָׁפֵ֔ל
NAS: The proud look of man
KJV: The lofty looks of man
INT: look the proud of man will be abased

Isaiah 2:17
HEB: וְשַׁח֙ גַּבְה֣וּת הָאָדָ֔ם וְשָׁפֵ֖ל
NAS: The pride of man will be humbled
KJV: And the loftiness of man
INT: will be humbled the pride of man will be abased

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 1365
2 Occurrences


gaḇ·hūṯ — 2 Occ.

1364
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