Lexical Summary gadah: To cut off, hew down, chop off Original Word: גָּדָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bank From an unused root (meaning to cut off); a border of a river (as cut into by the stream) -- bank. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition bank (of a river) NASB Translation banks (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs [גָּדָה] noun feminine bank of river (compare Arabic  ,  id., Aramaic גּוּדָּא, wall), גְּדוֺתָיו Joshua 3:15; Joshua 4:18; 1 Chronicles 12:16 Qr (Kt גדיתיו) Isaiah 8:7. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrences1. Joshua 3:15 – The Jordan “overflows all its banks throughout the harvest season.” Geographical and Historical Context In every passage the term points to the natural embankments that confine great Middle-Eastern rivers. During spring harvest the melting snows of Mount Hermon swell the Jordan, transforming its ordinarily modest channel into a torrent that spreads far beyond its normal limits. For Israel on the plains of Moab, those swollen edges represented an insurmountable obstacle—until the Ark of the Covenant led the way. Centuries later, the same annual flooding set the stage for David’s Benjamite and Gadite recruits to display their loyalty in a daring river crossing. In Isaiah’s prophetic drama, the Euphrates’ “banks” become a metaphorical boundary the Assyrian host will violently overrun, threatening Judah’s security. Narrative and Theological Significance 1. Divine Sovereignty over Creation By halting the Jordan at flood stage (Joshua 3–4), the Lord demonstrates mastery over the created order. The river’s swollen edges, normally capable of resisting any human effort, submit instantly to the presence of the Ark. The episode echoes the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14) and anticipates Christ’s authority over wind and waves (Mark 4:39). 2. Testing and Strengthening Faith Israel must step into a raging current before witnessing the miracle. Likewise, David’s followers brave perilous waters to join the anointed king (1 Chronicles 12:16). Both scenes reveal that covenant loyalty often demands decisive action in the face of apparent impossibility. 3. Warning of Judgment Isaiah employs the same imagery to forecast Assyrian aggression. The overflowing army will breach Judah’s defenses just as rising water breaches a riverbank. The motif underscores that rejecting God’s rule invites forces that human strength cannot restrain. Symbolic Threads • Boundary and Barrier – The riverbank marks a limit set by God. When He withholds protection, the boundary is overrun. Practical Applications for Ministry • Encourage congregations to view obstacles not as detours but as stages upon which God magnifies His power. Eschatological Glimpses Prophetic literature repeatedly pictures end-times judgment as overwhelming floodwaters (Daniel 9:26; Revelation 12:15–16). Isaiah’s vision of banks breached therefore foreshadows final reckonings, while Joshua’s dry path anticipates the ultimate deliverance of God’s people. Conclusion Across its four occurrences, the term stands at the intersection of geography and theology, portraying both the peril of human limitation and the surpassing power of the Lord who establishes—and, when necessary, overrules—the boundaries of nature and nations alike. Forms and Transliterations גְּדוֹתָ֔יו גְּדוֹתָֽיו׃ גְּדֹותָ֑יו גדותיו גדותיו׃ gə·ḏō·w·ṯāw gedoTav gəḏōwṯāwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 3:15 HEB: עַל־ כָּל־ גְּדוֹתָ֔יו כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י NAS: overflows all its banks all the days KJV: overfloweth all his banks all the time INT: and all banks all the days Joshua 4:18 1 Chronicles 12:16 Isaiah 8:7 4 Occurrences |
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