Lexical Summary geder: Wall, fence, enclosure Original Word: גֶּדֶר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance wall From gadar; a circumvallation -- wall. see HEBREW gadar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originthe same as gader, q.v. Brown-Driver-Briggs גָּדֵר noun masculineEzekiel 42:7 wall (Late Hebrew גָּדֵר, Aramaic גָּדֵירָא, גְּדֵירָא, Arabic  ,  , and more commonly  enclosing-wall compare Hebrew גְּדוֺר below) — absolute גָּדֵר Numbers 22:24; Numbers 24:24 5t. + Psalm 62:4 (read גדרה compare below) + Ezekiel 13:5 (Co גדרת compare below); construct גָּדֶר Proverbs 24:31; Ezekiel 42:10 (Co strike out); suffix גְּדֵרוֺ Isaiah 5:5, גְּדֵרָהּ Hosea 2:8 (compare Baer, note); plural suffix גְּדֵרַיִךְ Micah 7:11, גְּדֵרֶיהָ Psalm 80:13; — wall, fence, bordering a road Numbers 2:24 (twice in verse) compare Ecclesiastes 10:8; connected with Ezekiel's temple Ezekiel 42:7; city wall Micah 7:11 compare Ezra 9:9; figurative of Yahweh's vineyard Isaiah 5:5; Psalm 80:13; of fortunes of Israel Ezekiel 22:30; so also Ezekiel 13:5 (Co גְּדֶרֶת compareגְּדֵרָה); of hindrance in path of Israel (figurative as woman) Hosea 2:8; of man beset by enemies Psalm 62:4 (׳ג הַדְּחוּיָה, but read ׳גְּדֵרָה ד Ol De etc.) Topical Lexicon גֶּדֶר Concept and Imagery גֶּדֶר denotes a constructed defensive or protective barrier—most simply a stone wall or fence—erected to guard, mark off, or enclose. In Scripture it points beyond masonry to the ordered boundaries God endorses for the flourishing of His people. Occurrences and Context 1. Proverbs 24:31 situates גֶּדֶר around a neglected vineyard: “See, it was overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down”. Agricultural Cautionary Scene (Proverbs 24) The vineyard’s crumbling גֶּדֶר visualizes the consequences of spiritual sloth. Neglect of God-given boundaries yields invasive thorns (Genesis 3:18; Hebrews 6:8) and loss of fruitfulness. The proverb thus warns leaders, families, and individual believers to maintain the disciplines that preserve their “vineyard” (Song of Solomon 1:6). Sanctuary Architecture (Ezekiel 42) Within Ezekiel’s visionary temple the גֶּדֶר forms part of the measured, symmetrical complex that safeguards holiness. Every cubit affirms divine order; no wall is arbitrary. גֶּדֶר here underscores separation from profane space, preparing for the promised return of God’s glory (Ezekiel 43:5). Symbolic Significance of Walls in Scripture • Protection: Nehemiah 4:16-18 portrays walls as defense against external assault. Related Hebrew Word Family גֶּדֶר (wall) belongs to a cluster including גָּדַר (to wall up) and גְּדֵרָה (enclosure, sheepfold). Together they thread through pastoral and urban imagery, binding shepherd fields (Numbers 32:24) to fortress cities (Jeremiah 49:3). The Wall Motif in Redemptive History Old Covenant walls prefigure the ultimate safeguarding found in Christ. He is both cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20) and “door of the sheep” (John 10:7-9), the one through whom God’s flock finds secure pasture. In the New Jerusalem the twelve-gated wall (Revelation 21:12-14) signifies consummated protection and perfect fellowship, no longer threatened by sin or enemy. Practical Ministry Reflections • Guard healthy doctrine: erect doctrinal גְּדֵרוֹת to keep out corrosive teaching (2 Timothy 1:13-14). גֶּדֶר therefore summons believers to vigilant construction and upkeep—literal when stewarding property, spiritual when stewarding souls—until every gap is closed and “peace like a river” surrounds the people of God (Isaiah 48:18). Forms and Transliterations גֶּ֣דֶר גדר וְגֶ֖דֶר וגדר ge·ḏer Geder geḏer veGeder wə·ḡe·ḏer wəḡeḏerLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Proverbs 24:31 HEB: פָנָ֣יו חֲרֻלִּ֑ים וְגֶ֖דֶר אֲבָנָ֣יו נֶהֱרָֽסָה׃ KJV: thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. INT: surface thorns wall stone was broken Ezekiel 42:10 2 Occurrences |
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