1468. guz

Lexical Summary

guz: To shear, to cut off

Original Word: גּוּז
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: guwz
Pronunciation: gooz
Phonetic Spelling: (gooz)
KJV: bring, cut off
NASB: brought, gone
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. (properly) to shear off
2. but used only in the (figuratively) sense of passing rapidly

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

bring, cut off

A primitive root (compare gazaz); properly, to shear off; but used only in the (figuratively) sense of passing rapidly -- bring, cut off.

see HEBREW gazaz

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to pass over or away
NASB Translation
brought (1), gone (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. [גּוּז] verb pass over, away (Arabic pass by, over; Aramaic גּוּז cross, pass away, fail —

Qal Perfect גָּז Psalm 90:10; Imperfect וַיָּ֫גָז Numbers 11:31; — pass away, of the life of the aged, Psalm 90:10 גָּז חִישׁ; transitive bring over, subject wind, object quails from sea, Numbers 11:31 (read perhaps Hiph`il וַיָּגֶז compare Kö^{i. 442} Di).

Topical Lexicon

Root Idea and Semantic Range

גּוּז conveys the action of severing or cutting away and, by extension, the swift removal or fleeting passage of something. In Scripture the verb functions figuratively to stress either a sudden divine intervention that “cuts” into history or the rapid disappearance of human strength and life.

Occurrences

1. Numbers 11:31 – Divine wind that “swept” quail in from the sea.
2. Psalm 90:10 – Human years “quickly pass, and we fly away.”

Narrative Significance in Numbers 11:31

Israel had murmured over manna and craved meat. The LORD answered with an overwhelming provision: “Then a wind sent out from the LORD came up and brought quail from the sea; it scattered them up to a day’s journey on this side and up to a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp”. The verb pictures the wind shearing across the wilderness, forcefully driving the birds to ground. The scene underlines:
• Divine sovereignty—Yahweh controls the forces of nature.
• Abundance mingled with judgment—what is dramatically “cut in” to meet desire later becomes a source of plague (Numbers 11:33).
• A reminder that provision outside of gratitude can yield discipline.

Poetic Reflection in Psalm 90:10

Moses’ prayer contrasts the everlasting God with fragile humanity: “The days of our years are seventy years—or eighty if we have the strength; yet their span is but toil and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away”. גּוּז distills the brevity of life into the image of something abruptly severed. The verb forms a hinge in the psalm, launching Moses’ plea, “So teach us to number our days” (Psalm 90:12).

Theological Themes

1. Transience versus Eternity: What God cuts or allows to pass is momentary beside His unchanging nature (Psalm 90:2).
2. Providence and Judgment: The same verb that signals a tender provision of food (Numbers 11) also warns of life’s swift conclusion (Psalm 90). Divine action can bring either blessing or accountability.
3. Human Responsibility: Awareness that life may be “cut off” at any moment motivates obedience, humility, and reverent trust.

Historical Background

Quail migrating northward along the Red Sea are still driven inland by spring winds; the narrative’s realism supports the historicity of Numbers 11. Ancient Near Eastern literature likewise uses cutting imagery for abrupt change, but Scripture uniquely ties it to covenant purposes.

Ministry Applications

• Shepherding Hearts: Leaders can use Numbers 11 to address discontent, pointing out that God may answer misplaced cravings in ways that expose deeper issues.
• Funeral and Memorial Settings: Psalm 90:10 lends biblical language for the brevity of life while anchoring hope in God’s permanence.
• Discipleship: Encourages believers to steward time wisely, invest in eternal priorities, and cultivate gratitude.

Intertextual Echoes

Isaiah 40:6–8 and 1 Peter 1:24 pick up similar imagery—“All flesh is like grass”—reinforcing the theme of life’s perishability. James 4:14 echoes it: “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

Christological and Eschatological Insights

Jesus as the Bread of Life (John 6:31–35) surpasses the quail episode: earthly provision is “cut off,” yet He offers eternal sustenance. The swift passing of present life sharpens expectancy for “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) when mortal bodies will be clothed with immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53).

Practical Exhortation for Believers

• Cultivate contentment: trust God’s timing and methods of provision.
• Number your days: plan with eternity in view.
• Rest in Christ: only His life cannot be “cut off”; abiding in Him secures an inheritance that does not fade.

Summary Statement

גּוּז stands as a concise reminder that God both intervenes decisively in history and ordains the fleeting nature of human life. Recognizing His hand in what is “cut in” or “cut short” calls the faithful to gratitude, holiness, and hope in the everlasting covenant fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Forms and Transliterations

גָ֥ז גז וַיָּ֣גָז ויגז gaz ḡāz vaiYagoz way·yā·ḡāz wayyāḡāz

Englishman's Concordance

Numbers 11:31
HEB: מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֗ה וַיָּ֣גָז שַׂלְוִים֮ מִן־
NAS: from the LORD and it brought quail
KJV: from the LORD, and brought quails
INT: went the LORD brought quail from

Psalm 90:10
HEB: וָאָ֑וֶן כִּי־ גָ֥ז חִ֝֗ישׁ וַנָּעֻֽפָה׃
NAS: For soon it is gone and we fly away.
KJV: for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
INT: and sorrow for is gone soon fly

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 1468
2 Occurrences

ḡāz — 1 Occ.
way·yā·ḡāz — 1 Occ.