Lexical Summary gazah: To cut off, shear Original Word: גָּזָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance take A primitive root (akin to guwz); to cut off, i.e. Portion out -- take. see HEBREW guwz NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to cut NASB Translation took (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [גָּזָה] verb cut, (cut off, sever), √ of גָּזִית (compare Talmud גְּזָא cut off); hence perhaps Qal Participle active suffix גּוֺזִי Psalm 71:6 thou art he that severed me from my mother's womb (De Che; ᵐ5 σκεπαστής, De proposes Εκσπαστής, see ᵐ5 Psalm 22:10; ᵑ9 protector compare ᵐ5, Thes Ew Hup Pe benefactor, compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery Strong’s Hebrew term גָּזָה (gâzâh) conveys the action of cutting or severing. In Psalm 71:6 the psalmist applies the verb to God’s decisive “cutting” that separates the infant from the mother’s womb: “You pulled me from my mother’s womb” (Psalm 71:6). The imagery is at once clinical and covenantal. As a midwife cuts the cord, so the LORD personally inaugurates a new life, underscoring His immediate involvement in every human birth. Context in Psalm 71 Psalm 71 is the prayer of an aged believer who traces divine faithfulness from the first moment of existence to the present day. By invoking גָּזָה, the psalmist anchors lifelong trust in the concrete memory of birth. God’s act of “pulling” becomes the foundation for ongoing reliance: “I have leaned on You since birth” (Psalm 71:6). The verse establishes an unbroken line of providence—womb, cradle, youth, and old age—testifying that the One who initiated life will also sustain and ultimately deliver. Historical and Cultural Background In ancient Israel the midwife’s cut marked the formal entry of the child into the covenant community (compare Ezekiel 16:4). The umbilical cord was severed, the infant washed, salted, and swaddled. When Scripture ascribes the cutting itself to the LORD, it places Him in the role of the ultimate Midwife, a striking affirmation of His sovereignty over ordinary, earthly processes. Theological Themes 1. Divine Ownership of Life Psalm 71:6 aligns with other declarations of God’s creative ownership: Psalm 22:9; Psalm 139:13–16; Isaiah 46:3. From conception through delivery, life is His work, not a mere biological accident. 2. Continuity of Care The same verb that describes the start of life foreshadows future acts of rescue. The God who “cut” the psalmist free at birth later “cuts off” enemies (Psalm 143:12) and “cuts” new covenants (Genesis 15:18). Deliverance at birth prefigures every subsequent deliverance. 3. Sanctity of the Womb By highlighting God’s personal agency in childbirth, גָּזָה reinforces the intrinsic worth of prenatal life. Scripture’s witness leaves no gap between God’s creative intention and the unborn child’s value. Related Scriptural Motifs • Psalm 22:9—“You brought me forth from the womb.” Though using different Hebrew and Greek verbs, each text echoes the truth encapsulated in גָּזָה: God initiates and oversees every life. Applications for Ministry • Pastoral Assurance: Believers facing aging, illness, or abandonment can anchor hope in the God who has already demonstrated His commitment at their birth. Summary גָּזָה appears only once, yet its single use powerfully declares that the LORD Himself “cuts” the cord, commencing each human story. That initial act radiates outward, illuminating doctrines of providence, redemption, and the sanctity of life, and offering a pastoral lens through which every believer may view both origin and destiny. Forms and Transliterations גוֹזִ֑י גוזי ḡō·w·zî ḡōwzî goZiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 71:6 HEB: אִ֭מִּי אַתָּ֣ה גוֹזִ֑י בְּךָ֖ תְהִלָּתִ֣י NAS: from [my] birth; You are He who took me from my mother's KJV: from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's INT: my mother's who took my praise is continually 1 Occurrence |
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requite, Jerusalem Syriac 
, Talmud גְּזָא id.); — text and meaning dubious; ""