Lexical Summary gid: Sinew, tendon Original Word: גִּיד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sinew Probably from guwd; a thong (as compressing); by analogy, a tendon -- sinew. see HEBREW guwd NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition sinew NASB Translation sinew (3), sinews (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs גִּיד noun masculineGen 32:33 sinew (Late Hebrew id., Aramaic גִּידָא,  ; compare Arabic  neck) — construct גִּיד Genesis 32:33 (twice in verse); Isaiah 48:4; plural גִּידִים Job 10:11; Ezekiel 37:6, גִּדִים Ezekiel 37:8; construct גִּידֵי Job 40:17; — sinew, in General of human body, "" בשׂר, עור, עצמות, Job 10:11 compare Ezekiel 37:6,8 of thigh Genesis 32:33 (of beast) 32:33; iron sinew, figurative of obstinacy, Isaiah 48:4 בַּרְזֶל עָרְמֶּ֑ךָ וּמִצְחֲךָ נְחוּשָׁה ׳וג; of hippopotamus, פחדו ׳ג, i.e. of his loins, Job 40:17. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Physical Imagery גִּיד points to the inward cords that tie a body together—tendons, sinews, ligaments. It is never abstract; the writers ground their theology in the palpable strength, tension, and vulnerability of the connective tissue God wove into every creature. Spectrum of Biblical Usage 1. Human anatomy (Job 10:11) Key Passages “Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon at the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.” The maimed “sinew of the hip” becomes a perpetual reminder of divine conquest over human self-reliance and is later encoded in Jewish dietary custom. Every meal that omits this tendon quietly recalls the night God crippled and blessed His patriarch. “You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and tendons.” Job’s lament roots personhood in God’s meticulous artistry. Tendons underscore both the intimacy and the intentionality of creation; suffering, therefore, cannot be random. “His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.” Behemoth’s massive ligaments broadcast the Creator’s unmatched power. Human frailty is implicit: if God fastened sinews this strong in a beast, how much stronger is the arm that forged them? “For I knew that you are obstinate; your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead bronze.” The metaphor flips the normal blessing of firm sinews into a rebuke. What should enable healthy movement now locks Israel into idolatrous rigidity. “I will attach tendons to you and make flesh grow upon you… As I looked, tendons and flesh appeared on them, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.” In the valley of bones, tendons are the first sign of God’s restorative work. Re-connecting precedes re-animating; spiritual life follows structural re-creation. Historical and Cultural Background • The prohibition against eating the sciatic tendon (gid ha-nasheh) appears only once yet became a fixed element of kosher law, illustrating how narrative can shape communal identity. Theological Insights Creation: God “knit” tendons; nothing organic is accidental. Humility: Jacob’s limp teaches that true strength is found after submission. Judgment: Iron sinews in Isaiah show how gifts can harden into idols. Resurrection: Ezekiel’s tendons anticipate bodily resurrection, affirming that salvation is holistic—spirit and flesh. Ministry and Practical Application • Personal Weakness—Jacob’s permanent limp encourages believers to value sanctified weakness over self-generated power. Christological Reflections The Body of Christ is bound together “by every supporting ligament” (echoed in Ephesians 4:16). What גִּיד illustrates in shadow, the Messiah realizes in substance: He supplies the connecting strength that unites diverse members into one living, functioning body. Summary גִּיד threads through Scripture as a quiet but potent witness: God forms, restrains, judges, and revives His people at the very points that hold life together. Every sinew—whether dislocated, iron-hard, cedar-strong, or newly stretched across dry bones—echoes the same call: “Then you will know that I am the LORD.” Forms and Transliterations בְּגִ֖יד בגיד גִּ֣יד גִּדִ֜ים גִּדִים֙ גִּידֵ֖י גדים גיד גידי וְ֝גִידִ֗ים וְגִ֤יד וגיד וגידים bə·ḡîḏ beGid bəḡîḏ gî·ḏê gi·ḏîm gid gîḏ gîḏê giDei giDim giḏîm veGid vegiDim wə·ḡî·ḏîm wə·ḡîḏ wəḡîḏ wəḡîḏîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 32:32 HEB: יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־ גִּ֣יד הַנָּשֶׁ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֙ NAS: do not eat the sinew of the hip KJV: eat not [of] the sinew which shrank, INT: the sons of Israel the sinew of the hip which Genesis 32:32 Job 10:11 Job 40:17 Isaiah 48:4 Ezekiel 37:6 Ezekiel 37:8 7 Occurrences |
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