What does גַּיְא (gayĕʾ) mean in the Bible?
גַּיְא (gayĕʾ): A deep, narrow valley defined by steep sides rather than flowing water or seasonal drainage
Hebrew · H1516
גַּיְא
A gorge (from its lofty sides; hence, narrow, but not a gully or winter-torrent)
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גַּיְא H1516
Pronunciation gayĕʾ
What does גַּיְא (gayĕʾ) mean in the Bible?
גַּיְא (gayĕʾ): A deep, narrow valley defined by steep sides rather than flowing water or seasonal drainage
Full entry for גַּיְא (H1516) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1516?
The BSB source-word alignment has 60 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include in the valley (10), the Valley (8), valley (6), and valleys (3), through the Valley (3).
Where does גַּיְא (gayĕʾ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Numbers 21:20. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (10), Jeremiah (8), Joshua (7), 2 Chronicles (5).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It in the valley 10× Deuteronomy 3:29, 2 Kings 14:7, 2 Kings 23:10, 1 Chronicles 18:12
the Valley 8× 1 Samuel 13:18, 2 Chronicles 26:9, Nehemiah 3:13, Nehemiah 11:30
valley 6× Isaiah 28:1, Isaiah 28:4, Isaiah 40:4, Ezekiel 31:12
and valleys 3× Ezekiel 6:3, Ezekiel 36:4, Ezekiel 36:6
through the Valley 3× Nehemiah 2:13, Nehemiah 2:15, Psalms 23:4
. . . 2× Ezekiel 39:11, Ezekiel 39:15
in the Valley of Ben-hinnom 2× Jeremiah 7:31, Jeremiah 32:35
of the valley 2× 1 Chronicles 4:39, Ezekiel 7:16
the Valley of Ben-hinnom 2× Joshua 15:8, Joshua 18:16
the Valley of Hinnom 2× Joshua 15:8, Joshua 18:16
with the valley 2× Joshua 8:11, 1 Samuel 17:3
[it] 1× Zechariah 14:5
against the Valley 1× Isaiah 22:1
and in the Valley 1× Nehemiah 11:35
and the Valley 1× Joshua 19:27
and the Valley of Ben-hinnom 1× Jeremiah 7:32
at the Valley 1× Joshua 19:14
in a valley 1× Deuteronomy 34:6
in the Valley of Salt 1× 2 Samuel 8:13
in your valleys 1× Ezekiel 35:8
into the valley 1× Micah 1:6
of Gath 1× 1 Samuel 17:52
of the valleys 1× 2 Kings 2:16
of those living in 1× 1 Chronicles 4:14
or the Valley 1× Jeremiah 19:6
the valleys 1× Ezekiel 32:5
to the valley 1× Numbers 21:20
to the Valley of Salt 1× 2 Chronicles 25:11
while they were in the valley 1× Deuteronomy 4:46
Show sample aligned rows
Numbers 21:20 הַגַּיְא֙ to to the valley Article | Noun - common singular Deuteronomy 3:29 בַּגָּ֔יְא to in the valley Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular Deuteronomy 4:46 בַּגַּ֗יְא to while they were in the valley Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular Deuteronomy 34:6 בַגַּיְ֙ to in a valley Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular Joshua 8:11 וְהַגַּ֖י to with the valley Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - common singular Joshua 15:8 גֵּ֣י to the Valley of Ben-hinnom Noun - proper - feminine singular Joshua 15:8 גֵֽי־ to the Valley of Hinnom Noun - proper - feminine singular Joshua 18:16 גֵּ֣י to the Valley of Ben-hinnom Noun - proper - feminine singular Joshua 18:16 גֵּ֨י to the Valley of Hinnom Noun - proper - feminine singular Joshua 19:14 גֵּ֖י to at the Valley Noun - proper - feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Numbers 21:20
Aligned rows 60
Books represented 15
Numbers 1 Deuteronomy 3 Joshua 7 1 Samuel 3 2 Samuel 1 2 Kings 3 1 Chronicles 3 2 Chronicles 5 Nehemiah 5 Psalms 2 Isaiah 5 Jeremiah 8 Ezekiel 10 Micah 1 Zechariah 3
Source forms
גֵּ֣יא 6x gê 1 Chronicles 4:14, 2 Chronicles 25:11, Isaiah 22:1, Isaiah 28:4
בְּגֵ֣יא 5x bə·ḡê 1 Chronicles 18:12, 2 Chronicles 28:3, Isaiah 22:5, Jeremiah 7:31
בְּגֵיא־ 3x bə·ḡê- 2 Samuel 8:13, 2 Kings 14:7, Psalms 60:1
גֵּ֖יא 3x gê Ezekiel 39:11, Ezekiel 39:15, Zechariah 14:4
גֵּֽיא־ 3x gê- Nehemiah 11:30, Isaiah 28:1, Zechariah 14:5
בְּגֵ֣י 2x bə·ḡê 2 Kings 23:10, 2 Chronicles 33:6
גֵּ֣י 2x gê Joshua 15:8, Joshua 18:16
גֵּ֥י 2x gê 1 Samuel 13:18, Nehemiah 11:35
Parsing patterns
Noun - proper - feminine singular 14x Joshua 15:8, Joshua 18:16, Joshua 19:14, 1 Samuel 13:18
Noun - common singular construct 10x Isaiah 22:1, Isaiah 28:1, Isaiah 28:4, Isaiah 40:4
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular 10x 2 Samuel 8:13, 2 Kings 14:7, 2 Kings 23:10, 1 Chronicles 18:12
Article | Noun - common singular 4x Numbers 21:20, 1 Chronicles 4:39, 2 Chronicles 26:9, Nehemiah 2:15
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular 4x Deuteronomy 3:29, Deuteronomy 4:46, Deuteronomy 34:6, Jeremiah 2:23
Article | Noun - common plural 3x 2 Kings 2:16, Ezekiel 7:16, Ezekiel 32:5
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common plural 3x Ezekiel 6:3, Ezekiel 36:4, Ezekiel 36:6
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular 2x Jeremiah 7:32, Jeremiah 19:6
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. A deep, narrow valley defined by steep sides rather than flowing water or seasonal drainage
Source Gloss
a gorge (from its lofty sides; hence, narrow, but not a gully or winter-torrent)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
A deep, narrow valley defined by steep sides rather than flowing water or seasonal drainage
a gorge (from its lofty sides; hence, narrow, but not a gully or winter-torrent) BDB: valley Usage: valley.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
A narrow gorge used as a place of judgment and idolatrous practices
Showing 1 selected witness from 62 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
גַּיְא is built from this root:
גֵּוָה H1466
Cross-Language Connections
Greek words that correspond to or develop the meaning of this Hebrew word in the New Testament.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain