What does גָּרַע (gāraʿ) mean in the Bible?
גָּרַע (gāraʿ): Physical removal action extending to abstract diminishment: scraping away materializes into reducing, restraining, withholding.
Hebrew · H1639
גָּרַע
To scrape off; by implication, to shave , remove , lessen , withhold
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גָּרַע H1639
Pronunciation gāraʿ
What does גָּרַע (gāraʿ) mean in the Bible?
גָּרַע (gāraʿ): Physical removal action extending to abstract diminishment: scraping away materializes into reducing, restraining, withholding.
Full entry for גָּרַע (H1639) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1639?
The BSB source-word alignment has 22 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include or subtract (2), reduce (2), and hinder (1), and reduced (1), be reduced (1).
Where does גָּרַע (gāraʿ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 5:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Numbers (5), Exodus (4), Job (4), Deuteronomy (2).
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 or subtract 2× Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32
reduce 2× Exodus 5:19, Exodus 21:10
and hinder 1× Job 15:4
and reduced 1× Ezekiel 16:27
be reduced 1× Exodus 5:11
disappear 1× Numbers 27:4
He draws up 1× Job 36:27
is clipped 1× Jeremiah 48:37
is cut off 1× Isaiah 15:2
omit 1× Jeremiah 26:2
or limit 1× Job 15:8
or taken 1× Ecclesiastes 3:14
reduce it 1× Exodus 5:8
should we be excluded 1× Numbers 9:7
take 1× Job 36:7
taken away 1× Numbers 36:4
will be reduced 1× Leviticus 27:18
will be withdrawn 1× Numbers 36:3
will withdraw My favor 1× Ezekiel 5:11
would be taken away 1× Numbers 36:3
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 5:8 תִגְרְע֖וּ to reduce it Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Exodus 5:11 נִגְרָ֛ע to be reduced Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular Exodus 5:19 תִגְרְע֥וּ to reduce Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Exodus 21:10 יִגְרָֽע׃ to reduce Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Leviticus 27:18 וְנִגְרַ֖ע to will be reduced Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 9:7 נִגָּרַ֗ע to should we be excluded Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - first person common plural Numbers 27:4 יִגָּרַ֤ע to disappear Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 36:3 וְנִגְרְעָ֤ה to will be withdrawn Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular Numbers 36:3 יִגָּרֵֽעַ׃ to would be taken away Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 36:4 יִגָּרַ֖ע to taken away Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 5:8
Aligned rows 22
Books represented 9
Exodus 4 Leviticus 1 Numbers 5 Deuteronomy 2 Job 4 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 2 Ezekiel 2
Source forms
תִגְרְע֖וּ 2x ṯiḡ·rə·‘ū Exodus 5:8, Deuteronomy 4:2
אֶגְרַע֙ 1x ’eḡ·ra‘ Ezekiel 5:11
גְּרוּעָֽה׃ 1x gə·rū·‘āh Isaiah 15:2
גְּרֻעָ֑ה 1x gə·ru·‘āh Jeremiah 48:37
וָאֶגְרַ֖ע 1x wā·’eḡ·ra‘ Ezekiel 16:27
וְנִגְרַ֖ע 1x wə·niḡ·ra‘ Leviticus 27:18
וְנִגְרְעָ֤ה 1x wə·niḡ·rə·‘āh Numbers 36:3
וְתִגְרַ֥ע 1x wə·ṯiḡ·ra‘ Job 15:4
Parsing patterns
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 3x Numbers 27:4, Numbers 36:3, Numbers 36:4
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural 3x Exodus 5:8, Exodus 5:19, Deuteronomy 4:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - second person masculine singular 2x Job 15:4, Job 15:8
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 2x Deuteronomy 12:32, Jeremiah 26:2
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Exodus 21:10, Job 36:7
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular 2x Isaiah 15:2, Jeremiah 48:37
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular 1x Numbers 36:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 1x Leviticus 27:18
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Physical removal action extending to abstract diminishment: scraping away materializes into reducing, restraining, withholding.
Source Gloss
to scrape off; by implication, to shave , remove , lessen , withhold
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Physical removal action extending to abstract diminishment: scraping away materializes into reducing, restraining, withholding.
to scrape off; by implication, to shave, remove, lessen, withhold BDB: diminish Usage: abate, clip, (di-) minish, do (take) away, keep back, restrain, make small, withdraw.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 16
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 10×
Imperfect Deut 4:2 · Exod 5:8 · Exod 5:19 · Exod 21:10 · Job 36:7 · Deut 13:1 · Ezek 5:11 7×
Participle passive Isa 15:2 · Jer 48:37 2×
Jussive Jer 26:2 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 5×
Imperfect Num 27:4 · Num 36:3 · Num 36:4 · Num 9:7 4×
Participle active Exod 5:11 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Imperfect Job 36:27 1×
Word Origins
גָּרַע is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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