Lexical Summary gadiysh: Heap, stack, pile Original Word: גָּדִישׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance shock stack of corn, tomb From an unused root (meaning to heap up); a stack of sheaves; by analogy, a tomb -- shock (stack) (of corn), tomb. Brown-Driver-Briggs I. גָּדִישׁ noun masculineJob 5:26 heap, stack (Late Hebrew id., Aramaic id.) — גָּדִישׁ Exodus 22:5 3t.; — stack of sheaves Exodus 22:5; Judges 15:5 ("" קָמָה in both) Job 5:26. II. גּדשׁ (= II. גָּדִישׁ noun [masculine] tomb (Arabic Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery גָּדִישׁ depicts a heap or stack of cut grain left in the field to dry; by extension it can describe any mound, including a funerary barrow. The word therefore carries both the bustle of harvest life and the stillness of burial, linking daily labor with ultimate destiny. Occurrences in Scripture • Exodus 22:6 safeguards the gadish: “If a fire breaks out and spreads into thorn bushes so that it consumes stacked grain or standing grain or the entire field, the one who started the fire must surely make restitution.” Agricultural Context Harvesting in ancient Israel involved cutting grain, binding it into sheaves, and stacking those sheaves into gadish for drying before threshing. These heaps stood exposed in open fields, making them vulnerable to theft, fire, or enemy sabotage, and so became natural symbols of both abundance and fragility. The law’s protection of stacked grain reflects how the covenant community guarded the fruit of honest labor. Legal and Ethical Significance (Exodus 22:6) By requiring full restitution for damage to a gadish, the Mosaic law reinforces personal accountability, neighborly love, and the sanctity of another’s livelihood. The principle extends beyond agriculture: whenever our actions—intentional or careless—harm another’s provision, God’s justice demands we make things whole. Instrument of Judgment (Judges 15:5) Samson’s burning of Philistine shocks shows gadish as strategic infrastructure. Destroying it crippled an oppressor’s economy without direct bloodshed, illustrating how God may employ unconventional means to humble hostile powers and deliver His people. Metaphor for Life’s Completion (Job 5:26) A well-gathered gadish pictures ripeness and right timing. The verse casts death not as a calamity but as harvest: life bundled, matured, and received into God’s granary. This image fosters hope that the faithful will finish their course with spiritual fullness and dignity. Symbol of Earthly Finality (Job 21:32) Conversely, Job 21:32 refers to the burial mound of the prosperous wicked. Their impressive gadish-like tombs cannot shield them from divine reckoning. The word therefore warns against equating material success with lasting security. Theological Threads 1. Stewardship: Grain is God’s provision; safeguarding the gadish honors the Giver. Ministry Applications • Teach stewardship by connecting workplace diligence with the care of ancient grain heaps. Gadish, humble mound of cut grain, reminds the Church that every field—material or spiritual—belongs to the Lord of the harvest, who watches both our labors and our legacy. Forms and Transliterations גָּדִ֔ישׁ גָּדִ֣ישׁ גָּדִ֥ישׁ גדיש מִגָּדִ֥ישׁ מגדיש gā·ḏîš gāḏîš gaDish mig·gā·ḏîš miggāḏîš miggaDishLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 22:6 HEB: קֹצִים֙ וְנֶאֱכַ֣ל גָּדִ֔ישׁ א֥וֹ הַקָּמָ֖ה NAS: to thorn bushes, so that stacked grain or KJV: in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, INT: to thorn is consumed stacked or the standing Judges 15:5 Job 5:26 Job 21:32 4 Occurrences |