Lexical Summary giach: To burst forth, to break out, to gush Original Word: גּיחַ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance break forth, labor to bring forth, come forth, draw up, take out Or (shortened) goach {go'-akh}; a primitive root; to gush forth (as water), generally to issue -- break forth, labor to bring forth, come forth, draw up, take out. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to burst forth NASB Translation broke (1), brought me forth (1), burst forth (1), bursting forth (1), give birth (1), labor to give birth (1), rushes (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [גִּיחַ, גּוּחַ] verb burst forth (compare NöZMG 1883, 538; Late Hebrew id., Aramaic id., and  ; Ethiopic  break forth, of light, etc.) — Qal Imperfect יָגִיחַ Job 40:23, masculine singular וַתָּ֫גַח Ezekiel 32:2; Imperative feminine singular גֹּ֫חִי Micah 4:10; Infinitive suffix (בְּ)גִיחו Job 38:8; Participle suffix גֹּחִ֫י Psalm 22:10 (but compare below); — 1 intransitive burst forth, of dashing river (a very Jordan) Job 40:23; of sea figurative as babe from womb Job 38:8, compare 2 transitive a. draw forth from womb (subject ׳י) Psalm 22:10 (where read גָּחִ֫י participle from גּוּחַ, or regard גֹּחִי as metaplastic, as if from ג֗֗֗חח? see De & Checritical note) compare Psalm 71:6; also b. thrust forth, bring forth, rather 'break forth (with that which is to be born),' figurative of travail, applied to Jerusalem in distress Micah 4:10 (compare Sta§ 599 b Köi. 505); burst forth with rivers (figurative of Pharaoh under image of תַּנִּים) Ezekiel 32:2, but for בנהרותיך (rivers) read probably בִּנְחִרוֺתֶיךָ Job 41:12 (nostrils), i.e. snort with thy nostrils, so Ew Co; on figurative then compare Job 41:11-13. Topical Lexicon Root Imagery and Thematic Rangeגִּיחַ consistently evokes the sudden, forceful emergence of something previously restrained. Whether describing warriors springing from ambush, newborn life leaving the womb, or untamed waters surging past boundaries, the verb portrays energy that will not be contained. Scripture harnesses that imagery to illustrate God’s sovereign control over creation, human history, and the unfolding plan of redemption. Principal Old Testament Occurrences 1. Judges 20:33 – Israel’s hidden troops “burst forth” from concealment, turning the tide of battle against Benjamin. The word highlights the element of surprise and irresistible momentum that accompanies God-directed strategy.
3. Job 40:23 – Even when the Jordan “gushes” against Behemoth’s mouth, the creature remains unperturbed. The unstoppable torrent becomes a backdrop to extol God’s unmatched creative power. 4. Psalm 22:9 – “Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother’s breasts.” David recalls God’s covenant care from his first breath. In the Gospel passion narratives this psalm is applied to Jesus, underscoring the Father’s providence over the Messiah’s earthly life from its miraculous inception. 5. Ezekiel 32:2 – Pharaoh is likened to a monstrous crocodile that “thrashes about” and muddies the Nile. The violent stirring anticipates divine judgment on Egypt’s pride and pollution of surrounding nations. 6. Micah 4:10 – Zion is urged to “writhe in agony… like a woman in labor,” for exile to Babylon looms. Yet that very travail will yield deliverance: “there the LORD will redeem you.” The pain of judgment becomes the birth pang of restoration. Theology of Birth and New Creation When applied to human birth (Job 38:8; Psalm 22:9; Micah 4:10), גִּיחַ underscores both dependence and destiny. Life’s first emergence testifies that existence itself is God’s gift, a truth the New Testament will deepen through the doctrine of new birth in Jesus Christ (John 3:3). The Old Testament verb thus anticipates regeneration: just as physical life bursts forth by God’s hand, so spiritual life does the same. Waters That Break, Waters That Are Bound Ancient Near-Eastern mythology treated chaotic waters as rival deities; Scripture refutes that worldview. In Job 38:8 God shuts the sea behind doors; in Job 40:23 He makes untamable animals at home amid raging rivers; in Ezekiel 32:2 He turns Egypt’s watery self-confidence into mud. גִּיחַ therefore magnifies the Creator’s supremacy, reminding faith communities that no flood, literal or figurative, escapes His decree. Conflict and Deliverance Judges 20:33 and Micah 4:10 bookend Israel’s account of rebellion and rescue. At Gibeah, bursting warriors execute justice; in Zion, bursting birth pangs lead to exile and redemption. The verb unites these narratives by showing that behind both battlefield tactics and geopolitical upheavals is the God who orchestrates decisive outcomes for covenant purposes. Christological Resonance Psalm 22, rehearsed on the cross, ties גִּיחַ to the incarnate Son. From nativity (“You brought me forth”) to crucifixion (“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”), Jesus fulfills the psalm’s trajectory. The One once “brought forth” now births many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10), echoing Isaiah’s promise of Zion’s painless delivery (Isaiah 66:8). Pastoral and Missional Application • Assurance of Sovereignty: Believers facing sudden crises can remember that every surge—whether of water, warfare, or worldly pressure—is bounded by the Lord who determines its reach. • Hope in Labor: Seasons of anguish may actually herald the advent of God’s redemptive purposes. Churches in trial can interpret their pain as birth pangs of revival or mission expansion. • Call to Readiness: Like the ambush at Baal Tamar, gospel ministry sometimes requires hidden preparation followed by Spirit-prompted “bursting forth” into decisive action (Acts 13:2-3). • Invitation to New Birth: The verb’s visceral imagery provides a vivid metaphor for evangelism: salvation is not incremental self-improvement but a God-initiated emergence from death to life. Conclusion גִּיחַ weaves through Scripture as a dynamic thread, depicting waters overcoming barriers, infants entering the world, nations convulsing in judgment, and salvation histories springing into view. Each occurrence points to the same reality: the living God commands every eruption, ensuring that what bursts forth ultimately serves His covenant faithfulness and the advance of His kingdom. Forms and Transliterations בְּ֝גִיח֗וֹ בגיחו גֹחִ֣י גחי וַתָּ֣גַח וָגֹ֛חִי וגחי ותגח יָגִ֖יחַ יגיח מֵגִ֥יחַ מגיח bə·ḡî·ḥōw begiCho bəḡîḥōw ḡō·ḥî goChi ḡōḥî mê·ḡî·aḥ meGiach mêḡîaḥ vaGochi vatTagach wā·ḡō·ḥî wāḡōḥî wat·tā·ḡaḥ wattāḡaḥ yā·ḡî·aḥ yaGiach yāḡîaḥLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 20:33 HEB: וְאֹרֵ֧ב יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵגִ֥יחַ מִמְּקֹמ֖וֹ מִמַּֽעֲרֵה־ NAS: in ambush broke out of their place, KJV: of Israel came forth out of their places, INT: ambush of Israel broke of their place of the meadows Job 38:8 Job 40:23 Psalm 22:9 Ezekiel 32:2 Micah 4:10 6 Occurrences |
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