גֶּ֫זַע
ge.za
stock
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# Geza (גֶּ֫זַע): The Hebrew Word for Stock The Hebrew word *geza* appears only three times in the biblical text, making it a relatively rare term with a specific semantic domain. Its basic meaning—"stock"—refers to the trunk or main stem of a tree, particularly in contexts emphasizing continuity or lineage. The rarity of this particular word suggests it was used selectively, perhaps when authors needed to convey a distinct nuance unavailable through more common vocabulary. Given the minimal occurrence data, *geza* likely functioned as a specialized term rather than everyday language. Its translation as "stock" points toward both literal botanical meaning (the woody base from which branches grow) and potential metaphorical applications related to descent or ancestral lineage. However, without access to the specific biblical passages where the word appears, the full range of its usage and any figurative applications remain constrained by the lexicon data provided. The limited attestation of *geza* indicates it occupied a narrow linguistic niche in biblical Hebrew. Scholars would need to examine all three occurrences to determine whether the word maintained consistent meaning across different contexts or whether its usage varied by genre or time period. Its scarcity makes it a minor but legitimate element of biblical Hebrew vocabulary.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences across the text
Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stock dies in the ground,
Isaiah 11:1A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.
Isaiah 40:24They are planted scarcely. They are sown scarcely. Their stock has scarcely taken root in the ground. He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the whirlwind takes them away as stubble.