wasters of their own body. In Proverbs 28:7, the word (pl.) is rendered
Authorized Version “riotous men;” Revised Version, “gluttonous.”
Matthew 11:19, Luke 7:34, Greek phagos, given to eating, gluttonous.
- GNASH Hebrews harak, meaning “to grate the teeth”, (Job 16:9; Psalm
112:10; Lamentations 2:16), denotes rage or sorrow. (See also Acts 7:54;
Mark 9:18.) - GNAT only in Matthew 23:24, a small two-winged stinging fly of the
genus Culex, which includes mosquitoes. Our Lord alludes here to the gnat
in a proverbial expression probably in common use, “who strain out the
gnat;” the words in the Authorized Version, “strain at a gnat,” being a mere
typographical error, which has been corrected in the Revised Version. The
custom of filtering wine for this purpose was common among the Jews. It
was founded on Leviticus 11:23. It is supposed that the “lice,” Exodus
8:16 (marg. R.V., “sand-flies”), were a species of gnat. - GOAD (Hebrews malmad, only in Judges 3: 31), an instrument used by
ploughmen for guiding their oxen. Shamgar slew six hundred Philistines
with an ox-goad. “The goad is a formidable weapon. It is sometimes ten
feet long, and has a sharp point. We could now see that the feat of Shamgar
was not so very wonderful as some have been accustomed to think.”
In 1 Samuel 13:21, a different Hebrew word is used, dorban, meaning
something pointed. The expression (Acts 9:5, omitted in the R.V.), “It is
hard for thee to kick against the pricks”, i.e., against the goad, was
proverbial for unavailing resistance to superior power.
- GOAT (1.) Hebrews ‘ez, the she-goat (Genesis 15:9; 30:35; 31:38). This
Hebrew word is also used for the he-goat (Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 4:23;
Numbers 28:15), and to denote a kid (Genesis 38:17, 20). Hence it may be
regarded as the generic name of the animal as domesticated. It literally
means “strength,” and points to the superior strength of the goat as
compared with the sheep.
(2.) Hebrews ‘attud, only in plural; rendered “rams” (Genesis 31:10,12);
he-goats (Numbers 7:17-88; Isaiah 1:11); goats (Deuteronomy 32:14;
Psalm 50:13). They were used in sacrifice (Psalm 66:15). This word is
used metaphorically for princes or chiefs in Isaiah 14:9, and in Zechariah
10:3 as leaders. (Comp. Jeremiah 50:8.)