Original Word: גָּדַד
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: gadad
Pronunciation: gah-dad'
Phonetic Spelling: (gaw-dad')
KJV: assemble (selves by troops), gather (selves together, self in troops), cut selves
NASB: cut, gash, gashed, muster yourselves in troops, together, trooped
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to crowd
2. also to gash (as if by pressing into)

assemble selves by troops, gather selves together, self in troops, cut selves

A primitive root (compare guwd); to crowd; also to gash (as if by pressing into) -- assemble (selves by troops), gather (selves together, self in troops), cut selves.

see HEBREW guwd

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to penetrate, cut
NASB Translation
cut (2), gash (2), gashed (1), muster yourselves in troops (1), together (1), trooped (1).

[גָּדַד] verb penetrate, cut (Late Hebrew id., cut, cut out, Aramaic גְּדַד, , Arabic cut, cut off; Ethiopic in derivatives) —

Qal Imperfect Psalm 94:21 יָג֯וֺדּוּ עַלנֶֿפֶשׁ צַדִּיִק they attack (penetrate, make inroads upon) the life of a righteous man (Ol proposes יָגוּרוּ compare Psalm 56:7; Psalm 59:4 where, however, Che יגודו; si vera lectio, perhaps denominative from גְּדוּד compare Hosea 6:9 & below; compare also גוד & Kö^{i. 356}).

Hithpo`el Imperfect יִתְגֹּדַד Jeremiah 16:6; 2feminine singular תִּתְגֹּדֲדִי Micah 4:14, תִּתְגּוֺדָ֑דִי Jeremiah 47:5; plural וַיִּתְגֹּדְדוּ 1 Kings 18:28, יִתְגּוֺדָ֑דוּ Jeremiah 5:7 + Hosea 7:11 see below, תִּתְגֹּדְדוּ Deuteronomy 14:1; Participle plural מִתְגֹּדְדִים Jeremiah 41:5; —

1 cut oneself, as religious (heathen) practice 1 Kings 18:28; practised also by men of Schechem, etc. in worship of ׳י (late) Jeremiah 41:5; for the dead, forbidden Deuteronomy 14:1 לֹא תִתְגֹּדְדוּ וְלאֹ תָשִׂימוּ קָרְחָה בֵּין עֵינֵיכֶם לָמֵת, Jeremiah 16:6; compare Jeremiah 47:5 (subject Philistia personified); also for ᵑ0 יִתְגּוֺרָ֖רוּ Hosea 7:14 Codd, they cut themselves, ᵐ5 Gr Che RVm, We Now Marti Harper (compare I, II. גּוּר).

2 gather in troops, or bands; go in troops or throngs, throng; (denominative from גְּדוּד q. v.) compare תִּתְגֹּדֲדִי בַתגְּֿדוּד Micah 4:14 (addressed to Jerusalem); Jeremiah 5:7 ׳וּבֵית זוֺנָה יִתְגּ and to a harlot's house they throng. **read probably יִתְגֹּרָ֑רוּ ᵐ5 Gie Du and others.

Overview

גָּדַד (gadad) functions in the Hebrew Scriptures with two complementary ideas: physical cutting or gashing, and the figurative “cutting together” that forms a troop or band. In every occurrence the context either condemns pagan self-laceration or describes the assembling of people—righteous or wicked—for decisive action. The verb therefore speaks both to forbidden ritual mutilation and to the dynamics of communal solidarity.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Deuteronomy 14:1 – Israel is forbidden to “cut yourselves” when mourning the dead, underscoring covenant distinctiveness from surrounding nations.
2. 1 Kings 18:28 – Prophets of Baal “slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood gushed out”, exposing the futility of idolatrous rites.
3. Psalm 94:21 – Evildoers “band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death”, illustrating corporate hostility toward God’s people.
4. Jeremiah 5:7 – The people “assembled in troops at the houses of prostitutes”, portraying organized moral revolt.
5. Jeremiah 16:6 – In coming judgment “no one will cut himself or shave his head for them”; even pagan mourning customs will cease.
6. Jeremiah 41:5 – Pilgrims arrive at the ruined temple “having shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and gashed themselves”, a poignant picture of misplaced zeal without true obedience.
7. Jeremiah 47:5 – “O remnant of their valley, how long will you gash yourself?”, a taunt that unmasks empty religious desperation.
8. Micah 5:1 – “Now, O daughter of troops, mobilize your troops”; here gadad shifts to the military sense, calling Judah to muster under siege.

Cultural and Historical Context

Ancient Near Eastern funerary and fertility cults commonly employed self-inflicted wounds to secure divine favor. Israel’s neighbors believed that visible blood proved earnestness and provoked the gods to action. By contrast, the Mosaic Law insists that Israel’s identity as “sons of the LORD” renders such practices both unnecessary and disloyal. Cutting for the dead challenged two core truths: God alone determines life and death, and He is approached through obedient worship, not self-harm.

The martial nuance of gadad fits Iron-Age warfare, where loosely organized militias “cut together” into tactical units. Micah’s call to “mobilize your troops” taps this everyday military vocabulary, yet quickly pivots to messianic hope (Micah 5:2) by contrasting human mustering with the coming ruler from Bethlehem.

Theological Themes

Separation from Paganism: Deuteronomy 14:1 establishes a perpetual principle—God’s people manifest holiness by rejecting rites rooted in despair.

Futility of Idolatry: The spectacle on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18) shows that self-inflicted suffering cannot coerce divine response; only the living God answers by fire.

Corporate Sin and Judgment: Psalm 94 and Jeremiah 5 warn that when individuals “band together” in evil, collective punishment follows.

Hope amid Siege: Micah 5:1 affirms that human troops may fail, yet the promised Shepherd-King will ultimately defend His flock.

Prophetic Implications

Jeremiah and Micah both link gadad to impending invasion. In Jeremiah, pagan mourning rites will be silenced because so many corpses will lie unburied; in Micah, the daughter of troops faces siege but is assured of eventual deliverance through the messianic Judge. Thus the verb becomes a lens on the tension between present calamity and future redemption.

Pastoral and Practical Application

Personal Identity in Christ: Believers, knowing they are children of God, reject any practice—ancient or modern—that harms the body as a means of atonement or spiritual merit.

Corporate Responsibility: Psalm 94:21 cautions churches against “banding together” in unrighteous causes; unity must be grounded in truth.

Spiritual Warfare: Micah 5:1 encourages congregations to mobilize—not with weapons of flesh but with prayer, proclamation, and holy living—trusting the ultimate victory to the Risen King who was pierced once for all.

Intertextual Connections

Leviticus 19:28 forbids cutting for the dead, reinforcing Deuteronomy 14:1.

Zechariah 13:6 anticipates false prophets who bear self-inflicted wounds, echoing 1 Kings 18.

Acts 20:29 warns of “savage wolves” that will gather against the flock, conceptually paralleling Psalm 94:21.

Conclusion

גָּדַד starkly contrasts two ways of “coming together”: the destructive solidarity of idolatry and injustice, and the constructive mobilization of God’s people under His appointed King. The verb therefore challenges every generation to reject self-destructive religiosity and to unite in faithful obedience, confident that the One who was wounded for our transgressions renders further self-wounding both needless and dishonoring.

וַיִּתְגֹּֽדְדוּ֙ וּמִתְגֹּֽדְדִ֑ים ויתגדדו ומתגדדים יִתְגֹּדַ֔ד יִתְגֹּדָֽדוּ׃ יָ֭גוֹדּוּ יגודו יתגדד יתגדדו׃ תִּתְגֹּדְדִ֣י תִּתְגּוֹדָֽדִי׃ תִתְגֹּֽדְד֗וּ תתגדדו תתגדדי תתגודדי׃ tiṯ·gō·ḏə·ḏî ṯiṯ·gō·ḏə·ḏū tiṯ·gō·w·ḏā·ḏî titgoDadi titgodeDi tiṯgōḏəḏî titgodeDu ṯiṯgōḏəḏū tiṯgōwḏāḏî ū·miṯ·gō·ḏə·ḏîm umitgodeDim ūmiṯgōḏəḏîm vaiyitgodeDu way·yiṯ·gō·ḏə·ḏū wayyiṯgōḏəḏū yā·ḡō·w·dū Yagodu yāḡōwdū yiṯ·gō·ḏā·ḏū yiṯ·gō·ḏaḏ yitgoDad yiṯgōḏaḏ yitgoDadu yiṯgōḏāḏūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts