Original Word: גָּדַף
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: gadaph
Pronunciation: gah-daf'
Phonetic Spelling: (gaw-daf')
KJV: blaspheme, reproach
NASB: blasphemed, blaspheming, reviles
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to hack (with words)
2. to revile

blaspheme, reproach

A primitive root; to hack (with words), i.e. Revile -- blaspheme, reproach.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to revile, blaspheme
NASB Translation
blasphemed (5), blaspheming (1), reviles (1).

[גָּדַף] verb only

Pi`el revile, blaspheme (Late Hebrew גָּדַף cut, wound, then (especially Pi) revile; Arabic cut, cut off, II. deny a favour, be ungrateful, etc.; Aramaic Pa`el גַּדֵּף, , revile) — Perfect2masculine singular וְגִדַּפְתָּ 2 Kings 19:22 = Isaiah 37:23; 3plural גִּדְּפוּ 2 Kings 19:6 = Isaiah 37:6; Participle מְגַדֵּף Numbers 15:30; Psalm 44:17; —

1 revile, between man and man, (absolute) קוֺל מְחָרֵף וּמְגַדֵּף Psalm 44:17 the voice of (him that) reproacheth and revileth.

2 blaspheme, followed by accusative ׳י Numbers 15:30 (P); 2 Kings 19:22 = Isaiah 37:23 ("" חֵרֵף; object אֶתמִֿי, reference to ׳י as above); Ezekiel 20:27; 2accusative הַדְּבָרִים נַעֲרֵי מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר אֹתִי ׳אֲשֶׁר ג ... 2 Kings 19:6 = Isaiah 37:6 the words with which the servants of the king of Assyria blaspheme me.

Overview

The Hebrew verb גָּדַף occurs seven times in the Old Testament and consistently conveys hostile, contemptuous speech or action aimed at the LORD or His people. It describes overt blasphemy, defiant disdain, and public scorn that denies God’s honor and challenges His covenant rule.

Old Testament Usage

• Numbers 15:30 presents the term in legal context: “But the person who acts defiantly, whether native or foreigner, reviles the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from his people.” The law treats reviling as deliberate rebellion, demanding the severest covenant penalty—exile from the community of grace.
• 2 Kings 19:22 records Assyrian king Sennacherib’s taunts: “Whom have you insulted and blasphemed? … Against the Holy One of Israel!”. Here, גָּדַף defines boastful propaganda that denies Yahweh’s sovereignty and intimidates His people.
• Psalm 44:16 situates the experience within Israel’s corporate lament: “at the voice of the scorner and reviler, because of the enemy, bent on revenge.”. National disgrace is felt whenever God’s name endures mockery.
• Isaiah 37:6, Isaiah 37:23 parallel the Kings narrative, underscoring the prophetic verdict that to revile the covenant people is to revile God Himself.
• Ezekiel 20:27 indicts Israel’s ancestors: “In this also your fathers blasphemed Me by their unfaithfulness against Me.”. Their idolatry and disloyalty amounted to vocal contempt toward the LORD.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Violation: Reviling is not merely offensive speech; it is a breach of covenant loyalty, worthy of divine judgment.
2. Divine Honor: The passages emphasize God’s zeal for His own glory. Human contempt does not diminish His majesty, yet it provokes righteous response for the sake of His name.
3. Representative Principle: Attacks on God’s people—whether by Assyria or apostate Israelites—are counted as direct attacks on God. This anticipates New Testament teaching that persecuting the church is persecuting Christ (Acts 9:4).

Historical Context

• Wilderness Generation: Numbers legislates against high-handed sin amid a fledgling nation learning holiness.
• Assyrian Crisis: Hezekiah’s reign faced existential threat; Sennacherib’s blasphemy became the theological hinge of the narrative, inviting miraculous deliverance (2 Kings 19:35).
• Exilic Prophets: Ezekiel exposes centuries of accumulated contempt that justified exile yet also sets the stage for promised restoration (Ezekiel 36:23).

Consequences of Reviling

1. Immediate Judgment: Cut-off sanctions (Numbers 15:30), angelic slaughter of Assyrian forces (2 Kings 19:35), and national exile (Ezekiel 20).
2. Loss of Testimony: Psalm 44 shows how reviling silenced Israel’s praise, turning worship into shame.
3. Demonstration of Divine Holiness: Each judgment, while severe, vindicates God’s character and reaffirms His intolerance of rival claims.

New Testament Continuity

Though גָּדַף itself does not appear in Greek, its concept resonates in passages warning against blasphemy (Matthew 12:31), reviling Christ (1 Peter 4:14), and despising authority (Jude 8). The Son endures reviling without sin (1 Peter 2:23), providing both atonement and example.

Applications for Ministry

• Preaching: Call hearers to revere God’s name, highlighting the seriousness of careless or defiant speech against Him.
• Apologetics: Assure believers that modern-day mockery, like ancient blasphemy, cannot thwart God’s purposes.
• Church Discipline: Maintain a sober stance toward persistent, unrepentant contempt for God within the fellowship.
• Pastoral Care: Encourage the persecuted with the promise that God identifies with His reviled people and will act for His name’s sake.

Summary

Strong’s Hebrew 1442 גָּדַף confronts every generation with the question of honor: will humanity glorify the LORD or despise Him? Scripture testifies that reviling invites judgment but also frames occasions for God to display saving power, ultimately fulfilled in Christ, who turns blasphemers into worshipers through grace.

גִּדְּפ֛וּ גִּדְּפ֤וּ גדפו וְגִדַּ֔פְתָּ וּמְגַדֵּ֑ף וגדפת ומגדף מְגַדֵּ֑ף מגדף gid·də·p̄ū giddeFu giddəp̄ū mə·ḡad·dêp̄ megadDef məḡaddêp̄ ū·mə·ḡad·dêp̄ umegadDef ūməḡaddêp̄ vegidDafta wə·ḡid·dap̄·tā wəḡiddap̄tāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts