Original Word: גָּרַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: garar
Pronunciation: gah-RAHR
Phonetic Spelling: (gaw-rar')
KJV: catch, chew, X continuing, destroy, saw
NASB: drag them away, chew, sawed, sweeping
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to drag off roughly
2. (by implication) to bring up the cud (i.e. ruminate)
3. (by analogy) to saw

catch, chew, continuing, destroy, saw

A primitive root; to drag off roughly; by implication, to bring up the cud (i.e. Ruminate); by analogy, to saw -- catch, chew, X continuing, destroy, saw.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to drag, drag away
NASB Translation
chew (1), drag them away (2), sawed (1), sweeping (1).

[גָּרַר] verb drag, drag away (Late Hebrew id., Arabic Aramaic גְּרַר, ; Assyrian garâru, run, Zim^{BP 102}; etc.) —

Qal Imperfect suffix יְנֹרֵהוּ Habakkuk 1:15, יְגוֺרֵם Proverbs 21:7 — drag away, fishes in net, figurative Habakkuk 1:15 (Chaldeans, their opponents); violence, the wicked Proverbs 21:7.

Niph`al (read

Qal ? Samaritan יָגוֺר compare Di) Imperfect יִגָּ֑ר Leviticus 11:7 with accusative of congnate meaning with verb גֵּרָה לֹאיִֿגָּ֑ר = (the) cud he cheweth not, compare also Deuteronomy 14:8 ⅏ ᵐ5 (Di).

Po`al Participle (denominative; so Late Hebrew Qal & Niph`al) מִגֹרָרוֺת בַּמְּגֵרָה 1 Kings 7:9 sawn with the saw.

Hithpo`el סַעַר מִתְגּוֺרֵ֑ר Jeremiah 36:23 a (sweeping) roaring whirlwind ("" Jeremiah 23:19 has מִתְחוֺלֵל). On יִתְגּוֺרָרוּ Hosea 7:14, see I.גור, גדד.

Overview

The verb גָּרַר (garar) conveys the idea of drawing, dragging, or scraping something along a surface. In the Hebrew canon it is applied to animals that “chew” the cud, to stones “sawed” for the Temple, and to people or nations “dragged” by violence or judgment. Its five appearances trace a movement from ritual life, through royal construction, into wisdom reflection, and finally to prophetic warning, giving the word a rich theological texture.

Semantic Field and Imagery

1. Slow, rhythmic motion (rumination).
2. Repeated abrasive action (sawing).
3. Forceful removal or capture (dragging prey or prisoners).
4. Relentless natural power (whirling storm).

Behind each nuance lies a single picture: something is pulled or moved along a course it cannot resist.

Cultic and Dietary Purity – Leviticus 11:7

“But the pig, though it has a split hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.” The text uses garar for the act of chewing, emphasizing continuous internal processing. Israel’s food laws distinguish between outward appearance (a split hoof) and inward practice (true ruminating). The pig’s failure to garar becomes a living parable of hypocrisy—external conformity without inner transformation. For ministry today, the verse presses believers to cultivate genuine heart obedience, not mere ritual correctness.

Architectural Skill and Devotion – 1 Kings 7:9

“All these were fashioned of costly stones, cut to size and sawed with saws, inside and out…” Here garar describes the dragging motion of the saw across precious stones for Solomon’s complex. The word highlights painstaking craftsmanship undertaken for the Lord’s house. Historical significance lies in showing that worship demanded excellence; nothing haphazard entered the Temple complex. The passage challenges modern builders of churches, ministries, or programs to prize quality and integrity in every hidden place—“inside and out.”

The Moral Dynamics of Violence – Proverbs 21:7

“The violence of the wicked will drag them away, because they refuse to do what is right.” Like an undertow, sinful aggression pulls its perpetrators toward ruin. Garar depicts an inevitable consequence embedded in God’s moral order: evil contains within itself the power to carry the evildoer off. Pastoral application: warn saints that unrepentant wrong does not merely hurt others; it drags the wrongdoer toward judgment.

Prophetic Portraits of Divine Judgment – Jeremiah 30:23; Habakkuk 1:15

Jeremiah 30:23 pictures “a whirlwind sweeping down; it will swirl about the heads of the wicked.” The storm garars across the landscape, underscoring the unstoppable momentum of Yahweh’s wrath.

Habakkuk 1:15 portrays the Chaldeans: “They drag them all up with hooks, catch them in their net….” The cruel invaders garar nations as easily as fish. Both prophets employ the verb to affirm that history is not random; God wields even ruthless empires and natural forces as instruments of holy justice.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Discipleship: Encourage believers to “chew the cud” of Scripture—slow, repeated meditation that shapes inward character.
• Worship and Service: Model the craftsman’s diligence; every unseen stroke matters to the God who sees “inside and out.”
• Pastoral Care: Expose the self-destructive drag of unconfessed sin and provide gospel pathways to freedom.
• Preaching: Announce both gentleness and gravitas—Yahweh can draw His people close, yet He also drags down oppressors in whirlwinds of judgment.

Together these texts reveal garar as a vivid witness to the God who shapes, refines, and—when necessary—sweeps away, so that His purposes stand firm forever.

יְגֹרֵ֣הוּ יְגוֹרֵ֑ם יִגָּ֑ר יגורם יגר יגרהו מְגֹרָר֥וֹת מִתְגּוֹרֵ֑ר מגררות מתגורר mə·ḡō·rā·rō·wṯ megoraRot məḡōrārōwṯ miṯ·gō·w·rêr mitgoRer miṯgōwrêr yə·ḡō·rê·hū yə·ḡō·w·rêm yegoRehu yəḡōrêhū yegoRem yəḡōwrêm yig·gār yigGar yiggārInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts