Original Word: הָגָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: hagah
Pronunciation: hah-GAH
Phonetic Spelling: (daw-gaw')
KJV: imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, X sore, speak, study, talk, utter
NASB: meditate, moan, devise, mutter, utter, declare, devising
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to murmur (in pleasure or anger)
2. (by implication) to ponder

imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, sore, speak, study,

A primitive root (compare hagiyg); to murmur (in pleasure or anger); by implication, to ponder -- imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, X sore, speak, study, talk, utter.

see HEBREW hagiyg

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to moan, growl, utter, speak, muse
NASB Translation
declare (1), devise (2), devising (1), growls (1), make a sound (1), meditate (5), meditates (1), moan (3), moan sadly (1), mutter (2), mutters (1), ponders (1), utter (2), uttering (1), utters (1).

I. הָגָה verb moan, growl, utter, speak, muse (only poetry) (onomatopoetic; Late Hebrew הָגָה muse, speak, spell a word, so Aramaic הֲגָא; muse, especially Ethpa`al; Arabic satirize, insult, scold, also spell (borrowed meaning)) —

Qal Perf.2masculine singular וְהָגִ֫יתָ consecutive Joshua 1:8; 1singular הָגִ֫יתִי Psalm 143:5, וְהָגִיתִי consecutive Psalm 77:13; Imperfect יֶהְגֶּה Job 27:4 8t.; 3 feminine singular תֶּהְגֶּה Psalm 35:28 2t., אֶהְגֶּה Psalm 63:7; Isaiah 38:14, יֶהְגּוּ Psalm 2:1 + 2t., תֶּהְגּוּ Isaiah 16:7; נֶהְגֶּה֑ Isaiah 59:11; Infinitive absolute הָגוֺ Isaiah 59:11; —

1 of inarticulate sounds:

a. growl, of lion growling over prey, followed by על Isaiah 31:4.

b. groan, moan, in distress (like dove), absolute, Isaiah 38:14; Isaiah 59:11 (הָגוֺ נֶהְגֶּה); sigh for (לְ) in sorrow, mourning, moan for Isaiah 16:7 ("" יְיֵלִיל לְ), so also Jeremiah 48:31.

2 utter, followed by accusative of thing, Psalm 38:13; subject לָשׁוֺן Job 27:4 ("" דִּבֶּר) Psalm 35:28; Psalm 71:24; Isaiah 59:3; subject מֶּה Psalm 37:30; Proverbs 8:7 — compare also below Po. below; speak (absolute) Psalm 115:7 (בְּ instrumental)

3. a. (soliloquize) meditate, muse, with בְּ of thing, Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2; Psalm 63:7; Psalm 77:13; Psalm 143:5; with accusative Isaiah 33:18, subject לֵב.

b. imagine, devise, with accusative Psalm 2:1; Proverbs 24:2 (subject לֵב); with Infinitive Proverbs 15:28 (subject id.)

Po. Infinitive absolute only הֹרוֺ וְהֹגוֺ מִלֵּב דִּבְרֵישֶֿׁקֶר Isaiah 59:13 a conceiving and an uttering, out of the heart, lying words ("" דַּבֵּר עשֶׁק וְסָרָה); — on form compare Kö^{i. 555}; but read rather הָרוֺ וְהָגוֺ

Qal Infinitive absolute compare Di; Ba^{NB 77 retains} ᵑ0 & explanation as Qal Infinitive passive

Hiph`il Participle plural הַמְּצַפְצְפִים וְהַמַּהְגִּ֥ים Isaiah 8:19 those that make chirpings and mutterings, of necromancers and wizards.

Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 1897 occurs twenty-five times, embracing a spectrum of sounds and intentions that range from quiet meditation on God’s instruction to the throaty growl of unrest or complaint. The varied settings show that what the lips utter and what the heart ponders are inseparably linked in biblical spirituality.

Meditative Delight in God’s Instruction

Joshua 1:8 inaugurates the covenant life of Israel in the land: “This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night.” The verb marks an audible, continual musing that shapes obedience and prosperity. Psalm 1:2 echoes the same rhythm of day-and-night devotion, portraying the blessed man whose inner dialogue is saturated with the Torah. The Psalter expands the theme: “When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night” (Psalm 63:6), and “I will meditate on all You have done and ponder Your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:12). Meditation is thus an act of covenant loyalty, anchoring memory, identity, and hope.

Righteous Speech that Publishes Praise

From inner rumination spring verbal testimonies. “My tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long” (Psalm 35:28). The righteous “utter wisdom” (Psalm 37:30), and “my mouth will proclaim Your righteous acts” (Psalm 71:24). Wisdom literature concurs: “My mouth speaks what is true” (Proverbs 8:7) and “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer” (Proverbs 15:28). The verb underscores that godly speech is the overflow of sustained meditation; proclamation is first incubated in private reflection.

The Murmur of Conspiracy and Rebellion

Conversely the same term exposes sinister plots: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” (Psalm 2:1). The wicked “plan injustice on their beds” (Psalm 36:4, context of Psalm 38:12) and “devise violence in their hearts” (Proverbs 24:2). Isaiah rebukes Judah for invoking mediums “who whisper and mutter” (Isaiah 8:19). The prophet also laments a society whose lips “utter lies” and “speak oppression” (Isaiah 59:3, 13). What is cherished in the heart eventually surfaces in destructive schemes or deceitful rhetoric.

Groaning, Growling, and Lament

Job refuses to let deceit control his tongue (Job 27:4), yet Isaiah pictures a distressed Hezekiah: “I moan like a dove” (Isaiah 38:14). A lion’s low growl before its prey illustrates determined resolve (Isaiah 31:4). Exiles “growl like bears” and “moan mournfully like doves” in their estrangement (Isaiah 59:11). Jeremiah weeps over Moab: “I wail for Moab; I cry out for all Moab” (Jeremiah 48:31). The verb captures audible grief that seeks relief in God.

Historical and Canonical Trajectory

From Joshua’s conquest to post-exilic lament, the term charts Israel’s spiritual health. When the nation treasures revelation, meditation fosters courage and covenant fidelity. When revelation is spurned, the same tongue incubates rebellion, superstition, and social injustice. Prophetic literature amplifies the moral polarity, underscoring that words are never neutral— they reveal allegiance.

Ministry Implications

1. Discipleship: Biblical meditation is not silent daydreaming but voiced rehearsal of Scripture that renews the mind and readies obedience.
2. Preaching and Teaching: Effective proclamation springs from patient, prayerful rumination; the pulpit should echo hours of scriptural pondering.
3. Pastoral Care: The verb invites sufferers to articulate their pain before God, legitimizing sighs, groans, and honest lament within faith.
4. Spiritual Warfare: Because ungodly schemes begin as whispered plots, guarding the heart’s meditations is crucial for personal and communal holiness.

Christological and Eschatological Pointers

Psalm 2:1 is applied in Acts 4:25-26, where the early church prays in light of Christ’s rejection. The conspiratorial “murmur” of the nations ultimately fulfills God’s redemptive plan in the crucifixion. Conversely, Jesus models perfect meditation on the Father’s will (John 8:28-29), and His followers are called to let “the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16), echoing Joshua 1:8.

Devotional Summation

Whether in the hush of night watches or the roar of societal upheaval, הָגָה summons God’s people to steward their inner speech under the gaze of the Lord. Where Scripture fills the mouth, praise and justice flourish; where self and sin dominate, murmuring breeds chaos. The call endures: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

אֶהְגֶּ֖ה אֶהְגֶּה־ אהגה אהגה־ הָגִ֥יתִי הָגֹ֣ה הגה הגיתי וְהַמַּהְגִּ֑ים וְהָגִ֤יתָ וְהָגִ֥יתִי וְהֹג֛וֹ והגו והגית והגיתי והמהגים יֶ֝הְגּ֗וּ יֶהְגֶּ֗ה יֶהְגֶּ֣ה יֶהְגֶּ֥ה יֶהְגֶּֽה׃ יֶהְגֶּה֩ יֶהְגּֽוּ׃ יֶהְגּוּ־ יהגה יהגה׃ יהגו יהגו־ יהגו׃ נֶהְגֶּ֑ה נהגה תֶּהְגֶּ֣ה תֶּהְגּ֖וּ תֶהְגֶּֽה׃ תהגה תהגה׃ תהגו ’eh·geh ’eh·geh- ’ehgeh ’ehgeh- ehgeh hā·ḡî·ṯî hā·ḡōh haGiti hāḡîṯî haGoh hāḡōh neh·geh nehgeh teh·geh ṯeh·geh teh·gū tehgeh ṯehgeh tehGu tehgū vehaGita vehaGiti vehammahGim vehoGo wə·hā·ḡî·ṯā wə·hā·ḡî·ṯî wə·ham·mah·gîm wə·hō·ḡōw wəhāḡîṯā wəhāḡîṯî wəhammahgîm wəhōḡōw yeh·geh yeh·gū yeh·gū- yehgeh yehgu yehgū yehgū-Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts