Original Word: גֵּאוּת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: ge'uwth
Pronunciation: gay-OOTH
Phonetic Spelling: (gay-ooth')
KJV: excellent things, lifting up, majesty, pride, proudly, raging
NASB: majesty, proud, column, excellent things, proudly, swelling
Word Origin: [from H1342 (גָּאָה - highly exalted)]

1. the same as H1346

excellent things, lifting up, majesty, pride, proudly, raging

From ga'ah; the same as ga'avah -- excellent things, lifting up, majesty, pride, proudly, raging.

see HEBREW ga'ah

see HEBREW ga'avah

Word Origin
from gaah
Definition
majesty
NASB Translation
column (1), excellent things (1), majesty (2), proud (2), proudly (1), swelling (1).

גֵּאוּת noun feminine majesty, Psalm 93:1 7t.; —

1 lifting up גֵּאוּת עָשָׁן column of smoke Isaiah 9:17; גֵּאוּת הַיָּם swelling of the sea Psalm 89:10.

2 majesty of God Psalm 93:1; Isaiah 26:10; גֵּאוּת עָשָׂה he hath done majestically Isaiah 12:5; עֲטֶרֶת גֵּאוּת crown of majesty Isaiah 28:1,3(Samaria, on a round hill majestically commanding the country).

3 pride דִּבְּרוּ בְגֵאוּת they speak proudly Psalm 17:10; so for נְאוֺת Psalm 74:20 Bi Che.

Key Themes

גֵּאוּת weaves together two seemingly opposite ideas—majestic exaltation and swollen arrogance. The same word that celebrates the LORD’s royal splendor in creation and redemption also exposes the inflated self-importance of the wicked and the looming downfall of proud nations. Across its eight occurrences, the context determines whether the term points upward to divine glory or sideways to human hubris.

Occurrences and Semantic Range

1. Psalms 17:10 – arrogant speech of violent men
2. Psalms 89:9 – the raging (swelling) of the sea
3. Psalms 93:1 – the LORD robed in majesty
4. Isaiah 9:18 – wickedness billowing like a column of smoke
5. Isaiah 12:5 – the LORD’s glorious deeds
6. Isaiah 26:10 – the majesty of the LORD ignored by the wicked
7. Isaiah 28:1 – the proud crown of Ephraim’s drunkards
8. Isaiah 28:3 – the same proud crown trampled underfoot

From these texts three principal nuances emerge: (1) royal splendor; (2) turbulent swelling; (3) boastful pride.

Positive Connotations: The Majesty of the LORD

Psalms 93:1 exults, “The LORD reigns! He is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength.” Here גֵּאוּת affirms the unassailable kingship of God. His “majesty” is not an ornamental title; it is the very garment that secures the stability of the cosmos (Psalms 93:1–2). Likewise Isaiah 12:5 commands, “Sing to the LORD, for He has done glorious things; let this be known in all the earth.” God’s saving acts for Judah after the Assyrian threat are stamped with גֵּאוּת, drawing worshipers to broadcast His renown worldwide.

In Isaiah 26:10 the “majesty of the LORD” remains evident even “though grace is shown to the wicked.” Divine grandeur is therefore both moral and salvific; it confronts evil by offering mercy, yet it will not be diminished if that mercy is spurned.

Negative Connotations: Human Pride and Chaotic Powers

Human arrogance stands in stark contrast to the LORD’s legitimate glory. Psalms 17:10 depicts violent oppressors: “They have closed their callous hearts; their mouths speak with arrogance.” Prideful speech is the overflow of a hardened heart, a theme later echoed by Jesus in Matthew 12:34.

Isaiah sharpens the warning. “Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards” (Isaiah 28:1). The northern kingdom’s political hubris and indulgence intoxicate its leaders; their so-called “majestic crown” will soon be “trampled underfoot” (Isaiah 28:3). What masquerades as splendor becomes a signpost of imminent judgment.

Even the natural order can illustrate destructive גֵּאוּת. “You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves mount up, You still them” (Psalms 89:9). The swelling sea mirrors the swollen ego of nations; both are subdued by the sovereign voice of the Lord (compare Mark 4:39). Isaiah 9:18 pictures wickedness itself as a forest fire whose smoke billows upward—a visual metaphor for sin’s self-inflating, all-consuming character.

Prophetic Significance

Isaiah’s employment of גֵּאוּת exposes the spiritual fault lines that would soon fracture Israel and Judah. National pride (Isaiah 28) and moral indifference (Isaiah 26:10) invite exile, yet the same prophecies proclaim a future in which the LORD’s majesty fills the earth (Isaiah 12:5). The dual usage prepares readers for the climactic revelation of divine majesty incarnate in Jesus Christ and the ultimate shaming of human pride (Philippians 2:5–11).

Theological Synthesis

1. God alone possesses intrinsic גֵּאוּת; human beings can only reflect it in humble obedience.
2. When humans attempt to seize גֵּאוּת for themselves, it degenerates into pride that provokes judgment.
3. Chaotic forces—whether moral evil or turbulent seas—are no match for the LORD’s majestic sovereignty.
4. Salvation history is the account of God transforming proud rebels into worshipers who proclaim His גֵּאוּת to the nations.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Worship: Shape corporate worship around passages like Psalms 93, focusing on the LORD’s regal majesty rather than human performance.
• Preaching: Contrast the fleeting “crown” of worldly success (Isaiah 28:1) with the permanent glory of God’s kingdom to call believers to repentance from pride.
• Pastoral Care: When counseling those oppressed by arrogant authorities, point them to Psalms 89:9—God stills both literal and metaphorical storms.
• Missions: Isaiah 12:5 clarifies the motive for evangelism—broadcasting the LORD’s glorious deeds so that every culture may ascribe true גֵּאוּת to Him alone.

בְּגֵא֣וּת בְגֵאֽוּת׃ בגאות בגאות׃ גֵּא֖וּת גֵּא֥וּת גֵּא֪וּת גֵּאוּת֙ גֵא֖וּת גאות bə·ḡê·’ūṯ ḇə·ḡê·’ūṯ bəḡê’ūṯ ḇəḡê’ūṯ begeUt gê’ūṯ ḡê’ūṯ gê·’ūṯ ḡê·’ūṯ geUt vegeUtInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts