Original Word: גְּדִי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: gdiy
Pronunciation: geh-DEE
Phonetic Spelling: (ghed-ee')
KJV: kid
NASB: young goat, young, young goats
Word Origin: [from the same as H1415 (גָּדָה - banks)]

1. a young goat (from browsing)

kid

From the same as gadah; a young goat (from browsing) -- kid.

see HEBREW gadah

Word Origin
from the same as gadah
Definition
a kid (a young goat)
NASB Translation
young (2), young goat (6), young goat* (5), young goats (1), young goats* (2).

גְּדי noun masculine^{Genesis 27:9} kid (Late Hebrew id., Arabic , Phoenician גדא, Aramaic גַּדְיָא, ; compare Assyrian gadû, gadiia, Meissn^{ZA iv. 1889, 286} Zehnpf^{BAS i. 505}) — גְּדִי Genesis 38:17 12t. (absolute Genesis 38:23 +, & (generally) construct Genesis 38:17 +); plural גְּדָיִים 1 Samuel 10:3, construct גְּדָיֵי Genesis 27:9,16 — kid, almost always עִזָּֽים ׳ג Genesis 27:9,16; Genesis 38:17,20; Judges 6:19; Judges 13:15,19; Judges 15:1; 1 Samuel 16:20; absolute Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21 (all בחלב אמו ׳לא תבשׁל ג), & with article ׳הַגּ Genesis 38:23; Judges 14:6; absolute plural 1 Samuel 10:3; — compare also עֵין גֶּ֫דִי.

Meaning and Natural Setting

The word designates a newly born or very young goat, still dependent on its mother’s milk. In the pastoral economy of the Ancient Near East, kids supplied meat, hides, and were easily transported, making them common items of barter, sacrifice, and hospitality.

Domestic and Economic Value

Kid goats feature prominently in patriarchal narratives as articles of food and exchange. Rebekah relies on two “choice young goats” to disguise Jacob’s identity and secure Isaac’s blessing (Genesis 27:9, 16). Judah bargains with Tamar, pledging “a young goat from the flock” (Genesis 38:17), a reminder that kids served as ready currency when silver was not at hand. Such passages attest the accessibility and economic utility of kids among herdsmen.

Cultic and Dietary Instruction

Three parallel commands forbid boiling a kid in its mother’s milk (Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21). The prohibition separates Israel from Canaanite fertility rites that mingled life-giving milk with the slaughtered offspring. It also maintains the created order by preventing a symbolically cruel reversal of nurturing. The repetition in Law underscores divine concern for holy distinction in daily meals and festival offerings.

Hospitality and Sacrificial Use in the Judges Era

Gideon prepares “a young goat and unleavened bread” for the Angel of the LORD (Judges 6:19), and Manoah likewise offers “a young goat with the grain offering” (Judges 13:19). In both cases the kid becomes a vehicle of revelation: fire from the rock and the ascending flame authenticate God’s acceptance. These episodes demonstrate that simple pastoral resources suffice for true worship when offered in faith.

Token of Marital and Familial Relationship

Samson’s visit to his Philistine wife with “a young goat” (Judges 15:1) reflects the custom of presenting a meat gift to reinforce marital ties. Jesse later sends David to Saul with provisions that include a kid (1 Samuel 16:20), signaling respect toward the king and generosity to his household.

Metaphor of Strength and Skill

Samson’s feat of tearing a lion “as one tears a young goat” (Judges 14:6) uses the ease of dismembering a slaughtered kid as the yardstick for supernatural strength. The comparison would resonate with an agrarian audience familiar with butchering practices.

Royal and Prophetic Allusions

Samuel foretells that Saul will meet men carrying “three young goats” (1 Samuel 10:3), a sign authenticating the prophetic word. Here the animals accompany bread and wine, forming a triad of pastoral abundance. The bundle anticipates Saul’s initial humble obedience before later decline.

Eschatological Peace

Isaiah envisions a future when “the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat” (Isaiah 11:6). The kid embodies vulnerability in a fallen world; its safety among predators announces the Messianic reversal of violence, when creation is reconciled under the righteous Branch.

Theological and Ministry Implications

1. God meets His people in ordinary provisions: a kid, grain, and broth become mediums of divine encounter.
2. Holiness extends to daily habits—dietary restraint concerning the kid and its mother teaches reverence for life and the Creator’s order.
3. The kid’s recurrent role in pledges and gifts illustrates integrity in promises; Judah’s initial failure and later confession warn against moral compromise.
4. The imagery of a harmless kid resting unafraid anticipates the Prince of Peace, encouraging believers to proclaim and pursue reconciled relationships now.

בִּגְדִ֣י בגדי גְּדִ֖י גְּדִ֣י גְּדִ֤י גְּדִ֥י גְּדִֽי־ גְּדָיֵ֣י גְּדָיֵ֥י גְדָיִ֗ים גדי גדי־ גדיי גדיים הַגְּדִ֔י הַגְּדִ֣י הגדי וּגְדִ֥י וגדי biḡ·ḏî bigDi biḡḏî gə·ḏā·yê ḡə·ḏā·yîm gə·ḏî gə·ḏî- gəḏāyê gedaYei gedaYim ḡəḏāyîm gedi gəḏî gəḏî- hag·gə·ḏî haggeDi haggəḏî ū·ḡə·ḏî ugeDi ūḡəḏîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts