←
gb, gbˀ (gaḇ [geḇ], gabbā) n.m. side, flank:
1
side, flank: an edge that rises or stands out
Common Aramaic
Dan 7:6↗ אָחֳרִי כִּנְמַר וְלַהּ גַּפִּין אַרְבַּע דִּי־עוֹף עַל־גביה"#ק#גַּבַּהּ‏ : another one like a leopard and it had four bird wings on its flanks ; QumNJ 11::2:1↗ וג]בוהי ארבעא רמין אמין‏ ; TgJ 1K7:33↗ אַשדָתְהוֹן וְגַבֵיהוֹן וְחָפֵיהוֹן וְכִבוּשְהוֹן‏ ; TgJ Ez1:18↗ וְגַבֵיהוֹן מְלַן עֵינִין סְחוֹר סְחוֹר לְאַרבַעתֵיהוֹן‏ : all around each of their four sides were full of eyes ; ApocDan.47.6↗ ܘܦܲܪܩܬܗ ܚܲܣܝܢܐ܂ ܓܒ̈ܘܗܝ ܪ̈ܡܝܢ܂ ܚܲܕܝܗ ܦܬܐ‏ : his neck is strong, his sides (i.e. shoulders??) high, his chest wide ; ChronEdess 4:10↗ ܘܓܒ݂ܐ ܡܕܢܚܝܐ‏ ; BT Pes 45b(14)↗ גבה דא{ס}<ג>אנא‏ : the side of the basin ; PJ Gen30:39↗ קרוחין וגביהון חיוורין‏ : speckled with white sides
(1)
for use as a prep. see s.v. gb, gby prep.
Common Aramaic
(2)
bank of a body of water
Syr
(3)
of an object with more than two sides
Syr
HexBasilThom 3:20 ܕܟܠܗܝܢ ܠܡ ܗܠܝܢ ܕܡܬܚܙܝܢ ܡܢ ܡܢ̈ܘܬܐ ܕܠܐ ܡܬܦܣܩܢ ܘܠܝܬ ܠܗܝܢ ܓܒ̈ܐ‏ : all visible (material) things are made of indivisible parts that have no further divisions
(1)
the sides, prow, or stern of a boat
Syr
OS JnSin21:6↗ ܐܪܡܘ ܡܨܝܕܬܟܘܢ ܡܢ ܓܒܗ ܕܝܡܝܢܐ ܕܣܦܝܢܬܐ‏ : cast your net from the right side of the boat
(2)
all 'sides' of a sphere or circle, but also 'hemisphere' or 'semicircle'
Syr
GregNysLR.208.14↗ ܐܪܥܐ ܒܡܨܥܬܐ ܬܠܝܐ܂ ܘܡܢ ܟܠ ܓܒ̈ܝܗ݀ ܐܝܟ ܕܒܡܫܘܚܬܐ ܫܡܝܐ ܚܕܪܐ ܠܗ݀‏ ; GregNysLR.209.2↗ ܠܓܒܐ ܗ݀ܘ ܐܚܪܢܐ ܕܠܩܘܒܠܗ‏ : that other, opposite side [of the Earth, from the Sun]
(4)
wing of an army
Syr, LJLAmag
T.-S. K1.19 3:2↗ לעקרב אל על עוקציך מיכאל רברבן על קרנתיך גבי שמיא על מתנתיך אלהא אסריך‏ : for a scorpion: El is on your stinger, the great Michael is on your horns, the sides of heaven are on your sides, God is the one that binds you
(5)
fig.:
(1)
people on opposite sides of something
Syr
Syr-RomLaw.30.22↗ ܚܕ ܡ݂ܢ ܓܒ̈ܝܗ݀ ܕܫܪܒܬܗ݀‏ : one of the sides of his family ; Syr-RomLaw.44.4↗ ܘܢܐܡܘܢ ܒܡ̈ܘܡܬܐ ܬܪ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܓܒ̈ܐ‏ : those two sides [to the contract] shall swear by oath
(1)
faction, dissenting group
Syr
StatNis.74.2↗ ܘܐܢܫ ܠܐ ܫܠܝܛ ܕܢܩܘܡ ܘܢܥܒܕ ܓܒܐ ܘܚܪܝܢܐ ܘܫܓܘܫܝܐ‏ : no one has the right to go and make a faction, controversy, or disturbance ; JulSok 51(22):17↗ ܚܕܘܬܐ ܠܝܗܘ̈ܕܝܐ ܘܠܚ̈ܢܦܐ݂܂ ܘܐܒܠܐ ܘܟܪܝܘܬܐ ܠܓܒܐ ܟܠܗ ܕܒܝܬ ܐܠܗܐ‏ : joy for the Jews and pagans, but mourning and sadness for the entire faction of God’s house
(2)
w. ܩܘܡ, ܐܩܝܡ : to stand up to a challenge
Syr
JSmem 6:468↗ ܕܠܐ ܐܝܬ ܚܲܝܠܐ ܒܕܓܠܘܬܐ ܕܬܩܝ݂ܡܝ ܓܒܐ‏ : lying has no power to stand up to a challenge
(3)
with verbs of movement or position: to take the opposite side
Syr
AQoh.48↗ ܓܕܫܐ ܕܐܬܐ ܠܗ ܡܘܬܐ܃ ܘܦ݁ܪܫ ܓܒܐ ܡܢ ܚܒܪܗ‏ : when death happens to him, he separates to the opposite side of his friend
(2)
region
Syr
(6)
direction that a side faces
Palmyrene, Syr
PAT1135:1.2↗ bsṭrˀ gbˀ dy smlˀ dy ˀksdrˀ gwyˀ : on the north-facing side of the interior arcade ; JSBhom 71day6 2030↗ ܠܸܫܬܵܐ ܓܲܒܼ̈ܝܢ܃ ܪܲܘܡܐ ܘܥܽܘܡܩܐ ܘܲܐܪܒܲܥ ܦܸܢ̈ܝܵܢ ܕܼܐܝܬ ܠܲܒܪܼܝܬܐ‏ : the six directions: the up, the down, and the four (lateral) directions of creation
2
(anat.) back, upper-flank
OfAIdeog., JBA, Man, LJLA
BT BQ 92b(16)↗ חברך קריך חמרא אוכפא מוש לגביך‏ : (if ) your friend called you a donkey, prepare a saddle for your back ; TgEsth2sup16.2-06:11↗ כד יהיב סקא על גבה‏ : while sackcloth was placed on his back ; TgTosPr Ezek.1:114↗ ומבתר כן מתח<זן> גבי חי<תא> דאינון רמן כמן ארעא לרום שמיא וכל קביל שבעה רקיעין‏
(1)
fig.: top
JBA, JBAg
BT AZ 70b(3)↗ מגבה דחביתא‏ : the top of the foot
(2)
eyebrow
Sam, Man
SamTgJ Lev14:9↗ גבי עיניו‏
(3)
body
Sam, JBA
BT Yom 14a(44)↗ אגביה דגברא‏ : on the man's body
(4)
(of a camel) hump
Syr
(5)
of a mountain
Syr
EphPar 2:10.6↗ ܟܐܡܬ ܡܦܠܓ ܗܘ ܫ̈ܦܘܠܘܗܝ ܠܬܚ̈ܬܝܐ ܘܓܒ̈ܘܗܝ ܠܡܨ̈ܥܝܐ ܘܪܘܡܗ ܠܥ̈ܠܝܐ‏
3
in compounds with prepositions: see s.vv. lgby, ˁl gb
Common Aramaic
(1)
ܠܚܕ ܓܒ : privately
Syr
(2)
ܡܢ ܓܒ ܐܚܪܝܢ : on the other side
Syr
§▶
Syr. regularly ܓܸܢ݂ܒ‏, esp. in the compound ܥܲܠ ܓܸܢ݂ܒ‏; see s.v. ˁl gb prep. The form גונבא at PsJ Dt 14:9 is influenced by the JBA word meaning "tail" as shown by incorrect variants of דונבא at TgJob 40:17. JBAmb also גמבא and even גופא .
☛▶
🔍▶
✎▶
In Syriac the meaning is always "side" with the exception of the usage referring to the hump of a camel. In Babylonian dialects, however, the reference seems to be to the upper quadrant of an animate being viewed from the side; i.e., as with "sides", animate creatures have two of them!
Page refs. in other dictionaries: LS2: 198[123]DJPA: 118aDJBA: 254aJastrow: 203Drower/Macuch: 77a, 76bJ. Payne-Smith: 58Levy Ch-W: 1:120Tal Sam: 124DNWSI: 207DCPA[Schulthess]: 66[39]Qumran: 42

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Wed, 04 Nov 2026 18:42:43 -0500