H5748 — עוּגָב (ʻuwgab)¶
Core Data¶
- Strong's: H5748
- Original: עוּגָב (or עֻגָּב)
- Transliteration: ʻuwgab
- Pronunciation: oo-gawb
- Part of Speech: Masculine noun
- Root: From an unused root in the original sense of breathing
- Occurrences: 4 unique verses (4 tokens) across 3 books
- First Occurrence: Gen 4:21 — "he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ"
- Hapax Legomenon: No
Lexicon Definition¶
A reed-instrument of music; from an unused root in the original sense of breathing. The alternate form is עֻגָּב (ʼuggab). KJV consistently renders "organ" (singular or plural).
Translation Distribution (KJV)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| organ | 2 | 50% |
| organs | 1 | 25% |
| my organ | 1 | 25% |
All four occurrences are rendered "organ/organs" — no translation variation.
Distribution by Book¶
| Book | Count | Per 100 Verses |
|---|---|---|
| Job | 2 | 0.19 |
| Genesis | 1 | 0.07 |
| Psalms | 1 | 0.04 |
Concentrated in wisdom/poetic literature (3 of 4 occurrences in Job and Psalms). The Genesis occurrence is pre-Flood, in the genealogy of Cain. Absent from all historical, prophetic, and legal books.
Semantic Categories¶
1. Origin of Musical Arts¶
- Gen 4:21 — "And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ."
The ugab appears at the very origin of instrumental music, paired with kinnor (harp). Jubal, a descendant of Cain, is credited as progenitor of both stringed (kinnor) and wind (ugab) instruments.
2. Instruments of Festive Joy¶
- Job 21:12 — "They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ."
- Psalm 150:4 — "Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs."
In both verses, ugab accompanies toph (timbrel/tambourine) and other instruments in contexts of celebration. Job 21:12 describes the prosperous wicked; Psalm 150:4 commands doxological praise.
3. Instrument of Mourning (Inverted)¶
- Job 30:31 — "My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep."
The ugab, normally associated with joy, is here turned to lament. Job's reversal of the instrument's natural purpose underscores the depth of his suffering.
Common Collocations¶
| Word | Strong's | Co-occurrences | Typical Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| תֹּף (toph) | H8596 | 2x (50%) | Paired as percussion + wind: "timbrel and... organ" |
| קוֹל (qowl) | H6963 | 2x (50%) | "sound of the organ" / "voice of them that weep" |
| כִּנּוֹר (kinnor) | H3658 | 2x (50%) | Stringed + wind pair: "harp and organ" |
| מָחוֹל (machowl) | H4234 | 1x (25%) | Paired in worship: "timbrel and dance... organs" (Psa 150:4) |
| הָלַל (halal) | H1984 | 1x (25%) | "Praise him with... organs" (Psa 150:4) |
| יוּבַל (Yuwbal) | H3106 | 1x (25%) | Jubal as inventor: "father of all such as handle... organ" |
Related Words¶
Semantic Domain: Musical Instruments¶
From SDBH domain [001002008001013]: - H3658 כִּנּוֹר (kinnor) — harp/lyre; stringed instrument (42v). Always paired with ugab when ugab appears in non-Psalms contexts. - H2485 חָלִיל (chalil) — pipe/flute; perforated wind instrument (6v). Another wind instrument but distinct — chalal-root implies piercing/boring. - H2689 חֲצֹצְרָה (chatsotsrah) — trumpet (29v). Priestly/signal instrument, not paired with ugab. - H3104 יוֹבֵל (yowbel) — ram's horn/jubilee (27v). Ceremonial horn, distinct from ugab's reed character. - H1665 גִּתִּית (gittith) — Gittith (3v). Musical term in Psalm titles; uncertain instrument.
Semantic Domain: Musical Performance¶
From SDBH domain [002003001013]: - H5058 נְגִינָה (ngiynah) — stringed music/song (14v). Generic term for string-instrument performance. - H5059 נָגַן (nagan) — play (an instrument) (15v). Verb for instrumental playing. - H2490 חָלַל (chalal) — play the pipe, begin, profane (68v). In Piel, can mean "play the flute." - H1902 הִגָּיוֹן (higgayown) — meditation, solemn sound (4v). Musical/meditative term.
Easily Confused Words¶
| Word | Strong's | Shared Context | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| כִּנּוֹר (kinnor) | H3658 | Both appear in Gen 4:21, Job 21:12, Job 30:31 | kinnor = stringed (harp/lyre); ugab = wind (reed/pipe) |
| חָלִיל (chalil) | H2485 | Both are wind instruments | chalil = flute with drilled holes (from chalal "to bore"); ugab = reed-blown instrument (from root meaning "to breathe") |
| H5481 סוּמְפּוֹנְיָה (sumponyah) | H5481 | BLB cross-references Dan 3:5, 10, 15 alongside ugab | sumponyah = Aramaic loanword (bagpipe/dulcimer), only in Daniel 3; ugab is Hebrew, only in Gen/Job/Psa |
LXX Mapping¶
| Greek Equivalent | Co-occurrence | PMI | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| κιθάρα (kithara) G2788 | 3x | 9.41 | LXX renders ugab as kithara (lyre/harp) — a stringed instrument, losing the wind-instrument distinction |
The LXX translation is notable for collapsing the stringed/wind distinction: both kinnor (harp) and ugab (reed pipe) are rendered κιθάρα. This obscures the original pairing of two different instrument families in Gen 4:21.
LXX co-occurrence count (3) is below the threshold for auto-generating a cross-testament trace.
Generated from: gather_word_data.py, search_relationships.py, search_strongs.py Last updated: 2026-04-30