ha.gah describes low voiced utterance, reflective consideration, and animal or mourning sounds in Scripture.

The dominant use concerns voicing words or thoughts, whether truth, wisdom, deception, or vain speech. It also occurs for sustained consideration of instruction or God’s works, and for audible sounds such as a lion’s growl, a dove-like cry, and lament for Moab.

1. Voicing words, thoughts, or speech · dominant

   Qal imperfect forms occur in clauses concerning the tongue, mouth, lips, palate, or heart: in Proverbs 8:7 the APB renders the palate as speaking truth, while in Psalm 37:30 it renders the righteous person's mouth as speaking wisdom. The same usage can concern harmful speech, as Job 27:4 contrasts the tongue with deceit and Proverbs 24:2 places violence in the heart and trouble on the lips; Isaiah 59:13 also places deceptive words in the heart.

   Proverbs 8:7Psalm 37:30Job 27:4Proverbs 24:2Psalm 2:1Isaiah 59:13
2. Considering instruction or remembered works · common

   In Joshua 1:8, a Qal sequential perfect follows the statement that the book of instruction is not to depart from the mouth, and the APB renders the continuing activity as occurring "by day and by night." Psalm 1:2 likewise places the Qal imperfect with the LORD's instruction, while Psalm 143:5 places the perfect alongside remembering earlier days and considering God's works; Isaiah 33:18 similarly has the heart occupied with terror.

   Joshua 1:8Psalm 1:2Psalm 143:5Isaiah 33:18
3. Making a low animal-like cry or lament · occasional

   The Qal imperfect describes a lion over its prey in Isaiah 31:4, where the APB renders the sound as "growls," and Isaiah 38:14 compares the speaker's sound to a dove. In Isaiah 16:7 and Jeremiah 48:31, the same kind of low vocal expression belongs to grief for Moab and the men of Kir-hareseth.

   Isaiah 31:4Isaiah 38:14Isaiah 16:7Jeremiah 48:31Isaiah 59:11

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB variously renders the term with "mutter," "growls," "muse," "meditated," and verbs of speaking or declaring. These renderings show the verse contexts rather than establishing separate English equivalents for every occurrence.