גִּלְגָּל
gil.gal
Gilgal
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Explored# Gilgal (H1537): A Place Name in Biblical Geography Based on the lexical data provided, Gilgal (גִּלְגָּל) is a proper noun—specifically a place name—appearing twice in the Hebrew Bible. The term functions as a geographical designation rather than a common noun with variable meanings, which distinguishes it from many other biblical terms that carry conceptual weight across multiple contexts. The limited occurrence data (only two attestations) suggests that Gilgal refers to a specific, identifiable location rather than a term used metaphorically or in multiple distinct settings. Without additional lexical information about the site's characteristics, etymology, or historical significance, we can observe only that the biblical writers referenced this place by name, presumably because it held importance for their audiences. The brevity of the available lexical entry indicates that understanding Gilgal's full contextual and historical significance would require examining the actual biblical passages where it appears, as the lexicon itself provides minimal definitional expansion beyond identifying it as a proper noun.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences across the text
When Yahweh was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 Kings 4:38Elisha came again to Gilgal. There was a famine in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Get the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”