גָּלַל
ga.lal
to roll
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word "גָּלַל" (ga.lal) is translated as "to roll." This verb implies a movement of something being rolled or turned over, often with a sense of circular motion. Its meaning is action-oriented, focusing on the act of rolling rather than the object being rolled. The word "גָּלַל" appears 18 times in the Bible, indicating its importance in the Hebrew language. Its usage ranges from describing the rolling of a stone (e.g., Genesis 27:40) to the rolling of a wheel (e.g., Ezekiel 1:15). This verb is also used metaphorically to describe the rolling of a sea (e.g., Psalm 93:3), emphasizing the power and movement of the sea. The significance of "גָּלַל" lies in its ability to convey a sense of dynamic movement and action. Its usage in the Bible highlights the importance of understanding the physical world and the natural phenomena that surround us. By examining the various occurrences of "גָּלַל," we can gain a deeper appreciation for the Hebrew language and its rich vocabulary.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
18 total occurrences across the text
As through a wide breach they come. They roll themselves in amid the ruin.
Psalms 22:8“He trusts in Yahweh. Let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.”
Psalms 37:5Commit your way to Yahweh. Trust also in him, and he will do this:
Psalms 119:22Take reproach and contempt away from me, for I have kept your statutes.
Proverbs 16:3Commit your deeds to Yahweh, and your plans shall succeed.
Proverbs 26:27Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
Isaiah 9:5For all the armor of the armed man in the noisy battle, and the garments rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
Isaiah 34:4All of the army of the sky will be dissolved. The sky will be rolled up like a scroll, and all its armies will fade away, as a leaf fades from off a vine or a fig tree.
Jeremiah 51:25“Behold, I am against you, destroying mountain,” says Yahweh, “which destroys all the earth. I will stretch out my hand on you, roll you down from the rocks, and will make you a burned mountain.
Amos 5:24But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Genesis 29:3There all the flocks were gathered. They rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the well’s mouth in its place.
Genesis 29:8They said, “We can’t, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well’s mouth. Then we water the sheep.”
Genesis 29:10When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.
Genesis 43:18The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, we’re brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
Joshua 5:9Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal to this day.
Joshua 10:18Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them;
1 Samuel 14:33Then they told Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against Yahweh, in that they eat meat with the blood.” He said, “You have dealt treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today!”
2 Samuel 20:12Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. When the man saw that all the people stood still, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a garment over him, when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still.