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גּוֹלָן

𐤂𐤅𐤋𐤍

Golan

H1474 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גלה to uncover, reveal, go into exile

Definition

Golan: a proper noun signifying a specific city of refuge located in the region of Bashan, east of the Jordan River. The name identifies a distinct geographic location and should not be confused with common nouns or descriptive terms for captivity—even though its formation is similar to other well-attested place names with the 'Golan' suffix. In its biblical usage, 'Golan' refers solely to this locale, significant for its legal and societal role in ancient Israelite refuge practices.

Semantic Range

Golan (city east of the Jordan); city of refuge; location in Bashan; Levitical city

Root / Etymology

The etymology of גּוֹלָן (Gôwlân) is ultimately uncertain. It is possibly related to the root גּלה (g-l-h), meaning 'to uncover, reveal, or go into exile,' but the lexical formation as a place name does not transparently reflect these root meanings. The form is typical for geographic names in the region but does not align with the usual noun or adjective patterns derived from גלה. Thus, while the name shares consonantal sequence with the root for 'exile' or 'captivity,' its specific etymological development as a place name remains uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, גּוֹלָן appears exclusively as the name of a Levitical city of refuge assigned to the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, east of the Jordan River (e.g., Deuteronomy 4:43, Joshua 20:8, 21:27). The term never designates persons in captivity or exile and is used strictly as a geographic proper noun. English translations and traditional glosses that invoke the idea of 'captivity' may reflect the similarity to related roots but are misleading in this context, as the city of Golan is not so named for an event of exile or captivity. The translation tradition, especially in later periods, has sometimes associated the name with concepts of exile due to phonetic resemblance, but no ancient source supports this as the intended meaning of the place name. The distinction between this proper noun and later geographic or political entities (such as the modern Golan Heights) should also be maintained, as the biblical Golan refers to a discrete ancient locality.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from גּוֹלָה; captive; Golan, a place east of the Jordan; Golan.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גלה (g-l-h) — to uncover, reveal, go into exile

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1473 גּוֹלָה in the exile
H1525 גִּילָה he has laid bare
H1526 גִּילֹנִי the man from Giloh
H1540 גָּלָה I will lay bare
H1541 גְּלָה one who uncovers

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1474-02 גּוֹלָ֥ן golan HNp Golan Golan 4
H1474-01 גלון glvn HNp Golan Golan 2

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1474-02 Deuteronomy 4:43 גּוֹלָ֥ן golan HNp Golan Golan
H1474-01 Joshua 20:8 גלון glvn HNp Golan Golan
H1474-02 Joshua 20:8 גּוֹלָ֥ן golan HNp Golan Golan
H1474-01 Joshua 21:27 גלון glvn HNp Golan Golan
H1474-02 Joshua 21:27 גּוֹלָ֤ן golan HNp Golan Golan
H1474-02 1 Chronicles 6:56 גּוֹלָ֥ן golan HNp Golan Golan
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