גָּלָה

𐤂𐤋𐤄

gâlâh

H1540 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To uncover, remove a covering from, or lay bare. Used both in the literal sense of exposing or making naked (of a person, object, or land), and metaphorically in reference to revealing information or secrets, disclosing hidden things, and making something known that was previously concealed. In contexts relating to exile or captivity, refers to being removed or 'stripped' from one's land, often with the sense of exposure or shame. The semantic range encompasses physical stripping or uncovering, the act of disclosing or revealing, and the removal or deportation of people (especially in times of conquest).

Semantic Range

to make bare or naked, to uncover (a body, land, or object), to reveal or disclose (secrets, intentions, divine will), to remove or carry away (especially as captives in exile), to deport, to make known, to depart, to be stripped or exposed; to go into exile; to experience public disgrace

Root / Etymology

Root גלה (g-l-h), primarily meaning 'to uncover, reveal, lay bare.' The literal core of the root involves the removal of a covering or exposure. Over time the verb acquired a range of extended senses, including the figurative sense of revealing or disclosing (information, intentions, plans), and a technical socio-political use for the deportation or 'exiling' of a community (those forcibly removed from their homeland).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, גָּלָה is used for both concrete actions (such as physically uncovering a person's body or an object) and metaphorical acts (such as revealing counsel or prophecy). The term acquired a specialized meaning in historical and prophetic literature for Israelite and Judahite experiences of forced migration and deportation, as seen in descriptions of exile to Assyria or Babylonia. While English translation sometimes renders the root with 'reveal,' 'uncover,' or 'exile,' each English term only covers a portion of the word’s lexical range. The idea of exile as 'going into exile' or being 'carried away captive' became especially prominent in exilic and post-exilic literature, often associated with public shame and national trauma. In legal or ritual contexts, the act of uncovering might convey disgrace or violation of norms (e.g., Levitical prohibitions about uncovering nakedness). Distinction should be made between literal, metaphorical, and technical political uses; related Hebrew terms such as חָשַׂף (ḥāṣaf) 'to strip off, make bare' and גָּלָה 'to be revealed' can overlap but have distinct usages. In Second Temple and later periods, the term continued to bear both the meaning of revelation (esp. in apocalyptic literature) and exile, but the English word 'exile' does not always capture the aspect of forced exposure or disgrace present in the Hebrew.

Translation Consistency

primary "uncover" 40 occurrences

Uncover best captures the primary semantic range of גָּלָה — literal removal of a covering or making bare (e.g., exposing a body or land) and the metaphorical sense of disclosing or making known (uncovering secrets). It is natural English, commonly used across the P2 renderings, and also carries the sense of exposing to shame or vulnerability; rarer senses like deportation/exile are subordinate and can be handled in context-specific ways.

Alternatives (10 occurrences):
"revealed" (2x) "departed" (2x) "revealed things" (1x) "captivity" (1x) "did i indeed reveal" (1x) "revealed myself" (1x) "ourselves be seen" (1x) "or revealing one" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal; [phrase] advertise, appear, bewray, bring, (carry, lead, go) captive (into captivity), depart, disclose, discover, exile, be gone, open, [idiom] plainly, publish, remove, reveal, [idiom] shamelessly, shew, [idiom] surely, tell, uncover.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

גלה (Golan) — to uncover, to reveal, to remove

Root גלה to uncover, to reveal, to expose, to remove, to go into exile
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1473 גּוֹלָה in the exile
H1474 גּוֹלָן Golan
H1526 גִּילֹנִי the man from Giloh
H1541 גְּלָה one who uncovers
H1542 גִּלֹה from Giloh

Word Forms

95 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1540-57 תְגַלֵּ֑ה tegaleh HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover 14
H1540-38 הֶגְלָ֔ה hegelah HVhp3ms he exiled he exiled he exiled 11
H1540-18 גִלָּ֖ה gilah HVpp3ms he has uncovered he laid bare he uncovered 9
H1540-09 גָּלָ֥ה galah HVqp3ms has departed he uncovered has departed 8
H1540-86 וְ/נִגְלָ֣ה venigelah HC/VNq3ms and is revealed and he was uncovered and it was revealed 6
H1540-94 יִגְלֶ֖ה yigeleh HVqi3ms will go into exile he will uncover he will go into exile 5
H1540-46 לְ/גַלּ֣וֹת legalot HR/Vpc to uncover to lay bare to uncover 4
H1540-51 נִגְלָ֨ה nigelah HVNp3ms he revealed himself he was uncovered he was uncovered 4
H1540-70 וַ/יֶּ֛גֶל vayegel HC/Vhw3ms and he carried away and he exiled and he exiled 4
H1540-72 וַ/יִּ֨גֶל vayigel HC/Vqw3ms and exiled and he uncovered/removed and he exiled 4

Occurrences in Scripture

186 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1540-73 Genesis 9:21 וַ/יִּתְגַּ֖ל vayitegal HC/Vtw3ms and uncovered himself he exposed himself and he uncovered himself
H1540-55 Genesis 35:7 נִגְל֤וּ nigelu HVNp3cp had revealed they were uncovered they were uncovered
H1540-60 Exodus 20:26 תִגָּלֶ֥ה tigaleh HVNi3fs be exposed she will be uncovered it will be uncovered
H1540-46 Leviticus 18:6 לְ/גַלּ֣וֹת legalot HR/Vpc to uncover to lay bare to uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:7 תְגַלֵּ֑ה tegaleh HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:7 תְגַלֶּ֖ה tegaleh-2 HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:8 תְגַלֵּ֑ה tegaleh HVpi2ms shall you uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:9 תְגַלֶּ֖ה tegaleh HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:10 תְגַלֶּ֖ה tegaleh HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:11 תְגַלֶּ֖ה tegaleh HVpi2ms uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:12 תְגַלֵּ֑ה tegaleh HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:13 תְגַלֵּ֑ה tegaleh HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:14 תְגַלֵּ֑ה tegaleh HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:15 תְגַלֵּ֑ה tegaleh HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:15 תְגַלֶּ֖ה tegaleh-2 HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:16 תְגַלֵּ֑ה tegaleh HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-57 Leviticus 18:17 תְגַלֵּ֑ה tegaleh HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-46 Leviticus 18:17 לְ/גַלּ֣וֹת legalot HR/Vpc to uncover to lay bare to uncover
H1540-46 Leviticus 18:18 לְ/גַלּ֧וֹת legalot HR/Vpc to uncover to lay bare to uncover
H1540-46 Leviticus 18:19 לְ/גַלּ֖וֹת legalot HR/Vpc to uncover to lay bare to uncover
H1540-18 Leviticus 20:11 גִּלָּ֑ה gilah HVpp3ms he-has-uncovered he laid bare he uncovered
H1540-18 Leviticus 20:17 גִּלָּ֖ה gilah HVpp3ms he has uncovered he laid bare he uncovered
H1540-77 Leviticus 20:18 וְ/גִלָּ֤ה vegilah HC/Vpp3ms and he uncovers he laid bare he uncovered
H1540-19 Leviticus 20:18 גִּלְּתָ֖ה giletah HVpp3fs has uncovered she fully exposed she uncovered
H1540-57 Leviticus 20:19 תְגַלֵּ֑ה tegaleh HVpi2ms you shall uncover you will lay bare you shall uncover
H1540-18 Leviticus 20:20 גִּלָּ֑ה gilah HVpp3ms he uncovers he laid bare he uncovered
H1540-18 Leviticus 20:21 גִּלָּ֖ה gilah HVpp3ms he has uncovered he laid bare he uncovered
H1540-69 Numbers 22:31 וַ/יְגַ֣ל vayegal HC/Vpw3ms and-uncovered and he laid bare and he uncovered
H1540-62 Numbers 24:4 וּ/גְל֥וּי ugeluy HC/Vqsmsc and uncovered uncovered one of and uncovered one of
H1540-62 Numbers 24:16 וּ/גְל֥וּי ugeluy HC/Vqsmsc and uncovered uncovered one of and uncovered one of
H1540-89 Deuteronomy 23:1 יְגַלֶּ֖ה yegaleh HVpi3ms shall uncover he will lay bare he will uncover
H1540-18 Deuteronomy 27:20 גִלָּ֖ה gilah HVpp3ms he has uncovered he laid bare he uncovered
H1540-82 Deuteronomy 29:28 וְ/הַ/נִּגְלֹ֞ת vehanigelot HC/Td/VNrfpa and the revealed things the uncovered ones and the revealed things
H1540-17 Judges 18:30 גְּל֥וֹת gelot HVqc the captivity to uncover the captivity
H1540-36 1 Samuel 2:27 הֲ/נִגְלֹ֤ה hanigeloh HTi/VNa Did I reveal to be uncovered Did I indeed reveal
H1540-53 1 Samuel 2:27 נִגְלֵ֨יתִי֙ nigeleyti HVNp1cs I reveal myself I was uncovered I revealed myself
H1540-91 1 Samuel 3:7 יִגָּלֶ֥ה yigaleh HVNi3ms it was revealed he/it will be uncovered it was revealed
H1540-51 1 Samuel 3:21 נִגְלָ֨ה nigelah HVNp3ms he revealed himself he was uncovered it was revealed
H1540-09 1 Samuel 4:21 גָּלָ֥ה galah HVqp3ms has departed he uncovered has departed
H1540-09 1 Samuel 4:22 גָּלָ֥ה galah HVqp3ms has departed he uncovered has departed
H1540-09 1 Samuel 9:15 גָּלָ֖ה galah HVqp3ms had revealed he uncovered he uncovered
H1540-87 1 Samuel 14:8 וְ/נִגְלִ֖ינוּ venigelinu HC/VNq1cp and let ourselves be seen and we were exposed and we let ourselves be seen
H1540-71 1 Samuel 14:11 וַ/יִּגָּל֣וּ vayigalu HC/VNw3mp and they revealed themselves they were uncovered and they were uncovered
H1540-94 1 Samuel 20:2 יִגְלֶ֖ה yigeleh HVqi3ms he reveals he will uncover he will uncover
H1540-75 1 Samuel 20:12 וְ/גָלִ֖יתִי vegaliti HC/Vqq1cs and-I-will-uncover and I will uncover and I will uncover
H1540-75 1 Samuel 20:13 וְ/גָלִ֨יתִי֙ vegaliti HC/Vqq1cs and-I-will-uncover and I will uncover and I will uncover
H1540-25 1 Samuel 22:8 גֹּלֶ֤ה goleh HVqrmsa one who reveals the exiled one the one who uncovers
H1540-81 1 Samuel 22:8 וְ/גֹלֶ֣ה vegoleh HC/Vqrmsa or reveals uncovering one or revealing one
H1540-15 1 Samuel 22:17 גָל֖וּ galu HVqp3cp they revealed they went into exile they uncovered
H1540-51 2 Samuel 6:20 נִגְלָ֤ה nigelah HVNp3ms uncovered he was uncovered he was uncovered