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
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.
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
| 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 |