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גָּלָל

𐤂𐤋𐤋

Galal

H1559 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גלל to roll, roll away, turn

Definition

Personal name designating two individuals in the books of Chronicles, likely meaning 'great, important, rolling, round' or a similar quality inferred from its root. The exact nuance of the name is unclear, but it is built on a root associated with the idea of rolling or roundness, extended here as a proper noun.

Semantic Range

(as a personal name) Galal; possibly connotes greatness, roundness, or rolling; used exclusively as the name of two post-exilic Israelites in Chronicles

Root / Etymology

From the root גָּלַל (g-l-l), 'to roll, roll away, turn,' likely via the noun גְּלָל ('round stone, dung pellet, heap'), though the exact semantic shift to a personal name is uncertain. Semitic patterns commonly form names from roots expressing physical or metaphorical qualities.

Historical & Contextual Notes

גָּלָל (Galal) appears as the name of two Israelites in post-exilic genealogical lists (1 Chr 9:15; 1 Chr 9:16; Neh 11:17). The name does not occur outside of these contexts. In the ancient Israelite onomasticon, names derived from roots relating to natural processes (e.g. rolling, turning) could signify qualities such as strength, duration, or significance, but the specific implication for גָּלָל remains uncertain. There is no evidence that the term was used outside of personal names or as a common noun. The English rendering 'Galal' in translations is a simple transliteration, preserving the original Hebrew. This name should not be confused with גְּלָל ('heap, dung pellet') found with different meanings in other contexts. There is no explicit indication that the name relates to geographic locations or conveys later meanings attached to similar roots.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from גָּלַל, in the sense of גְּלָל; great; Galal, the name of two Israelites; Galal.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גלל (g-l-l) — to roll, roll away, turn

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1530 גַּל rolled heap
H1534 גַּלְגַּל in the rolling-wheel
H1535 גַּלְגַּל his wheels
H1536 גִּלְגָּל Rolling-Circle
H1537 גִּלְגָּל in Gilgal

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1559-01 גָּלָ֖ל galal HNp Galal Rolling-One 2
H1559-02 וְ/גָלָ֑ל vegalal HC/Np and Galal and Galal 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1559-01 Nehemiah 11:17 גָּלָ֖ל galal HNp Galal Rolling-One
H1559-02 1 Chronicles 9:15 וְ/גָלָ֑ל vegalal HC/Np and Galal and Galal
H1559-01 1 Chronicles 9:16 גָּלָ֖ל galal HNp Galal Rolling-One
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