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גָּלַם

𐤂𐤋𐤌

gâlam

H1563 verb

SILEX Entry

Root ג-ל-ם to wrap, enclose, fold

Definition

To enclose, wrap up, or fold together; primarily describes an action of enveloping or enclosing, especially as used metaphorically in connection with the formation or covering of the embryo or fetus. In biblical usage, the verb refers most notably to the hidden or unformed state of a human being within the womb.

Semantic Range

to wrap together, to fold, to enclose; to describe the hidden or embryonic state in the womb, to indicate an unformed or incomplete shape (especially of a person before birth)

Root / Etymology

Root: גָּלַם (ג-ל-ם). The root likely carries the sense of 'to wrap, fold, enclose.' The verbal form גָּלַם is attested sparsely in Biblical Hebrew, with cognates in related Semitic languages indicating actions of enclosing or folding. The noun גֹּלֶם, derived from this root, gives the sense of an 'unformed mass' or 'embryo.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

גָּלַם appears in a verbal form only in Psalm 139:16, where it expresses the idea of an embryonic or unfinished state—literally, 'my unformed substance.' The corresponding noun גֹּלֶם also occurs only here and has become significant in later Jewish interpretive traditions (e.g., medieval references to the golem as an unshaped or unfinished being). In its biblical context, the word emphasizes the mystery and formative nature of life in the womb, with imagery of being wrapped or enveloped, rather than simply folded. Standard English translations often render it as 'unformed substance' or 'embryo,' which captures the semantic core but may obscure the underlying metaphor of wrapping or enclosure. The root is not semantically related to verbs involving creation or shaping in a finished sense (e.g., ברא, יצר), but rather focuses on the notion of a hidden, uncompleted state. There is no evidence in the biblical period for the later folkloric meanings associated with the word 'golem.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to fold; wrap together.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גלם (g-l-m) — wrap, enclose, fold

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1545 גְּלוֹם in wrap-garments of
H1564 גֹּלֶם my unformed embryo
H1565 גַּלְמוּד desolate and uninhabited

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1563-01 וַ/יִּגְלֹם֙ vayigelom HC/Vqw3ms and folded it and he enclosed 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1563-01 2 Kings 2:8 וַ/יִּגְלֹם֙ vayigelom HC/Vqw3ms and folded it and he enclosed
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