What does גַּל (gal) mean in the Bible?
גַּל (gal): Rolling motion unifies disparate senses: heap (rolled together), wave (rolling water), spring (water rolling forth).
Hebrew · H1530
גַּל
Something rolled , i.e. a heap of stone or dung (plural ruins ), by analogy, a spring of water (plural waves )
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גַּל H1530
Pronunciation gal
What does גַּל (gal) mean in the Bible?
גַּל (gal): Rolling motion unifies disparate senses: heap (rolled together), wave (rolling water), spring (water rolling forth).
Full entry for גַּל (H1530) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1530?
The BSB source-word alignment has 34 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include mound (6), a heap of rubble (3), The waves (3), and waves (2), into piles (2).
Where does גַּל (gal) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 31:46. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (7), Jeremiah (6), Psalms (5), Isaiah (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It mound 6× Genesis 31:48, Genesis 31:51, Genesis 31:52, 2 Samuel 18:17
a heap of rubble 3× Isaiah 25:2, Jeremiah 9:11, Jeremiah 51:37
The waves 3× Jeremiah 5:22, Jeremiah 51:55, Zechariah 10:11
and waves 2× Psalms 42:7, Jonah 2:3
into piles 2× 2 Kings 19:25, Isaiah 37:26
pile 2× Joshua 7:26, Joshua 8:29
so that its waves 2× Isaiah 51:15, Jeremiah 31:35
waves 2× Job 38:11, Jeremiah 51:42
a mound 1× Genesis 31:46
a spring 1× Song Of Solomon 4:12
and the waves of the sea 1× Psalms 107:29
heaps of stones 1× Hosea 12:11
its waves 1× Ezekiel 26:3
like waves 1× Isaiah 48:18
of their waves 1× Psalms 65:7
the mound 1× Genesis 31:46
the rock heap 1× Job 8:17
the waves [of the sea] 1× Psalms 107:25
to become rubble 1× Job 15:28
when its waves 1× Psalms 89:9
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 31:46 גָ֑ל to a mound Noun - masculine singular Genesis 31:46 הַגָּֽל׃ to the mound Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 31:48 הַגַּ֨ל to mound Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 31:51 הַגַּ֣ל to mound Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 31:52 הַגַּ֣ל to mound Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 31:52 הַגַּ֣ל to mound Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 31:52 הַגַּ֥ל to mound Article | Noun - masculine singular Joshua 7:26 גַּל־ to pile Noun - masculine singular construct Joshua 8:29 גַּל־ to pile Noun - masculine singular construct 2 Samuel 18:17 גַּל־ to mound Noun - masculine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 31:46
Aligned rows 34
Books represented 13
Genesis 7 Joshua 2 2 Samuel 1 2 Kings 1 Job 3 Psalms 5 Song Of Solomon 1 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 6 Ezekiel 1 Hosea 1 Jonah 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
גַּל־ 3x gal- Joshua 7:26, Joshua 8:29, 2 Samuel 18:17
הַגַּ֣ל 3x hag·gal Genesis 31:51, Genesis 31:52
גַּלִּ֥ים 2x gal·lîm 2 Kings 19:25, Isaiah 37:26
גַּ֭ל 1x gal Job 8:17
גַּ֥ל 1x gal Song Of Solomon 4:12
גָ֑ל 1x ḡāl Genesis 31:46
גַלֵּיהֶם֙ 1x ḡal·lê·hem Jeremiah 51:55
גַּלֵּיהֶ֗ם 1x gal·lê·hem Psalms 65:7
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine singular 6x Genesis 31:46, Genesis 31:48, Genesis 31:51, Genesis 31:52
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 6x Psalms 89:9, Psalms 107:25, Isaiah 51:15, Jeremiah 5:22
Noun - masculine plural 3x 2 Kings 19:25, Isaiah 37:26, Zechariah 10:11
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural 3x Psalms 65:7, Psalms 107:29, Jeremiah 51:55
Noun - masculine singular 3x Genesis 31:46, Job 8:17, Song Of Solomon 4:12
Noun - masculine singular construct 3x Joshua 7:26, Joshua 8:29, 2 Samuel 18:17
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural 3x Job 15:28, Jeremiah 9:11, Jeremiah 51:37
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular 2x Psalms 42:7, Jonah 2:3
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Rolling motion unifies disparate senses: heap (rolled together), wave (rolling water), spring (water rolling forth).
Source Gloss
something rolled , i.e. a heap of stone or dung (plural ruins ), by analogy, a spring of water (plural waves )
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Rolling motion unifies disparate senses: heap (rolled together), wave (rolling water), spring (water rolling forth).
something rolled, i.e. a heap of stone or dung (plural ruins), by analogy, a spring of water (plural waves) BDB: heap Usage: billow, heap, spring, wave.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
ruins or piles of rubble from destroyed structures
Showing 1 selected witness from 34 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
גַּל is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain