What does גָּלַל (gôl) mean in the Bible?
גָּלַל (gôl): Rolls physically but also carries trust/commitment sense; metaphorical extension from rolling away burden to entrusting it
Hebrew · H1556
גָּלַל
To roll (literally or figuratively)
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גָּלַל H1556
Pronunciation gôl
What does גָּלַל (gôl) mean in the Bible?
גָּלַל (gôl): Rolls physically but also carries trust/commitment sense; metaphorical extension from rolling away burden to entrusting it
Full entry for גָּלַל (H1556) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1556?
The BSB source-word alignment has 18 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Commit (2), Roll (2), and he who rolls (1), and rolled (1), has been rolled (1).
Where does גָּלַל (gôl) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 29:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (4), Psalms (3), Isaiah (2), Joshua (2).
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 Commit 2× Psalms 37:5, Proverbs 16:3
Roll 2× Joshua 10:18, 1 Samuel 14:33
and he who rolls 1× Proverbs 26:27
and rolled 1× Genesis 29:10
has been rolled 1× Genesis 29:8
He trusts 1× Psalms 22:8
I have rolled away 1× Joshua 5:9
I will roll you 1× Jeremiah 51:25
Remove 1× Psalms 119:22
roll on 1× Amos 5:24
rolled 1× Isaiah 9:5
the shepherds would roll away 1× Genesis 29:3
They intend 1× Genesis 43:18
they keep rolling in 1× Job 30:14
wallowed 1× 2 Samuel 20:12
will be rolled up 1× Isaiah 34:4
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 29:3 וְגָלֲל֤וּ to the shepherds would roll away Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Genesis 29:8 וְגָֽלֲלוּ֙ to has been rolled Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Genesis 29:10 וַיָּ֤גֶל to and rolled Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 43:18 לְהִתְגֹּלֵ֤ל to They intend Preposition-l | Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct Joshua 5:9 גַּלּ֛וֹתִי to I have rolled away Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Joshua 10:18 גֹּ֛לּוּ to Roll Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 1 Samuel 14:33 גֹּֽלּוּ־ to Roll Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 2 Samuel 20:12 מִתְגֹּלֵ֥ל to wallowed Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular Job 30:14 הִתְגַּלְגָּֽלוּ׃ to they keep rolling in Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person common plural Psalms 22:8 גֹּ֣ל to He trusts Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 29:3
Aligned rows 18
Books represented 10
Genesis 4 Joshua 2 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 1 Job 1 Psalms 3 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 1 Amos 1
Source forms
גֹּ֣ל 2x gōl Psalms 22:8, Proverbs 16:3
גּ֣וֹל 1x gō·wl Psalms 37:5
גַּ֣ל 1x gal Psalms 119:22
גֹּ֛לּוּ 1x gōl·lū Joshua 10:18
גֹּֽלּוּ־ 1x gōl·lū- 1 Samuel 14:33
גַּלּ֛וֹתִי 1x gal·lō·w·ṯî Joshua 5:9
הִתְגַּלְגָּֽלוּ׃ 1x hiṯ·gal·gā·lū Job 30:14
וְגִלְגַּלְתִּ֙יךָ֙ 1x wə·ḡil·gal·tî·ḵā Jeremiah 51:25
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular 4x Psalms 22:8, Psalms 37:5, Psalms 119:22, Proverbs 16:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 2x Genesis 29:3, Genesis 29:8
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 2x Joshua 10:18, 1 Samuel 14:33
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Amos 5:24
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 1x Isaiah 34:4
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular 1x Jeremiah 51:25
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Genesis 29:10
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 1x Proverbs 26:27
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Rolls physically but also carries trust/commitment sense; metaphorical extension from rolling away burden to entrusting it
Strong's H1556
Lexical occurrences 18 verses Word forms 5 forms 10 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Psalms 37:1–6 Source Gloss
to roll (literally or figuratively)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Rolls physically but also carries trust/commitment sense; metaphorical extension from rolling away burden to entrusting it
to roll (literally or figuratively) BDB: roll Usage: commit, remove, roll (away, down, together), run down, seek occasion, trust, wallow.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 5 Aligned forms 10
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 6×
Sequential imperfect Prov 16:3 · Ps 22:9 · Ps 37:5 · 1Sam 14:33 · Josh 10:18 5×
Perfect Josh 5:9 1×
Hithpolel 1×
Participle active 2Sam 20:12 1×
Poal 1×
Participle passive Isa 9:4 1×
Pealal 1×
Perfect Job 30:14 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Sequential imperfect Ps 119:22 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Commit; roll; roll away; to transfer a physical or emotional burden from one's self to another
Showing 1 selected witness from 18 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
גָּלַל is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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