H1534 H1534
Wheel or wheelwork (of chariots or Ezekiel's throne-vision); also whirlwind or whirling dust driven before the wind.
A reduplicated noun from the root galal ('to roll'), whose very sound evokes circular motion. In its concrete sense, it refers to wheels -- whether the chariot wheels whose rumbling signals approaching armies (Isa 5:28; Jer 47:3) or the mysterious rotating wheelwork beside the cherubim in Ezekiel's throne-vision (Ezek 10:2, 6, 13). In Ecclesiastes 12:6 it is the wheel at the well, part of the poem's imagery of aging and death. The figurative sense shifts to whirling dust or chaff driven before the wind, a vivid image of enemies scattered by God (Ps 83:13; Isa 17:13). In Psalm 77:18, the thunder of God resounds 'in the whirlwind,' merging the spinning motion with divine theophany.
Senses
1. wheel, wheelwork — A wheel or set of wheels, referring to chariot wheels or the revolving wheelwork in Ezekiel's vision. Isaiah 5:28 and Jeremiah 47:3 describe chariot wheels whose rumbling announces military advance -- Spanish 'ruedas' and French renderings confirm the concrete mechanical sense. In Ezekiel 10:2, 6, 13, the galgal is the turning wheelwork beside the cherubim, and in Ecclesiastes 12:6 it is the wheel at the cistern. The reduplicated form (gal-gal) itself mimics the sound and feel of something rolling. 8×
AR["الْعَجَلَةُ", "الْعَجَلَةِ", "عَجَلَاتِهِ", "هَ-جَلْجَل", "وَ-عَجَلَاتُهُ", "وَعَجَلَةٍ"]·ben["-চাকাদের", "আর-চাকার", "এবং-চাকা", "ও-তাদের-চাকা", "গালগাল", "চাকা", "তার-চাকার"]·DE["[גלגליו]", "[הגלגל]", "[וגלגל]", "[וגלגליו]", "[לגלגל]", "der-Gilgal"]·EN["and-his-wheels", "and-wheel", "his-wheels", "the-wheel", "the-wheelwork"]·FR["[גלגליו]", "[וגלגליו]", "et-Guilgal", "le-Guilgal", "le-roue", "pour-Guilgal"]·heb["גלגליו", "ה-גלגל", "ו-גלגל", "ו-גלגליו", "ל-גלגל"]·HI["उसके-पहियों", "और-उसके-पहिये", "और-पहिया", "के-पहिये", "पहिया"]·ID["dan-roda", "dan-roda,", "dan-roda-rodanya", "roda", "roda-putar", "roda-roda-itu", "roda-rodanya"]·IT["Ghilgal", "[גלגליו]", "[וגלגל]", "[וגלגליו]", "[לגלגל]", "il-il-wheel"]·jav["lan-rodha", "lan-rodha-rodha-nipun", "rodha", "rodha-punika", "rodhipipun"]·KO["그-바퀴라고", "그-바퀴의", "그들의-바퀴들은", "그리고-바퀴와", "그의-바퀴들의", "바퀴-그"]·PT["a-roda", "e-roda", "e-rodas-suas", "para-a-roda", "suas-rodas"]·RU["и-колёс", "и-колёса-его", "и-повозками", "колесо", "колёс", "колёс-его", "круговорот"]·ES["la-rueda", "sus-ruedas", "y-rueda", "y-sus-ruedas"]·SW["gurudumu", "magurudumu", "magurudumu-yake", "magurudumu-yanayozunguka", "na-gurudumu", "na-magurudumu", "na-magurudumu-yao"]·TR["cark", "dönen", "tekerleklerin", "tekerleklerinin", "tekerleğin", "ve-tekerlek", "ve-tekerlekleri", "ve-tekerleğin"]·urd["اور-ان-کے-پہیے", "اور-پہیا", "اور-پہیے", "پہیوں-اُس-کے-کی", "پہیوں-کے", "پہیہ", "گلگل"]
2. whirlwind, whirling dust — Whirlwind or whirling dust/chaff driven before the wind, used in vivid figurative language for God scattering enemies. In Psalm 83:13, the psalmist prays 'make them like whirling dust (galgal), like chaff before the wind,' and Isaiah 17:13 uses the same image for nations fleeing before divine rebuke. Psalm 77:18 places God's thunder 'in the galgal' -- the whirlwind as a vehicle of theophany. Spanish 'torbellino' and French 'tourbillon' both capture the spinning, windborne quality that distinguishes this from the mechanical wheel sense. 3×
AR["فِي-الدَّائِرَةِ", "كَالْعُصْفَةِ", "وَ-كَـ-الزَوْبَعَةِ"]·ben["ও-গুটিকাটার-মতো", "ঘূর্ণিবাতাসে", "চক্রের-মতো"]·DE["Krieg-in-der-whirlwind", "[וכגלגל]", "wie-whirling-Staub"]·EN["and-like-whirling-dust", "like-whirling-dust", "was-in-the-whirlwind"]·FR["[וכגלגל]", "comme-tourbillon", "dans-tourbillon"]·heb["ב-גלגל", "ו-כ-גלגל", "כ-גלגל"]·HI["और-गेंद-की-तरह", "घूमती-धूल-की-तरह", "बा-गल्गल"]·ID["dalam-roda", "dan-seperti-debu-berputar", "seperti-debu-berputar"]·IT["[וכגלגל]", "ruota"]·jav["kados-godhong-ingkang-mubeng", "lan-kados-suket-garing", "wonten-puser-angin"]·KO["그리고-회오리바람-같이", "회오리바람-안에서", "회오리바람-처럼"]·PT["como-o-redemoinho", "e-como-rolo-de-espinhos", "no-redemoinho"]·RU["в-вихре", "и-как-перекати-поле", "как-перекати-поле"]·ES["como-el-torbellino", "en-el-torbellino", "y-como-rodillo"]·SW["kama-pumba", "katika-kisulisuli", "na-kama-vumbi"]·TR["kasırgada", "saman-çöpü-gibi", "ve-yuvarlanacak-cali-gibi"]·urd["اور-گھومتے-ذرّے-کی-طرح", "بِ-گردش", "جیسے-گردش"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2719 1. sword, weapon of war (410×)H4196 1. altar (place of sacrifice) (403×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H7393 1. chariot, chariotry (117×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)H7198 1. bow (weapon) (72×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)H7979 1. table (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H7782 1. ram's horn trumpet (69×)H4294 2. staff, rod, scepter (63×)H4043 1. shield, defensive weapon (60×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† גַּלְגַּל n.m. Ec 12:6 wheel, whirl, whirlwind (on format. cf. BaNB 204)—abs. ג׳ Ez 10:2 + 7 times; גַּלְגַּ֑ל ψ 83:14; pl. c. sf. גַּלְגִּלָּיו Is 5:28 Je 47:3;— 1. wheel, a. of war-chariot Is 5:28 Je 47:3, also coll. Ez 23:24; 26:10; perhaps also in Ezekiel’s vision Ez 10:2, 6, 13 (cf. wheelwork) but cf. infr. b. for drawing water Ec 12:6. 2. a. whirl (of dust or chaff) ψ 83:14 Is 17:13, sim.…