H1548 H1548
To shave (hair, beard, head); to be shaved (passive); to shave oneself (reflexive)
The verb גָּלַח encompasses the act of shaving in all its ritual and narrative dimensions across the Hebrew Bible. Levitical law prescribes elaborate shaving protocols for purification after skin disease (Lev 14:8-9) and for the Nazirite vow's completion (Num 6:9-18). It appears in dramatic narrative moments too — Joseph shaved before appearing before Pharaoh (Gen 41:14), and Delilah had Samson's locks shaved off (Judg 16:19). The three stems (Piel active, Pual passive, Hitpael reflexive) neatly distinguish who performs the shaving and upon whom.
Senses
1. shave (active, Piel) — Active shaving in the Piel stem: to shave someone's hair, beard, or body hair. This is the primary sense (18 occurrences), covering ritual purification (Lev 14:8-9, the leper's cleansing), Nazirite regulations (Num 6:9, 18), and narrative events like Joseph's preparation before Pharaoh (Gen 41:14) and the humiliation of David's envoys (2 Sam 10:4). Spanish 'rasurar/afeitar/rapar' and English 'shave/shaved' consistently render straightforward active shaving. 18×
AR["فَيَحلِقُهُ-","وَ-حَلَقَ","وَ-حَلَقَتْ","وَ-حَلَقَهُمْ","وَ-يَحْلِقُ","وَتَحْلِقُ","وَحَلَقَ","وَعِندَما يَحلِقُ-","يَحلِقُ","يَحْلِقُ","يَحْلِقُهُ","يَحْلِقُوا","يَحْلِقُونَ"]·ben["আর-কামালেন-তিনি","এবং-কামাত","এবং-কামানোতে-তার","এবং-কামাবে","এবং-কামিয়ে-দিল","এবং-কামিয়ে-দিলেন","এবং-সে-কামাবে","ও-কামিয়ে-দিলেন-তাদের","কামাত","কামাবে","তারা-কামাবে","মুণ্ডন-করবেন","সে-কামাবে-তা।"]·DE["[ויגלחם]","[יגלח]","[יגלחו]","er-soll-shave","er-soll-shave-es","er-wuerde-shave","sie-soll-shave","und-er-shaved","und-er-shaved-es","und-er-soll-shave","und-schor-sich","und-shaved","und-sie-soll-shave","und-soll-shave","und-wann-er-shaved"]·EN["and-he-shall-shave","and-he-shaved","and-he-shaved-it","and-shall-shave","and-shaved","and-shaved-them","and-she-shall-shave","and-when-he-shaved","he-shall-shave","he-shall-shave-it","he-would-shave","they-shall-shave","will-shave"]·FR["[ויגלחם]","[יגלח]","et-devra-shave","et-elle-devra-shave","et-il-devra-shave","et-il-rasa","et-il-rasa-cela","et-quand-il-rasa","et-rasa","il-devra-shave","il-devra-shave-cela","il-ferait-rase","ils-devra-shave","raser"]·heb["ו-ב-גלח-ו","ו-גילח-ו","ו-גילחה","ו-גלח","ו-גלחה","ו-יגלח","ו-יגלחם-ם","יגלח","יגלחו","יגלחנו"]·HI["और-काटता-था","और-काटते-समय","और-मुंड़ाए","और-मुंड़ाया-उन्हें","और-मुंडाया","और-मुंडेगा","और-मुंडेगी","और-मुड़ाए","और-मूंड़-दिया","और-मूंडा","मुड़ाए","मुड़ाएगा","मूंडें","वह मुंडाएगा","वह-काटता-था","वे-मुंडाएँगे"]·ID["Dan-ketika-mencukur","akan-mencukur","dan-akan-mencukur","dan-cukurlah","dan-dia-akan-mencukur","dan-ia-bercukur","dan-mencukur","dan-mencukur-mereka","dan-mencukurlah","dia-akan-mencukurnya","dia-harus-cukur","ia-akan-cukur;","ia-akan-mencukur","mencukur","mereka-mencukur"]·IT["[ויגלחם]","[יגלח]","[יגלחו]","e-dovra-shave","e-egli-dovra-shave","e-egli-rasò","e-egli-rasò-esso","e-egli-shaved","e-ella-dovra-shave","e-quando-egli-rasò","e-shaved","egli-dovra-shave","egli-dovra-shave-esso","egli-vorrebbe-rasa","essi-dovra-shave"]·jav["Lan-nalika-piyambakipun-nggundhuli","Lan-piyambakipun-nyukur","badhé-nyukur","dicukur","lan-nyukur","lan-nyukur-piyambakipun","lan-piyambakipun-nggundhul","lan-piyambakipun-nggundhuli-piyambakipun","lan-piyambakipun-nyukur","nyukur","piyambakipun-nggundhuli","piyambakipun-nyukur","sami-nggundhuli","sami-nyukur;"]·KO["그가-밀-것이다","그것들이-밀-것이다","그래서-깎았다-그것을","그리고-깎았다","그리고-깎으리라","그리고-깎을-때","그리고-면도했다","그리고-밀-것이다","그리고-밀면","그리고-밀었다","그리고-밀었다-그들을","그리고-밀으리라","깎았다","깎을-것이다-그들은","면도할-것이다","밀으리라","밀으시리라"]·PT["E-ao-rapar-ele","E-raspará","cortarão","e-barbeou-se","e-rapará","e-rapava","e-raspará","e-raspou","e-raspou-os","rapará","rapava","raspará","raspará-ela","rasparão"]·RU["будут-брить","и-когда-стриг-он","и-обреет","и-обрил","и-обрил-их","и-обрила","и-побрился","и-стриг-их","обреет","обреет-её","пусть-бреет","сбривайте","стриг"]·ES["afeitará","cortaba","lo-rasurará","raparán","rasurará","rasurarán","y-afeitará","y-en-cortarse","y-lo-cortaba","y-los-rapó","y-rapó","y-rasurará","y-rasuró","y-se-afeitó"]·SW["Iglhnu","Uglh","akawanyoa","alinyoa","atanyoa","na-akamnyoa","na-akanyoa","na-akawanyoa","na-aliponyoa","na-atanyoa","watanyoa"]·TR["traş-edecekler","tıras-edecek","tıraş-edecek","tıraş-edecek-onu","tıraş-edecekler","tıraş-ediyordu","ve-tıraş-edecek","ve-tıraş-etti","ve-tıraş-etti-onları","ve-tıraş-etti-onu","ve-tıraş-ettiğinde","ve-tıraş-oldu"]·urd["اور-اُنہیں-مونڈا","اور-مونڈا","اور-مونڈتا","اور-مونڈنے-میں-اُس-کے","اور-مونڈوایا","اور-مونڈے","اور-مونڑا","اور-وہ-مونڑے","منڈوائے","مونڈتا","مونڈیں-گے","مونڈے-اُسے","مونڈے-گا","مونڈےگا"]
Gen 41:14, Lev 13:33, Lev 14:8, Lev 14:9, Lev 14:9, Lev 21:5, Num 6:9, Num 6:9, Num 6:18, Deut 21:12, Judg 16:19, 2 Sam 10:4 (+6 more)
2. be shaved (passive, Pual) — Passive being-shaved in the Pual stem: to have one's hair removed by another's agency. Three occurrences capture this voice: Samson confesses 'if I am shaved, my strength will leave me' (Judg 16:17), the notice that his head 'had been shaved' (Judg 16:22), and the mourners at Mizpah with 'shaven beards' (Jer 41:5). Arabic 'حُلِقَ' (passive) and Spanish 'fue rapado' confirm the passive morphology across translations. 3×
AR["حُلِقَ","حُلِقْتُ","مَحْلُوقُو"]·ben["কামানো-হয়","কামানো-হয়েছিল","মুণ্ডিত-"]·DE["[מגלחי]","es-war-shaved","ich-bin-shaved"]·EN["I-am-shaved","it-was-shaved","shaven-of"]·FR["[מגלחי]","il-était-rasa","je-suis-rasa"]·heb["גולח","גולחתי","מגולחי"]·HI["मुंडाया-गया-था","मुंडी-हुई","मैं-मुंडा-जाऊँ"]·ID["dicukur"]·IT["[מגלחי]","esso-fu-shaved","io-am-shaved"]·jav["dipun-cukur","kawula-dipun-cukur","sampun-dicukur"]·KO["깎은-","내가-밀리운다면","밀렸다"]·PT["foi-raspado","for-raspado","rapados-de"]·RU["обреют-меня","обрили","с-обритыми"]·ES["afeitados","fue-rapado","fuera-rapado"]·SW["kunyolewa","nitanyolewa","wakiwa-wamenyoa"]·TR["tıraş-edilmişti","tıraş-edilsem","tıraşlı-"]·urd["مونڈا-گیا-میں","مونڈی-داڑھیاں","مونڈے-گئے-تھے"]
3. shave oneself (reflexive, Hitpael) — Reflexive shaving in the Hitpael stem: to shave oneself, without another's agency. Two occurrences mark this voice: the law of the quarantined person who 'shall shave himself' (Lev 13:33 in certain constructions) and the Nazirite's own shaving after the peace offering (Num 6:19). Spanish 'se afeitara/rasurarse el' with reflexive pronouns and Swahili's mediopassive '-tanyolewa' confirm the self-directed action. 2×
AR["حَلْقِهِ","وَ-يَحْلِقُ"]·ben["এবং-কামিয়ে-ফেলবে","কামানো"]·DE["sein-shaving","und-er-soll-shave-sich-selbst"]·EN["and-he-shall-shave-himself","his-shaving"]·FR["et-il-devra-shave-lui-même","son-shaving"]·heb["התגלחו","ו-התגלח"]·HI["और-मुंडाएगा","मुंडे-जाने-के-बाद"]·ID["dan-mencukur","dia-dicukur"]·IT["e-egli-dovra-shave-se-stesso","suo-shaving"]·jav["Lan-cukur","piyambakipun-nyukur-"]·KO["그가-밀은-후에","그리고-면도할-것이다"]·PT["E-raspar-se-á","raspar-se-dele"]·RU["и-пусть-обреется","обрития-его"]·ES["Y-se-afeitará","rasurarse-él"]·SW["Htglhu","Na-atanyolewa"]·TR["tıraş-ettirmesinden-","ve-tıraş-olacak"]·urd["اور-منڈوائے","مونڈنے-کے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H???? 1. (4670×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [גָּלַח] vb. be bald (Arabic جَلِحَ ); Pi. shave, shave off (so NH, Aramaic)—Pf. וְגִלַּח consec. Lv 14:8 + 2 times; sf. וְגִלְּחוֹ consec. 2 S 14:26; 3 fs. וְגִלְּחָה consec. Dt 21:12; Impf. יְגַלַּח Lv 14:9 Is 7:20, יְגַלֵּ֑חַ Lv 13:33 + 2 times, וַיְגַלַּח Gn 41:14 2 S 10:4; sf. (3 ms.) יְגַלְּחֶנּוּ, וַיְגַלְּחֵם 1 Ch 19:4; 3 fs. וַתְּגַלַּח Ju 16:19; 3 mpl. יְגַלֵּ֑חוּ Lv 21:5 Ez 44:20;…