H1556 H1556
To roll, roll away; reflexively, to wallow; idiomatically, to commit or entrust one's way to God; to roll up or fold together.
Galal is a wonderfully physical verb — the heavy thud of a stone being rolled from a well-mouth or across a cave entrance is its home territory (Gen 29:3, 8, 10; Josh 10:18). But Hebrew presses this concrete image into surprising service. The psalmist 'rolls' his way upon the LORD (Ps 37:5; Prov 16:3), using the weight-transfer of stone-rolling as a metaphor for entrusting burdens to God. Warriors wallow in blood (2 Sam 20:12), the heavens are 'rolled up' like a scroll (Isa 34:4), and justice 'rolls down' like waters (Amos 5:24). The multilingual evidence maps these extensions beautifully: Spanish shifts from rodar ('roll') to encomendar ('commit/entrust') to enrollar ('roll up'), Korean from 굴리다 ('roll a stone') to 말리다 ('wind/fold up'), and Arabic from dahraj ('roll') to tawa ('fold'). Each language treats these as distinct senses, confirming what the Hebrew already shows through its stem variations.
3. commit, entrust — Qal imperative in idiomatic metaphor: to commit or entrust one's way, works, or burden to God — rolling the weight of one's concerns onto the LORD. 'Commit your way to the LORD' (Ps 37:5); 'commit your works to the LORD' (Prov 16:3); the taunt at the cross 'He committed himself to the LORD' (Ps 22:8, reading with the versions). The metaphorical leap is enormous but grounded in the physicality of transferring a heavy load. Spanish encomendar/confiar ('entrust'), Hindi samarpit kar/saump ('dedicate/hand over'), and Arabic tawakkal ('trust/rely on') all abandon rolling vocabulary entirely in favor of commitment/trust language, confirming that this is a fully lexicalized idiomatic sense, not a contextual extension. 3×
AR["اتَّكِلْ","اِلْقِ","سَلِّمْ"]·ben["গড়িয়ে-দাও","সমর্পণ-কর"]·DE["[גל]","wälzte"]·EN["commit"]·FR["rouler"]·heb["גול"]·HI["लुढ़का","समर्पित-कर","सौंप-दिया"]·ID["Serahkanlah"]·IT["commit","rotolo'"]·jav["Masrahna","Mugi-masrahaken","serahna"]·KO["맡겨라","맡기라"]·PT["Confia","Entrega"]·RU["положись","предай"]·ES["Encomienda","confía"]·SW["Jikabidhi","Mkabidhi","mkabidhi"]·TR["Teslim-et","yuvala","yuvarlat"]·urd["سونپ","سونپ-دے"]
▼ 5 more senses below
Senses
1. roll physically — Qal and Piel of physical rolling: the basic act of rolling an object, especially a stone — the largest cluster at 8 occurrences. Jacob's shepherds roll the stone from the well (Gen 29:3, 8, 10); Joshua commands rolling stones against the cave mouth (Josh 10:18); the reproach of Egypt is 'rolled away' at Gilgal (Josh 5:9, with the place-name punning on the verb); whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him (Prov 26:27). Spanish rodar, Hindi lurhkana, Arabic dahraj, Korean 굴리다, and Swahili viringisha all consistently select concrete stone-rolling vocabulary, confirming this as the core physical sense from which all extensions derive. 8×
AR["دَحرَجتُ","دَحرِجوا","دَحْرِجُوا-","فَيُدَحْرِجُونَ","وَ-مَنْ-يُدَحْرِجُ","وَأُدَحْرِجُكَ","وَدَحْرَجَ","وَيُدَحْرِجُونَ"]·ben["আর-আমি-তোমাকে-গড়িয়ে-দেব","আর-গড়াত","আর-গড়াবে","আর-গড়ালেন","এবং-যে-গড়ায়","গড়ায়ে-দিয়েছি","গড়িয়ে-দাও","গড়িয়ে-দাও-"]·DE["[וגלגלתיך]","[וגלל]","ich-haben-rolled-weg","roll","roll-","und-sie-wälzen","und-wälzte","und-wälzten"]·EN["I-have-rolled-away","and-I-will-roll-you-down","and-one-who-rolls","and-roll","and-rolled","roll","roll-"]·FR["[וגלגלתיך]","et-roll","et-rolled","et-rouler","je-avoir-rolled-au-loin","roll","roll-"]·heb["גולו","גלותי","ו-גולל","ו-גלגלתיך","ו-גללו","ו-יגל"]·HI["और-तुझे-लुढ़का-दूँगा","और-लुढ़काएं","और-लुढ़काते-थे","और-लुढ़काने-वाला","और-लुढ़काया","लुढ़काओ","हटा-दिया-मैंने"]·ID["Aku-menggulingkan","Gulingkan-","dan-Aku-akan-menggulingkanmu","dan-menggulingkan","dan-siapa-menggulingkan","gulingkanlah"]·IT["[וגלגלתיך]","e-e-one-chi-rolls","e-roll","e-rolled","io-avere-rolled-via","roll","roll-"]·jav["Glindhingna","Kawula-ngulindhiraken","glundhung-","lan-Ingsun-badhé-nglundhungaken-kowé","lan-dipunglundhungaken","lan-piyambakipun-nglundhungaken","lan-tiyang-kang-ngundheraken"]·KO["굴려라","굴려라-","굴렸다","그리고-굴렸다","그리고-굴리는-자는","그리고-굴리리라-너를","그리고-굴릴"]·PT["e-rolador-de","e-rolar-te-ei","e-rolavam","e-rolem","e-rolou","rolai","rolai-","rolei"]·RU["Прикатите","и-катящий","и-откатил","и-откатывали","и-откатят","и-скачу-тебя","откатил-Я","прикатите-"]·ES["Rodad-","quité","rodad","y-el-que-rueda","y-rodaban","y-rodó","y-rueden","y-te-rodaré"]·SW["na-akaviringisha","na-anayeviringisha","na-nitakuviringisha","na-wameviringisha","nimeviondoa","viriingisheni","viringishieni"]·TR["ve-yuvarladı","ve-yuvarlansın","ve-yuvarlarlardı","ve-yuvarlayacağım-seni","ve-yuvarlayan","yuvarlatın-","yuvarlayın","yuvarlayıp-attım"]·urd["اور-لڑھکاؤں-گا-تجھے","اور-لڑھکائیں","اور-لڑھکاتے-تھے","اور-لڑھکانے-والا","اور-لڑھکایا","لُڑھکا-دیا-میں-نے","لڈھکاؤ","لڑھکاؤ"]
2. wallow, roll oneself — Hitpael and Pual reflexive: to wallow or roll oneself, typically in dust, ashes, or blood — the self-directed physical extension. Amasa 'wallowed in blood' in the road (2 Sam 20:12); the garments of war are 'rolled in blood' (Isa 9:5); Job's companions 'roll upon' him in successive waves of accusation (Job 30:14). Spanish revolcarse ('to wallow'), Arabic mutamarrig ('wallowing'), and Hindi lot raha tha ('was rolling about') all select dedicated reflexive-rolling vocabulary distinct from transitive stone-rolling. The Hitpael and Pual stems grammatically mark the reflexive action, and the translations confirm the semantic distinction. 4×
AR["تَدَحرَجوا","لِ-يُهَاجِمَ","مُتَدَحْرِجٍ","مُتَمَرِّغٌ"]·ben["গড়াগড়ি-করা","গড়াগড়ি-খাচ্ছিল","গড়িয়ে-পড়তে","গড়িয়ে-পড়েছে"]·DE["[התגלגלו]","[מגוללה]","rolling","um-sich-zu-wälzen"]·EN["rolled","rolling","they-roll-on","to-roll-upon"]·FR["[מגוללה]","rolling","rouler","à-roll-sur"]·heb["התגלגלו","ל-התגלל","מגוללה","מתגולל"]·HI["लुढ़कते-हैं","लुढ़कने","लोट-रहा-था","लोटा-हुआ"]·ID["bergelimang","mereka berguling","untuk-menyerang","yang-berlumuran"]·IT["[מגוללה]","a-roll-sopra","rolling","they-roll-on"]·jav["gumlundhung","ingkang-dikubeng","kangge-nggulungaken-badhan","piyambak-ipun-glundhung"]·KO["굴러다니고-있었다","굴러오려고","굴린","그들이-굴러왔다"]·PT["para-rolar-se","revolvendo-se","rolado","rolam-se"]·RU["валялся","валяющаяся","катятся","наброситься"]·ES["para-revolcarse","revolcado","revolcándose","se-revuelcan"]·SW["akigaagaa","iliyoviringishwa","sisi","wanajibingirisha"]·TR["saldırmak-için","yuvarlandılar","yuvarlanmis","yuvarlanıyordu"]·urd["خرابی کے","لتھپتھایا-ہوا","لوٹ-رہا-تھا","لٹکنے"]
4. roll up, fold — Niphal passive: to be rolled up or folded together, said of the heavens. A single occurrence in Isa 34:4: 'all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll.' Spanish enrollar ('to roll up/wind'), Arabic tawa ('fold'), and Korean 말리다 ('wind up') all select wrapping/folding vocabulary rather than stone-rolling terms. The Niphal passive stem indicates the heavens undergo rolling rather than performing it. This apocalyptic image became foundational for later eschatology (cf. Rev 6:14), and the cross-lingual divergence from sense 1 confirms a distinct semantic specialization. 1×
AR["وَ-تُطْوَى"]·ben["ও-গুটিয়ে-যাবে"]·DE["[ונגלו]"]·EN["and-shall-be-rolled-up"]·FR["[ונגלו]"]·heb["ו-נגלו"]·HI["और-लपेटे-जाएंगे"]·ID["dan-akan-tergulung"]·IT["[ונגלו]"]·jav["lan-langit"]·KO["그리고-말릴-것이다"]·PT["e-se-enrolarão"]·RU["и-свернутся"]·ES["y-se-enrollarán"]·SW["na-vitakunjwa"]·TR["ve-durulecek"]·urd["اور-لپیٹ-جائیں-گے"]
5. flow, roll forth — Niphal with liquid metaphor: to roll forth or flow, describing the rushing movement of justice/righteousness as a torrent. The single occurrence in Amos 5:24 — 'let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream' — is one of the most quoted verses in prophetic literature. The rolling here is not of a solid object but of a liquid mass. Hindi bahna ('flow'), Arabic yajri ('run/flow'), Korean 흐르게 하라 ('let flow'), and Swahili itirike ('let it pour/flow') all shift to water-movement vocabulary, confirming that the 'rolling' has been entirely reinterpreted as flowing. The Niphal form suggests a natural, unstoppable outpouring rather than deliberate human action. 1×
AR["وَ-يَجْري"]·ben["ও-বয়ে-যাক"]·DE["[ויגל]"]·EN["and-let-roll"]·FR["et-rouler"]·heb["ו-יגל"]·HI["और-बहे"]·ID["Dan-biarlah-mengalir"]·IT["[ויגל]"]·jav["lan-mugi-mili"]·KO["그리고-흐르게-하라"]·PT["E-role"]·RU["И-потечёт"]·ES["Y-que-ruede"]·SW["Lakini-na-itiririke"]·TR["ve-aksın"]·urd["اور-بہے"]
6. remove, roll away — Qal imperative as removing or taking away: rolling away reproach, shame, or burden in an act of deliverance. Ps 119:22: 'Remove from me reproach and contempt.' English 'remove,' Spanish quitar ('take off'), Arabic irfa' ('lift/remove'), and Korean 벗기소서 ('take off/strip away') all abandon rolling imagery for straightforward removal language. Though etymologically connected to 'rolling away' (as in Josh 5:9, sense 1), the target-language evidence consistently treats this as a distinct idiomatic sense where the physical rolling is fully bleached and the meaning is simply 'take away.' The single occurrence makes it a marginal but real sense boundary. 1×
AR["ارْفَعْ"]·ben["গড়িয়ে-দাও"]·DE["wälzte"]·EN["remove"]·FR["rouler"]·heb["גל"]·ID["singkirkan"]·IT["rotolo'"]·jav["Gulungna"]·KO["벗기소서"]·PT["Tira"]·RU["Сними"]·ES["Quita"]·SW["ondoa"]·TR["kaldır"]·urd["ہٹا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. [גָּלַל] vb. roll, roll away (NH id., & deriv.; Aramaic Pa. גַּלֵּל, Palp. גַּלְגֵּיל roll, Ithpalp. reflex., & deriv.; cf. ܓܰܠ Ethiopic, Ethpalp. (v. PS). ܓܺܓܰܠ rota, ܓܰܠܠܴܐ fluctus, etc.)— Qal Pf. 1 s. גַּלּוֹתִי Jos 5:9, וְגָֽלֲלוּ consec. Gn 29:3, 8; Imv. גֹּל ψ 22:9 (MT De; but 𝔊 Bi Che read גַּל 3 ms. pf., so AV RVm) Pr 16:3, גּוֹל ψ 37:5, גַּל 119:22 (but read גֹּל Ew Hi Ri Gr Che),…