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.
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"]
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"]
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"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)
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),…