H1570 H1570
descend, sit; possibly describing flocks moving down a mountainside
This rare verb appears only in Song of Songs, used twice in identical poetic imagery comparing a woman's hair to 'flocks of goats that descend from Mount Gilead.' The verb's precise meaning remains uncertain—it may mean descend, sit up, or recline. The construction and sense are somewhat awkward, leading to various interpretive proposals.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A verb of uncertain meaning, possibly 'descend' or 'sit/recline,' used in a simile comparing hair to goats on a mountainside. Both occurrences (Song 4:1, 6:5) appear in the identical phrase 'that descend/sit from Mount Gilead,' describing the visual effect of dark goats moving down a terraced hillside, their undulating motion evoking flowing hair. The root may be related to Arabic 'sit up,' though 'descend' fits the context more naturally. The multilingual glosses favor 'descend' (Spanish 'descienden,' French 'descendent'). 2×
AR["شِجَلْشُو"]·ben["-যারা-নেমে-এসেছে"]·DE["[שגלשו]"]·EN["that-descend"]·FR["qui-descendent"]·heb["ש-גלשו"]·HI["जो-उतरीं"]·ID["yang-mengalir-turun"]·IT["quello-descend"]·jav["kang-tumurun"]·KO["내려오는"]·PT["que-descem"]·RU["спускающихся"]·ES["que-descienden"]·SW["wanaotiririka"]·TR["ki-indi"]·urd["جو-اترتی-ہیں"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)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×)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×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [גָּלַשׁ] vb. sit, sit up, possibly also recline (cf. Arabic جَلَسَ sit up; so Thes De al. (not Ew))—only Qal Pf. (שֶׁ)גָּֽלְשׁוּ Ct 4:1; 6:5 שֶׁגָּֽלְשׁוּ מ(הר) גִּלְעָד of flocks of goats, in sim. of a woman’s hair; construction & sense rather awkward.