Word Study for H1351 (גָּאַל)

gâʼal /gaw-al'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root, (rather identified with גָּאַל, through the idea of freeing, i.e. repudiating)

Meaningto soil or (figuratively) desecrate

KJV usagedefile, pollute, stain.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of gâʼal — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word gâʼal, represented by H1351, is a primitive root meaning to soil or figuratively desecrate. It appears 11 times across 9 unique verses in the Bible. The core idea of this word centers on being defiled, polluted, or stained, both physically and ceremonially.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1351 is used to describe various forms of contamination. It is used to express personal, moral resolve, as when Daniel H1840 purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king's meat Daniel 1:8. The term also carries a strong sense of ceremonial and genealogical impurity. In both Ezra and Nehemiah, certain individuals who could not find their register were considered polluted and therefore put from the priesthood (Ezra 2:62, Nehemiah 7:64). Prophetically, it is used to describe a nation's sins, such as hands that are defiled with blood H1818 and fingers with iniquity H5771 Isaiah 59:3.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of defilement and pollution:

H1818 dâm (blood): This word is frequently associated with H1351, creating a vivid image of defilement. Hands can be defiled with blood Isaiah 59:3, and people can be polluted with blood in the streets Lamentations 4:14.
H5771 ʻâvôn (iniquity): This term for moral evil is directly linked to the state of being defiled, as seen when fingers are described as defiled with iniquity Isaiah 59:3.
H2490 châlal (profane): A closely related verb, often used in parallel with H1351. In Malachi, the priests are accused of having profaned the LORD's table by saying it is polluted Malachi 1:12.
H4754 mârâʼ (filthy): This term is used alongside H1351 in the condemnation of the oppressing city, which is described as filthy and polluted Zephaniah 3:1.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1351 is significant, touching on core ideas of purity, sin, and judgment.

Ceremonial Purity: The word is central to the concept of fitness for sacred service. Priests whose genealogies were not found were deemed polluted and excluded from the priesthood (Ezra 2:62; Nehemiah 7:64). Similarly, offering polluted bread on God's altar is a direct offense Malachi 1:7.
The Stain of Sin: H1351 illustrates the tangible consequence of sin. The prophets use it to describe hands defiled with blood H1818 and fingers with iniquity H5771, signifying a state of moral corruption Isaiah 59:3. This pollution makes one unclean, as seen in Lamentations where the people are so polluted with blood that others cannot touch their garments Lamentations 4:14.
Metaphor for Judgment: The term is used in a striking image of divine judgment where a divine figure's garments are stained with the blood of his enemies, whom he has trodden in fury Isaiah 63:3. Here, the act of staining is part of executing judgment.

Summary

In summary, H1351 gâʼal is a potent term for defilement in scripture. It is not limited to a single context but applies to personal choices, ceremonial standards, and the moral state of a city or nation. From Daniel's H1840 resolve to remain pure Daniel 1:8 to the disqualification of priests with improper lineage Ezra 2:62, and from the condemnation of a polluted city Zephaniah 3:1 to the graphic depiction of judgment Isaiah 63:3, the word consistently signifies a state of being soiled, desecrated, and unacceptable.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 11 occurrences, inflected in 7 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Hithpael Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Niphal Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 2×
Pual Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 2×
Pual Participle Passive Singular Masculine Absolute 2×
Hiphil Perfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
Niphal Participle Singular Feminine Absolute 1×
Piel Perfect 1st Plural common gender 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Niphal: Simple passive or reflexive of the Qal.
Piel: The intensive stem — strengthened or emphatic action.
Pual: The passive of the intensive (Piel) stem.
Hiphil: The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Hithpael: Reflexive-intensive — the subject acts upon itself.
Consecutive Imperfect: Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 9 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah and Malachi (2 verses each); never once in the other 32.

Ezra

Nehemiah

Isaiah

Lamentations

Daniel

Zephaniah

Malachi

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.