### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **gilgâl**, represented by `{{H1536}}`, means **wheel**. It appears just **1 time** across **1 unique verse** in the Bible. The definition also suggests related concepts of a whirlwind or whirled dust, stemming from the idea of a revolving object.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its sole biblical appearance, `{{H1536}}` is used in an agricultural metaphor. The verse describes the process of preparing bread corn, noting that a farmer does not endlessly break it with the **wheel** of his cart [[Isaiah 28:28]]. This context places the word firmly in the realm of everyday tools and processes, illustrating a specific part of a larger mechanism used for threshing grain.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the context of `{{H1536}}`:
* `{{H1854}}` **dâqaq**: This verb means to **crush** or **bruise**. In the same verse where `{{H1536}}` appears, it describes how bread corn is **bruised** [[Isaiah 28:28]]. This word is also used for the pulverizing of mountains [[Isaiah 41:15]] and the stamping of idols into dust [[2 Chronicles 34:4]].
* `{{H5699}}` **ʻăgâlâh**: Meaning a **cart** or **wagon**, this is the vehicle to which the **wheel** `{{H1536}}` belongs. Its uses range from the agricultural cart in [[Isaiah 28:28]] to the wagons Joseph provided for his family [[Genesis 45:21]] and the chariots of war burned by God [[Psalms 46:9]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H1536}}` is tied to its metaphorical use in its single appearance.
* **Instrument of a Measured Process:** The **wheel** is not an agent of random destruction but a tool in a deliberate process. The verse highlights that the farmer does not thresh the grain endlessly, suggesting purpose and restraint [[Isaiah 28:28]].
* **Symbol of Appropriate Action:** As part of a cart, the **wheel** illustrates how a force is applied for a specific, constructive purpose—to prepare bread corn. It is not used to obliterate the grain entirely.
* **Refining, Not Ruining:** The imagery points to a process that is carefully managed to achieve a desired outcome. The action of the **wheel** is part of preparing something valuable, not just crushing it without reason.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H1536}}` provides a specific and tangible image of a **wheel**. Though appearing only once, its context within the metaphor of threshing grain in [[Isaiah 28:28]] gives it significance. It moves beyond a simple mechanical part to symbolize a measured, purposeful process, illustrating how divine action can be applied with wisdom and restraint to achieve a desired end.
TRV