Word Study for H1552 (גְלִילָה)

gᵉlîylâh /ghel-ee-law'/ Ask about this word

Meaninga circuit or region

KJV usageborder, coast, country.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of gᵉlîylâh — 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 gᵉlîylâh, represented by H1552, is a term for a circuit or region; border, coast, country. It appears 5 times across 5 unique verses in the Bible. This word is primarily used to delineate specific geographical areas, marking them as distinct territories, boundaries, or coastal regions.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1552 is instrumental in defining land and boundaries. Its usage is prominent in the book of Joshua, where it marks the territorial lines of promised and conquered lands. For instance, it identifies "the borders of the Philistines" as part of the land that remained to be possessed Joshua 13:2. It is also used twice to describe the location where the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh built an altar, specifically at "the borders of Jordan" (Joshua 22:10, Joshua 22:11). The term extends to prophetic geography, describing the "east country" in Ezekiel's vision of healing waters Ezekiel 47:8 and the "coasts of Palestine" in a divine proclamation in Joel Joel 3:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to provide a fuller geographical context for H1552:

H776 ʼerets (the earth (at large, or partitively a land)): This general term for "land" or "country" is often used alongside H1552 to specify a region within a larger territory. This is seen when the "borders of Jordan" are described as being "in the land of Canaan" Joshua 22:10.
H4136 mûwl (opposite; (over) against, before): This adverb provides spatial orientation. It is used with H1552 to describe the location of the altar built by the eastern tribes "over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan" Joshua 22:11, clarifying its position relative to another key landmark.

Theological Significance

The significance of H1552 is rooted in its role in defining territory within God's covenant with Israel.

Territorial Inheritance: The word helps to demarcate the physical land promised to Israel. Its use in Joshua to define the "borders of the Philistines" Joshua 13:2 is part of the accounting of land yet to be taken, highlighting the theme of inheritance.
Symbolic Locations: A region defined by H1552 can become a place of great spiritual importance. The "borders of Jordan" became the site of a controversial altar that served as a powerful witness between the tribes of Israel Joshua 22:10.
Prophetic Significance: The term is used to identify regions that are the focus of divine action. The "coasts of Palestine" are addressed in a judgment prophecy Joel 3:4, while the "east country" is identified as the recipient of miraculous healing waters in Ezekiel's vision of restoration Ezekiel 47:8.

Summary

In summary, H1552 is a precise geographical term that grounds key biblical events in specific locations. While it translates simply as border, coast, or country, it carries significant weight by defining the boundaries of Israel's inheritance, marking the sites of crucial historical events, and designating the territories involved in God's prophetic plans for judgment and restoration.

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 noun across 5 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

גְּלִילוֹת
גְּלִילָה

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 5 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Joshua (3 verses); never once in the other 36.

Joshua

Ezekiel

Joel

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, by grammatical form, 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.