English · KJV
H1561

גֵּלֶל

gêlel /gay'-lel/ Ask about this word
Roota variation of גָּלָל
Meaningdung (plural balls of dung)
KJV usagedung.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of gêlel — 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 gêlel, represented by H1561, is a word for dung. It appears 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible. It consistently refers to dung or balls of dung, and is used to symbolize something worthless, defiled, and perishable.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1561 is used to illustrate concepts of judgment, worthlessness, and uncleanness. In a prophecy of judgment against those who have sinned, their bodies will be utterly debased, with their "flesh as the dung" Zephaniah 1:17. Similarly, the ultimate fate of the wicked is described as perishing "for ever like his own dung" Job 20:7, signifying a final and dishonorable end. The term is also used in a symbolic act in Ezekiel, where the prophet is commanded to bake bread using "man's dung" Ezekiel 4:12, representing a state of extreme hardship and defilement.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context in which H1561 is used:

  • H6 ʼâbad (to perish): This word is directly tied to the fate of the wicked, who will "perish for ever like his own dung" Job 20:7, linking the concept of dung to utter destruction.
  • H3894 lâchûwm (flesh, i.e. body): In a stark image of judgment, this word for the human body is explicitly devalued to the level of dung, as prophesied in Zephaniah 1:17.
  • H120 ʼâdâm (a human being): The word for man appears in contexts where human life or its byproducts are equated with dung, such as the command to use "man's dung" Ezekiel 4:12 or the judgment upon "men" Zephaniah 1:17.
  • H6832 tsᵉphûwaʻ (excrement): This word is used as a direct substitute for H1561 when God offers the prophet "cow's dung" instead of man's, highlighting the theme of uncleanness Ezekiel 4:15.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1561 lies in its powerful depiction of worthlessness and judgment.

  • Symbol of Divine Judgment: The word is used to describe the consequences of sinning against the LORD. Human life is shown to be devalued, where blood is poured out like dust and flesh becomes like dung Zephaniah 1:17.
  • Ultimate Perishability: It illustrates the final, humiliating end of the wicked. To perish "like his own dung" signifies an end that is not only final but also forgotten and despised Job 20:7.
  • Sign of Defilement: The command given to Ezekiel to use human dung represents a state of profound uncleanness and desperation, symbolizing the dire circumstances of the people under siege Ezekiel 4:12.

Summary

In summary, H1561 is far more than a simple term for waste. It functions as a potent biblical metaphor for the consequences of sin, the impermanence of the wicked, and conditions of extreme defilement. It illustrates how scripture uses common, physical things to convey profound spiritual truths about divine judgment, human value, and uncleanness.

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 4 occurrences, inflected in 3 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.

  • גֶלְלֵי
  • גְּלָלִים
  • גֶלֲל

Related Words

Related

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.

H6 אָבַד a primitive root; properly, to wander away, i.e. lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy); break, des H3894 לָחוּם or לָחֻם; passive participle of לָחַם; properly, eaten, i.e. food; also flesh, i.e. body; while...is eating, flesh. H120 אָדָם from אָדַם; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.); [idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, H6832 צְפוּעַ from the same as צֶפַע; excrement (as protruded); dung.

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 4 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Ezekiel (2 verses); never once in the other 36.

1
Job
2
Ezekiel
1
Zephaniah

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.