Word Study for H1578 (גְּמוּלָה)

gᵉmûwlâh /ghem-oo-law'/ Ask about this word

Meaningmeaning the same

KJV usagedeed, recompense, such a reward.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of gᵉmûwlâh — 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 gᵉmûwlâh, represented by H1578, is the feminine form of H1576 and is defined as a deed, recompense, or such a reward. Appearing only 3 times across 3 unique verses, its usage is highly specific, consistently referring to a merited return for an action, whether from God or a human king.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1578 is used in contexts of both divine judgment and personal reward. It is a cornerstone in the declaration that the Lord is the "God of recompences" who will "surely requite" Babylon for its actions Jeremiah 51:56. Similarly, it describes God's just repayment to His adversaries, which is given "According to their deeds" Isaiah 59:18. On a more personal level, the term is used to question a king's generosity, asking why he would offer "such a reward" for service 2 Samuel 19:36.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of recompense:

H1576 gᵉmûwl: This is the masculine counterpart, meaning "treatment, i.e. an act (of good or ill); by implication, service or requital... recompense, reward." It appears alongside H1578 in the same verse to emphasize God's repayment to his enemies Isaiah 59:18.
H1580 gâmal: As the primitive root, this verb means "to treat a person (well or ill), i.e. benefit or requite." It is used in the passage where a servant questions why a king would recompense him with a reward 2 Samuel 19:36.
H7999 shâlam: This verb, meaning to "recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward," describes the act of carrying out the recompense. It is used to state that God will repay His enemies Isaiah 59:18 and will "surely requite" Babylon Jeremiah 51:56.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1578 is tied to the principle of divine justice.

God of Recompences: The term is used to define a key aspect of God's character. He is the "LORD God of recompences," which signifies that His nature includes executing perfect and just requital Jeremiah 51:56.
Consequential Judgment: The repayment described by H1578 is not arbitrary. It is delivered "According to their deeds" Isaiah 59:18, establishing a direct link between the actions of God's enemies and the consequences they receive.
Merited Reward: Beyond divine judgment, the word illustrates the principle of a merited return. In 2 Samuel 19:36, it refers to a reward from a king, highlighting that recompense can be a response to loyalty and service, not just a punishment for evil.

Summary

In summary, H1578 is a precise term for a merited deed or recompense. Though it appears infrequently, it powerfully communicates the biblical principle of requital. It defines God's role as a just judge who repays nations and individuals according to their actions, while also functioning on a human scale to signify a fitting reward. The word encapsulates the unwavering connection between an act and its consequence.

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 3 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.

גְּמֻלוֹת
גְּמוּלָה

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 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Samuel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

2 Samuel

Isaiah

Jeremiah

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.