Lexical Summary galgal: whirling wheels, wagons, wheels Original Word: גַּלְגַּל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance heaven, rolling thing, wheel By reduplication from galal; a wheel; by analogy, a whirlwind; also dust (as whirled) -- heaven, rolling thing, wheel. see HEBREW galal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom galal Definition a wheel, whirl, whirlwind NASB Translation wagons (2), wheel (1), wheels (2), whirling dust (2), whirling wheels (3), whirlwind (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs גַּלְגַּל noun masculineEcclesiastes 12:6 wheel, whirl, whirlwind (on formation compare BaNB 204) — absolute ׳ג Ezekiel 10:2 7t.; גַּלְגַּ֑ל Psalm 83:14; plural with suffix גַּלְגִּלָּיו Isaiah 5:28; Jeremiah 47:3; — 1 wheel, a. of war-chariot Isaiah 5:28; Jeremiah 47:3, also collective Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 26:10; perhaps also in Ezekiel's vision Ezekiel 10:2,6,13 (compare wheelwork) but compare below b. for drawing water Ecclesiastes 12:6. 2. a. whirl (of dust or chaff) Psalm 83:14; Isaiah 17:13, simile of foes put to flight by God. b. perhaps whirling of wheels Ezekiel 10:2,6,13 Sm RV, but compare above c. whirlwind Psalm 77:19. Topical Lexicon Overview The word גַּלְגַּל appears eleven times across Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. Whether rendered “whirlwind,” “tumbleweed,” “wheel,” or “wagon,” the image is consistently that of rapid, uncontrolled motion. Scripture uses this motion to describe God’s mighty acts in nature, the fragility of human life, the advance of invading armies, and the mysterious mobility of the throne-chariot in Ezekiel’s visions. Galgal in Poetic Literature: Whirlwinds and Tumbleweed Psalm 77:18 places the term in creation’s theater: “Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.” The swirling tempest conveys divine majesty that shakes the earth. In Psalm 83:13 and Isaiah 17:13, enemies are compared to “tumbleweed” swept away by the wind—ephemeral, rootless, helpless before Yahweh’s rebuke. Galgal here dramatizes how rebellious nations cannot anchor themselves against His purposes. Galgal in Wisdom Literature: The Broken Well Wheel Ecclesiastes 12:6 inserts galgal into the somber call to remember the Creator before death: “the wheel broken at the well.” The broken pulley halts the drawing of water, picturing the end of human vitality. The rolling mechanism that once delivered life-giving water now lies shattered, underscoring the inevitability of mortality and the urgency of godly remembrance. Galgal in Isaiah and Jeremiah: Martial Wheels and Impending Judgment Isaiah 5:28 evokes chariot wheels that “are like a whirlwind,” capturing the speed and relentlessness of the Assyrian forces God would employ as instruments of discipline. Jeremiah 47:3 echoes the terror: “the clatter of his wheels,” signalling the unstoppable momentum of Babylon’s invasion of Philistia. In both prophets, galgal functions as an audible and visual sign of divine judgment galloping toward the unrepentant. Galgal in Ezekiel: Wheels of Glory and Siege Wagons The most theologically rich occurrences appear in Ezekiel 10. The prophet repeatedly references the “wheelwork” beneath the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:2, 10:6, 10:13). These interlocking, spirit-directed wheels symbolize the omnidirectional sovereignty and mobility of God’s presence: “I heard the wheels being called ‘the whirling wheels.’” By contrast, Ezekiel 23:24 and Ezekiel 26:10 use galgal for the siege wagons and chariot wheels of conquering armies. The same rolling image that upholds the divine throne also carries out divine judgment on an apostate city, stressing that the Lord of glory is likewise the Lord of history. Theological Reflections 1. Sovereignty and Mobility: The wheeled throne in Ezekiel assures exiles that God is not confined to a temple or land border; He rules and moves wherever His Spirit wills. Historical Background Ancient Near Eastern chariots employed wheels with six or eight spokes, often iron-rimmed by Isaiah’s day (Isaiah 5:28). Siege engines mounted on wheels (Ezekiel 23:24) allowed armies to approach walls with protective shields. Whirlwinds and tumbleweed were common desert phenomena, furnishing immediate metaphors to Israelite poets and prophets. Ministry Implications • Preaching can contrast the spinning instability of the wicked with the steady purpose of God’s advancing kingdom. See Also Chariot; Whirlwind; Cherubim; Divine Judgment; Sovereignty of God Forms and Transliterations בַּגַּלְגַּ֗ל בגלגל גַּלְגִּלָּ֑יו גלגליו הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל הגלגל וְגַלְגִּלָּ֖יו וְגַלְגַּ֜ל וְגַלְגַּל֙ וּכְגַלְגַּ֖ל וגלגל וגלגליו וכגלגל כַגַּלְגַּ֑ל כגלגל לַגַּלְגַּ֔ל לַגַּלְגַּ֜ל לגלגל bag·gal·gal baggalgal chaggalGal gal·gil·lāw galgilLav galgillāw hag·gal·gal haggalgal ḵag·gal·gal ḵaggalgal lag·gal·gal laggalgal ū·ḵə·ḡal·gal uchegalGal ūḵəḡalgal vegalGal vegalgilLav wə·ḡal·gal wə·ḡal·gil·lāw wəḡalgal wəḡalgillāwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 77:18 HEB: ק֤וֹל רַעַמְךָ֨ ׀ בַּגַּלְגַּ֗ל הֵאִ֣ירוּ בְרָקִ֣ים NAS: of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings KJV: of thy thunder [was] in the heaven: the lightnings INT: the sound of your thunder the whirlwind lit the lightnings Psalm 83:13 Ecclesiastes 12:6 Isaiah 5:28 Isaiah 17:13 Jeremiah 47:3 Ezekiel 10:2 Ezekiel 10:6 Ezekiel 10:13 Ezekiel 23:24 Ezekiel 26:10 11 Occurrences |
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