Original Word: גִּלָּיוֹן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: gillayown
Pronunciation: gil-lah-yone
Phonetic Spelling: (ghil-law-yone')
KJV: glass, roll
NASB: hand mirrors, tablet
Word Origin: [from H1540 (גָּלָה - uncover)]

1. a tablet for writing (as bare)
2. by analogy, a mirror (as a plate)

glass, roll

Or gilyown {ghil-yone'}; from galah; a tablet for writing (as bare); by analogy, a mirror (as a plate) -- glass, roll.

see HEBREW galah

Word Origin
from galah
Definition
a table, tablet
NASB Translation
hand mirrors (1), tablet (1).

גִּלָּיוֺן noun masculine table, tablet (Talmud גִּלְיוֺן, the empty margin of page or roll, see Lag^{GN 1881, 403}, compare BN 199) — קַחלְֿךָ גִּלָּיוֺן גָּדוֺל וּכְתֹב עָלָיו take thee a great tablet and write upon it Isaiah 8:1; plural הַגִּלְֹינִים tablets of polished metal, mirrors Isaiah 3:23 ᵑ7 ᵑ9 Ges Che Di De; but transparent garments, gauzes, ᵐ5 Ew (compare Arabic fine garment).

Semantic Range and Physical Form

The Hebrew noun גִּלָּיוֹן describes a smooth, polished surface prepared for writing or reflection. In the Ancient Near East this could be a thin board coated with plaster for ink, a sheet of parchment, or a burnished metal mirror. The shared idea is an even, gleaming plane designed either to receive an inscription or to cast an image.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Isaiah 3:23 – translated “mirrors.”
2. Isaiah 8:1 – rendered “large scroll” (or “tablet”).

Isaiah 3:23 – Mirrored Vanity and Divine Reproof

In Isaiah 3 the prophet catalogs the ornate accessories of proud daughters of Zion. The mirror (gillayon) symbolizes a culture preoccupied with self-admiration. By listing the object just before announcing judgment, the Spirit exposes the futility of external beauty when the heart is estranged from God. The polished plate that once reflected a face will soon reflect desolation; thus gillayon becomes an emblem of misplaced trust in outward appearance (compare Proverbs 31:30).

Isaiah 8:1 – Prophetic Scroll and Covenant Accountability

“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.’” (Isaiah 8:1). Here the gillayon is a public document. Its size (“large”) and ordinary stylus stress clarity and accessibility; the prediction of swift judgment had to be plainly visible so no one could later claim ignorance (see Habakkuk 2:2). The object therefore functions as a witness between God and the nation, confirming that the prophetic word is not esoteric but understandable and binding.

Historical Background

Archaeology has uncovered plastered writing boards and burnished bronze mirrors from first-millennium B.C. Palestine. Both were prized household items. Mirrors were luxury imports or high-status possessions; writing tablets served legal, commercial, and prophetic purposes. Isaiah employs contemporary objects familiar to his audience to anchor spiritual truth in daily life.

Theological Themes

1. Revelation versus Reflection – Gillayon either receives divine words or reflects human faces. The contrast urges readers to let Scripture shape identity rather than vanity shape destiny (James 1:23-25).
2. Public Accountability – The written gillayon in Isaiah 8 makes God’s word verifiable history, reinforcing the doctrine that prophecy is objective and testable (Deuteronomy 18:22).
3. Judgment and Grace – While both passages warn of impending discipline, the preservation of the written prophecy also secures hope; once judgment is fulfilled, the same written record validates future promises (Isaiah 55:11).

Ministry Applications

• Encourage transparent proclamation: like Isaiah’s large scroll, biblical teaching should be plain, legible, and open to scrutiny.
• Guard against image-driven spirituality: mirrors remind believers to measure worth by Christ’s righteousness rather than cultural aesthetics.
• Preserve written testimony: journaling answered prayers, church minutes, and doctrinal statements follows the prophetic pattern of maintaining a tangible witness to God’s works.

Gillayon thus bridges vanity and verity—calling God’s people to exchange self-reflection for divine revelation and to inscribe His word on every available surface of life.

גִּלָּי֣וֹן גליון וְהַגִּלְיֹנִים֙ והגלינים gil·lā·yō·wn gillaYon gillāyōwn vehaggilyoNim wə·hag·gil·yō·nîm wəhaggilyōnîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts