◄ 1531. gol ►
Lexical Summary
gol: Captivity, Exile

Original Word: גּל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: gol
Pronunciation: gohl
Phonetic Spelling: (gole)
KJV: bowl
Word Origin: [from H1556 (גָּלַל - roll)]

1. a cup for oil (as round)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bowl

From galal; a cup for oil (as round) -- bowl.

see HEBREW galal

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
the same as gullah, q.v. gela
Definition
see NH1541.

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 1531 points to the idea of a rolling mass—whether of water or of stones—conveying motion, force, and accumulation. Though the form does not appear in the Masoretic Text, its imagery saturates Scripture through closely related words, shaping biblical theology around God’s sovereign power over chaos and His provision of covenantal memorials.

Physical and Symbolic Imagery

1. Waters Piled High

Exodus 15:8 pictures the Red Sea standing “like a heap,” dramatizing the Maker’s authority over creation.

2. Stone Heaps as Witnesses

From Jacob’s treaty with Laban (Genesis 31:46–48) to Achan’s judgment (Joshua 7:26), mounds of stones bear public testimony—either of reconciliation or of sin exposed.

3. Billows of Trial

David laments, “All Your breakers and waves have swept over me” (Psalm 42:7), transforming the relentless surf into language for personal affliction.

Gilgal: Rolling Away Reproach

The place name Gilgal springs from the same root. After the Jordan crossing, twelve stones were heaped on the riverbank, and the Lord declared, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you” (Joshua 5:9). The heap both memorialized deliverance and proclaimed new covenant identity.

Wave Motif in Worship and Prophecy

• Divine Majesty: “Mightier than the breakers of the sea, the Lord on high is majestic” (Psalm 93:4).
• National Turmoil: “The nations rage like the roaring of many waters” (Isaiah 17:12).
• Eschatological Judgment: Nineveh faces an overwhelming flood (Nahum 1:8); Babylon’s ruin is compared to a millstone plunged into the sea (Revelation 18:21).

Christological Fulfillment

Jesus’ mastery of nature—“He rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm” (Matthew 8:26)—recalls the Exodus heap of waters and signals the arrival of the One who ultimately stills every storm, including sin and death. At the cross the reproach of the world was rolled away, echoing Gilgal on an infinite scale.

Pastoral and Missional Applications

1. Assurance amid Chaos

Believers facing cultural upheaval or personal crisis look to the Lord who piles up seas and stills them at will.

2. Memorializing Grace

Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and personal testimonies serve as modern “heaps,” prompting the church to remember and proclaim redemption.

3. Dealing with Sin

The heap over Achan warns that concealed transgression invites judgment; disciplined, repentant faith communities embody the holiness God desires.

4. Stability in Doctrine

Ministry that grounds disciples in sound teaching prevents them from being “tossed about by the waves” (Ephesians 4:14).

Theological Trajectory

From Genesis to Revelation the rolling heap or wave motif moves steadily toward consummation: creation’s chaos subdued, human guilt removed, and memorial stones transformed into living testimonies. The empty tomb itself is the climactic “rolled-away” stone, assuring every believer that the Lord who commands the seas also guarantees eternal victory.

Key Takeaway

Even without a direct occurrence, Strong’s 1531 frames a rich biblical tapestry where God overturns chaos, establishes covenant memory, and rolls away reproach—ultimately fulfilled in the risen Christ who speaks, and every wave and stone obeys.

Links
Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts
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