Lexical Summary gelal: huge Original Word: גְּלָל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance great (Aramaic) from a root corresponding to galal; weight or size (as if rolled) -- great. see HEBREW galal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) from a word corresponding to galal Definition a rolling NASB Translation huge (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs גְּלָל noun [masculine] rolling; — absolute ׳אֶבֶן ג Ezra 5:8; Ezra 6:4 stones of rolling, too heavy for carrying. Topical Lexicon Biblical SettingStrong’s Hebrew 1560 גְּלָל (gelal) appears twice, both in the Aramaic sections of Ezra (Ezra 5:8; Ezra 6:4). In each case the word describes the great, weighty stones used for the rebuilding of the Second Temple under Persian authorization. The setting is the early reign of Darius I (circa 520–515 BC), when the Jewish exiles resumed construction after years of political opposition. Textual Witness Ezra 6:4: “with three rows of large stones and one of timbers. The expenses are to be paid from the royal treasury.” Ezra 5:8 relates the same detail in the progress report sent by Persian officials. Historical Significance 1. Persian State Sponsorship Gelal underscores the magnitude of imperial support. The decree orders costly, quarried blocks—not rubble—to signify that the God of Israel’s house is to be rebuilt with dignity equal to Persian royal projects. Archeology confirms that temples in the Achaemenid period often employed cyclopean stones for security and grandeur. 2. Continuity with Solomonic Standards The First Temple employed “costly stones, cut to size” (1 Kings 5:17). By using gelal in the Second Temple, Ezra’s narrative forges an intentional link: despite exile, covenant worship resumes on foundations worthy of Solomon’s precedent. 3. Engineering Stability Large, rolled stones provided seismic resilience on Jerusalem’s ridge. The three-layer stone system, capped by a timber course, created flexibility for earthquakes yet strength against siege engines, reflecting ancient Near Eastern construction wisdom. Theological Themes 1. Firm Foundations Gelal symbolizes the immovable reliability of God’s covenant purposes. The prophets had promised, “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former” (Haggai 2:9). Massive stones announce that divine promises are not fragile. 2. Divine Initiative amid Gentile Rule Though a Persian edict supplies the gelal, Scripture attributes ultimate authorship to the Lord who “stirred the spirit of Cyrus” (Ezra 1:1). Salvation history advances even through pagan administrations, revealing sovereign orchestration. 3. Foreshadowing the Cornerstone The physical stones anticipate the spiritual cornerstone, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:6). As gelal formed the visible strength of the temple, so Christ is the living stone upon which the church is built. Ministry Applications 1. Building with Excellence Church leaders draw a principle of offering God the best materials—whether resources, skills, or time—modeling the high standard evident in the temple’s gelal. 2. Dependence on Divine Provision Just as the Jews relied on royal treasuries, believers depend on the Lord to supply every need for kingdom work (Philippians 4:19), encouraging bold faith in missions, church planting, and benevolence. 3. Encouragement for Rebuilders Congregations recovering from decline, disaster, or persecution can look to the gelal narrative as assurance that restoration, when rooted in God’s directive, will stand firm and display His glory. Concluding Perspective Gelal, though a rare term, captures a profound intersection of engineering, liturgy, and redemptive history. These monumental stones testify that the worship of the living God warrants both human excellence and divine empowerment, pointing ultimately to the unshakable foundation laid in Christ. Forms and Transliterations גְּלָ֔ל גְּלָל֙ גלל gə·lāl geLal gəlālLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 5:8 HEB: מִתְבְּנֵא֙ אֶ֣בֶן גְּלָ֔ל וְאָ֖ע מִתְּשָׂ֣ם NAS: is being built with huge stones, KJV: which is builded with great stones, INT: built stones huge and beams laid Ezra 6:4 2 Occurrences |
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