1562. Gilalay

Lexical Summary

Gilalay: Gilalai

Original Word: גִּלֲלַי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Gilalay
Pronunciation: ghil-ah-LAI
Phonetic Spelling: (ghe-lal-ah'-ee)
KJV: Gilalai
NASB: Gilalai
Word Origin: [from H1561 (גֵּלֶל - dung)]

1. dungy
2. Gilalai, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Gilalai

From gelel; dungy; Gilalai, an Israelite -- Gilalai.

see HEBREW gelel

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from galal
Definition
a Levitical musician
NASB Translation
Gilalai (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

גִּלֲלִי proper name, masculine a Levitical musician Nehemiah 12:36.

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Setting

Gillalai appears once in the Old Testament, in Nehemiah 12:36, within the list of Levitical musicians who accompanied Ezra during the joyous dedication of Jerusalem’s rebuilt wall.

“and his relatives—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gillalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with the musical instruments of David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led them at the front.” (Nehemiah 12:36)

Historical Context

1. Post-exilic Restoration (circa 445 BC). The people have returned from Babylon, the temple has been rebuilt (Ezra 6), and Nehemiah has completed the city wall (Nehemiah 6).
2. Rededication Ceremony (Nehemiah 12:27-43). Two great thanksgiving choirs march on the wall in opposite directions, converging at the temple for sacrifices and rejoicing. Gillalai belongs to the procession led by Ezra.
3. Musical Continuity. The instruments are explicitly called “the musical instruments of David.” This underscores the deliberate re-establishment of Davidic worship patterns, linking the post-exilic community with Israel’s united-kingdom heritage.

Role in Temple Worship and Music

• Levite Musician. Though Scripture gives no genealogy for Gillalai, his inclusion with recognized Levites indicates he served in the hereditary ministry of sacred song (compare 1 Chronicles 15:16-22).
• Liturgical Function. His duty at the dedication mirrors the Levitical mandate “to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening” (1 Chronicles 23:30). Music accompanies corporate thanksgiving and covenant renewal.
• Public Witness. By processing on the completed wall, musicians like Gillalai proclaim the Lord’s faithfulness visibly and audibly to Jerusalem’s inhabitants and surrounding nations.

Theological Themes and Ministry Lessons

1. Covenant Continuity. Gillalai’s participation shows that exile did not cancel the Levitical calling; God preserves and restores vocations for His glory.
2. Joyful Worship. The dedication is marked by “rejoicing with great joy” (Nehemiah 12:43). Music serves as a vehicle for exuberant, orderly praise.
3. Team Ministry. Gillalai’s name is recorded among others, emphasizing corporate service over individual prominence—an enduring model for church musicians and worship teams.

Typological and Prophetic Dimensions

• Rebuilt Jerusalem as Foreshadowing. The restored walls anticipate the ultimate secure city of God (Revelation 21:12-14). Gillalai’s trumpet of praise prefigures the eternal songs of the redeemed.
• Davidic Instruments, Messianic Hope. The Davidic reference situates post-exilic worship within the hope of a future Davidic King—fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the greater Son of David, who establishes true and lasting praise (Luke 1:32-33; Hebrews 2:12).

Practical Application for the Church

• Faithful Obscurity. Though mentioned only once, Gillalai stands as a testament that every servant, however uncelebrated, matters in God’s redemptive account (1 Corinthians 12:22-24).
• Stewardship of Heritage. Churches should cherish biblical models of worship, maintaining continuity with Scriptural patterns while celebrating Christ’s fulfillment.
• Celebratory Witness. Public, joyful worship remains a compelling testimony of God’s work—just as the wall-top procession declared Yahweh’s triumph to a watching world.

Summary

Gillalai’s lone biblical appearance places him at a climactic moment of covenant renewal, where restored walls meet restored worship. His name, recorded alongside fellow Levites, links post-exilic Judah to the Davidic past and to the eschatological future where music again fills the courts of the Lord. His quiet faithfulness encourages modern believers to utilize their gifts, however small, in proclaiming the enduring faithfulness of God.

Forms and Transliterations

גִּֽלֲלַ֡י גללי gi·lă·lay gilaLai gilălay

Englishman's Concordance

Nehemiah 12:36
HEB: וַעֲזַרְאֵ֡ל מִֽלֲלַ֡י גִּֽלֲלַ֡י מָעַ֞י נְתַנְאֵ֤ל
NAS: Milalai, Gilalai, Maai,
KJV: Milalai, Gilalai, Maai,
INT: Azarel Milalai Gilalai Maai Nethanel

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1562
1 Occurrence

gi·lă·lay — 1 Occ.