🔼The name Beth-gilgal: Summary
- Meaning
- House Of The Circle, House Of The Wheel
- Etymology
- From (1) the noun בית (beth), house, and (2) the verb גלל (galal), to roll.
🔼The name Beth-gilgal in the Bible
The name Beth-gilgal (or rather: Beth-hagilgal) occurs just one time in the Bible. Nehemiah mentions it as one of the places close to Jerusalem from which singers were assembled to serve at the restored wall's dedication service (Nehemiah 12:29).
🔼Etymology of the name Beth-gilgal
The name Beth-gilgal obviously consists of two elements, the first being the common Hebrew word בית (bayit) meaning house:
בית
The noun בית (bayit) means house. It sometimes merely denotes a domestic building, but mostly it denotes the realm of authority of the house-father, or אב (ab). This ab is commonly the living alpha male of a household, but may very well be a founding ancestor (as in the familiar term the "house of Israel"). The אב (ab) may also be a deity, in which case the בית (bayit) is that which we know as a temple.
In the larger economy, a house interacts with other houses. These interactions are governed by the אב (ab), or "father" and executed by the בנים (benim), or "sons": those people living in the house, irrespective of any biological relation with the אב (ab). The "sons" combined add up to אם ('em), which means both "mother" and "tribe".
The second part of our name comes from the verb גלל (galal) meaning to roll:
גלל גיל
The verb גלל (galal) primarily expresses rolling, whirling or heaping and may also denote a broad sweep (of land or time). Noun גל (gal) means heap or pile; גיל (gel), a heap specifically of dung; גלל (galal), dung; גלול (gillul), idols. Noun גלה (gulla) means bowl, basin or spring; noun גלילה (gelila), circuit, boundary or territory. Noun גליל (galil) denotes a supporting cylinder or rod; adjective גליל (galil), probably describes a cylindrical hinge column, noun מגלה (megilla) means scroll. Noun גלגל (gilgal) means wheel; noun גלגל (galgal), wheel or whirlwind. Noun גלגלת (gulgoleth) means skull or head. In cognate languages verb גלל (galal) extends to also describe the nobility of someone who rules a region.
The parallel verb גיל (gil) expresses a circular motion as is mostly associated with expressions of joy and celebration (dance). Nouns גיל (gil) and גילה (gila) mean a rejoicing. Noun גיל (gil) describes a circle or time: an age.
🔼Beth-gilgal meaning
The whole name Beth-gilgal means something like House Of The Circle or perhaps House Of The Wheel.