🔼The name Igal: Summary
- Meaning
- He Will Redeem, He Will Defile
- Etymology
- From the verb גאל (ga'al), to redeem or to defile.
🔼The name Igal in the Bible
There are three Biblical individuals with the name Igal, or Igeal in some translations, but none of them plays much of a role beyond their mere mention:
- One of the twelve men whom Moses sent to spy out the promised land. This Igal is a son of a man named Joseph of the tribe of Issachar (Numbers 13:7).
- One of David's Mighty Men, a son of Nathan of Zobah (2 Samuel 23:36).
- A son of Shemaiah, son of Shecaniah, of the descendants of Solomon (1 Chronicles 3:22).
🔼Etymology of the name Igal
The name Igal is the third person singular of the verb גאל (ga'al), presumably the first one, meaning to redeem:
געל גאל
The verb געל (ga'al) means to loathe or abhor. Noun געל (go'al) means a loathing. Verb גאל I (ga'al I) means to redeem and the substantially used participle גאל (go'el) means Redeemer. Identical noun גאל II (ga'al II) means to defile or pollute. Noun גאל (go'el) means defilement.
🔼Igal meaning
For a meaning of the name Igal, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads He (God) Redeems, although God may (or may not) be implied. The act of redemption was described in the Law as a wholly earthly and human endeavor. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes He Will Redeem, and likewise explains that the He is God who redeems his people, but that, again is not at all implied by the name. BDB Theological Dictionary reads He Redeems.
It's probably be worthy of note that since the verbs גאל (ga'al), to redeem, and גאל (ga'al) to pollute are identical, our name Igal means just as much He Will Defile.