גֹּ֫אֶל (go.el)
go.el
defilement
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun goel appears only once in the Old Testament, found in Nehemiah 13:29. In this specific context, it translates to "defilement" or the act of defiling. The word describes a state of ritual impurity that has taken hold within the community.
This single occurrence highlights how serious the issue was for the post-exilic leaders. Nehemiah uses the term to condemn those who had married foreign women, viewing such unions as a breach of covenant purity. The language underscores that this was not merely a social error but a spiritual contamination affecting the whole group.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word goel in Nehemiah 13:29 refers to a state of defilement or ritual impurity. Nehemiah uses this strong term to describe how intermarriage with foreign women had contaminated the priesthood and the covenant community. This was not just a social mistake but a spiritual breach that affected the entire group's relationship with God.
For your faith, this reminds us that our actions have communal consequences. When we compromise on what is holy, we risk defiling the witness of the whole body of believers. It calls us to guard our hearts and relationships carefully, knowing that purity matters deeply to God.
May you find strength in Christ, who cleanses us from all sin and makes us holy. His sacrifice removes every stain of impurity, allowing us to approach God with confidence and live in the freedom of His grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] defilement<s> of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- גָּאֳלֵ֣י1×
Key Verses
-
Nehemiah 13:29
Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
This verse uses goel to condemn those who defiled the priesthood through foreign marriages, showing how serious covenant breach was for post-exilic leaders.