גָּלוּ (ga.lut)
ga.lut
captivity
A:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-F
Word Overview
The Aramaic noun galu refers to exile or captivity, functioning as a direct variant of the Hebrew galut. It appears in only three verses within the Old Testament, specifically located in the books of Daniel and Ezra where imperial decrees and historical records dominate the text.
Its usage is tightly bound to the political reality of displacement under foreign rule. In these passages, the word describes the forced removal of people from their land, marking a period of national crisis and divine judgment rather than voluntary migration.
This term anchors the narrative of the Babylonian and Persian periods, highlighting the tension between royal power and religious identity. By using this specific vocabulary, the texts emphasize the tangible loss of homeland that defined the experience of the Jewish community during these centuries.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word galut describes the heavy reality of being uprooted from home. It appears in the Old Testament records of Ezra and Daniel to mark the time when God’s people were forced into exile under foreign empires. This was not a voluntary move but a painful displacement that tested their identity and faith.
For believers today, this word reminds us that our true citizenship is in heaven, even when we feel displaced on earth. Like Daniel, who served faithfully in a foreign court while remaining loyal to God, we are called to trust His sovereignty in every season of life. The promise of restoration follows the experience of exile.
This term anchors the narrative of the Babylonian and Persian periods, highlighting the tension between royal power and religious identity. By using this specific vocabulary, the texts emphasize the tangible loss of homeland that defined the experience of the Jewish community during these centuries.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- exile/ the3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- גָלוּתָ֗/א1×
- גָלוּתָ/א֙1×
- גָֽלוּתָ/א֙1×
Key Verses
-
Ezra 6:16
The children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.
This verse identifies the returned exiles as 'the children of the captivity,' showing how the term defined their identity even after returning to Judah.
-
Daniel 2:25
Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said this to him: “I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah who will make known to the king the interpretation.”
Daniel is introduced here specifically as a man from 'the children of the captivity of Judah,' linking his wisdom and divine insight to his status as an exile in Babylon.
-
Daniel 5:13
Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
King Belshazzar addresses Daniel by this title, acknowledging that despite the nation's defeat and displacement, God had preserved a faithful witness among them.