גָּלִיל (ga.lil)
ga.lil
Galilee
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun galil literally means a cylinder, rod, or circuit, but in Scripture it refers to a district or region. It appears only four times, primarily in the books of Joshua and Kings. The term identifies a specific territory within the tribal land of Naphtali on Israel’s northern border.
This area was known for its mixed population and heavy Gentile presence. In 1 Kings 9:11, King Solomon grants twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram, king of Tyre, as payment for cedar timber used in building the Temple. The text notes that Hiram found these towns displeasing, highlighting the region’s distinct character compared to the heartland of Judah.
The word’s root sense of a circular or surrounding area helps explain its use for a district encircling a central point, such as Kedesh. While later Christian tradition associates Galilee with Jesus’ ministry, the Old Testament usage focuses on its geographical and political reality as a peripheral zone within the northern kingdom.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word Galilee comes from a root meaning a circle or circuit, describing a region that surrounds a central point. In the Old Testament, it identifies the northern territory of Naphtali, an area marked by its mixed population and proximity to Gentile nations. This geographical reality shaped its history, placing it on the borderlands where cultures intersected and political powers collided.
One notable moment occurs when Solomon grants twenty towns in this land to Hiram of Tyre as payment for temple materials. The biblical record notes that Hiram was not pleased with these towns, highlighting how distinct and perhaps peripheral this northern district felt compared to the heartland of Judah. It was a place of transition, both physically and culturally.
Later, Assyrian forces would capture Galilee along with other cities in Naphtali, carrying its people into exile. Yet this region’s story does not end there. Its identity as a borderland prepared it to become a place where light would eventually shine for those living in darkness, fulfilling ancient hopes through the ministry of Jesus.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in <the>/ Galilee2×
- <the>/ Galilee/ towards1×
- <the>/ Galilee1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/גָּלִֽיל\׃1×
- הַ/גָּלִ֔ילָ/ה1×
- בַּ/גָּלִיל֙1×
- בַּ/גָּלִ֤יל1×
Key Verses
-
I Kings 9:11
(now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and cypress trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
This verse records Solomon giving twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram, revealing the region's status as a peripheral territory granted as payment rather than a central royal possession.
-
Joshua 20:7
They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
Kedesh in Galilee is designated as a city of refuge, showing that even in this northern borderland, the provision for mercy and justice extended to those fleeing vengeance.
-
II Kings 15:29
In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria.
The Assyrian conquest of Galilee marks a pivotal moment where the region's mixed population was taken captive, fulfilling earlier warnings about the dangers of borderland instability.