גַּלְמוּד (gal.mud)
gal.mud
solitary
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective gal-mud describes something hard, barren, or bleak. It conveys a sense of harshness that is both physical and relational. The sources indicate it applies to two distinct contexts: the desolation of people and the infertility of women.
In its human application, it characterizes a company of wicked men as harsh or bleak. This usage appears in Job 15:27, where the text describes the oppressive nature of the wicked’s behavior. The word suggests a social environment that is unforgiving and spiritually dry.
When applied to women, gal-mud means barren. This occurs in Isaiah 49:21, where the land asks, "Who has borne me these?" referring to children born to those who were previously considered barren. Here, the term highlights a state of emptiness that is later reversed, emphasizing the profound nature of the restoration.
With only four occurrences, the word is rare but potent. It consistently points to a lack of life-giving capacity, whether in social interaction or biological function. Translators often render it as "barren" or "hard," depending on the immediate context. The term underscores the contrast between desolation and fertility.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word gal-mud paints a picture of emptiness, whether in the soil or in the human heart. It describes a state where life seems to have dried up, leaving behind only hardness and silence. In Job’s lament, it marks a night stripped of joy; in Isaiah’s prophecy, it names the deep ache of childlessness. These are not abstract ideas but real experiences of loss that many people face.
Yet this word also carries a quiet hope. It is used to describe what was once barren so that we might recognize the miracle when life returns. The same term that speaks of desolation in Job 15:34 points toward the eventual restoration promised in Isaiah 49:21. It reminds us that emptiness is not always the final word.
When you feel spiritually dry or personally empty, this word validates your experience without leaving you there. It acknowledges the reality of the barren place while pointing to the God who brings fruitfulness from dust. You are seen in your desolation, and you are held by a promise that outlasts it.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- barren2×
- and/ barren1×
- [is] barren1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/גַלְמוּדָ֑ה1×
- גַּלְמ֑וּד1×
- גַּ֫לְמ֥וּד1×
- גַלְמ֑וּד1×
Key Verses
-
Job 3:7
Behold, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come therein.
This verse uses the word to curse a specific night with sterility, showing how gal-mud can describe the absence of joy and life in a moment of time.
-
Job 15:34
For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
Here the term describes the spiritual infertility of the wicked, indicating that their actions produce no lasting good or fruit.
-
Isaiah 49:21
Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has conceived these for me, since I have been bereaved of my children and am alone, an exile, and wandering back and forth? Who has brought these up? Behold, I was left alone. Where were these?’”
The word highlights the mother’s past state of being alone and barren, making the sudden arrival of children a profound act of divine reversal.