Hebrew word · H1553
גְּלִילוֹת
gelilot
Geliloth
Plural of gelilah, "circle, ring, circuit, district", from galal, "roll". The same word is used for "the regions (geliloth) of the Jordan" (Josh 22:10–11) and "the region of the Philistines" (Josh 13:2; Joel 3:4). Gilgal comes from the same root and is often explained as a "circle" of stones.
Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. ·
What it means
Geliloth = "circuits"
a place on Judah and Benjamin's border
Another name of gil.gal (גִּלְגָּל "Gilgal" H1537G)
Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
From the study of Joshua 18:17
- Range of meaning
Plural of gelilah, "circle, ring, circuit, district", from galal, "roll". The same word is used for "the regions (geliloth) of the Jordan" (Josh 22:10–11) and "the region of the Philistines" (Josh 13:2; Joel 3:4). Gilgal comes from the same root and is often explained as a "circle" of stones.
- Against the English
Translations treat it as a name. The KJV, WEB and YLT keep "Geliloth". In Josh 15:7 the same spot appears as "Gilgal". Some readers then confuse it with the Gilgal camp near Jericho (Josh 4–5), which does not sit "opposite the ascent of Adummim".
- Used elsewhere in the period
Josh 15:7 (Gilgal) is the parallel. The LXX transliterates it as a name here.
Similar words
Where it appears
Joshua · 1
-
Joshua 18:17 גְּלִיל֔וֹת Geliloth
From there it curved northward and proceeded to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth facing the Ascent of Adummim, and continued down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.
Here: A place name that probably means "circles". It may refer to a ring of standing stones or a rounded district. The parallel in Josh 15:7 calls it Gilgal, which comes from the same root. It is probably not the famous Gilgal by Jericho.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.