Hebrew word · H1558

גָּלָל

biglal

because of

A compound preposition, 'on account of, for the sake of, because of,' made from be- ('in') and galal ('matter, circumstance').

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

on account of, for the sake of

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 Genesis 39:5

Range of meaning

A compound preposition, 'on account of, for the sake of, because of,' made from be- ('in') and galal ('matter, circumstance'). It names the reason or occasion for something, good or bad: Gen 12:13 ('that my life may be spared because of you'), Deut 15:10 ('because of this Yahweh will bless you'), Deut 18:12, 1 Kgs 14:16 ('because of the sins of Jeroboam').

Against the English

KJV 'for Joseph's sake' and BSB 'on account of him' are both accurate. 'For his sake' can sound as if God did it to please Joseph or as a favour to him. 'On account of' keeps the plainer sense that Joseph's presence was the cause.

Used elsewhere in the period

The closest parallel is Gen 30:27, where Laban says, 'I have learned by divination that Yahweh has blessed me because of you (biglalekha).' Jacob's foreign master and Joseph's foreign master both prosper because a patriarch is in their household.

From the study of 1 Kings 14:16

Range of meaning

A phrase of cause meaning 'on account of, because of, for the sake of'. It is built from a noun related to the verb galal, 'to roll', roughly 'in the matter of'.

Against the English

'Because of' or 'on account of'. English versions handle it accurately.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used for both good and bad causes: 'on account of you' (Gen 12:13), 'because of this thing' (Deut 15:10; 18:12).

From the study of Deuteronomy 1:37

Range of meaning

Biglal is formed from be- ("in, by") and a noun gālāl, probably "matter, circumstance" (from galal, "to roll"). It means "on account of, because of, for the sake of". It states the occasion or cause and can be either positive or negative. Positive examples: "that it may go well with me because of you" (Gen 12:13); "the LORD has blessed me because of you" (Gen 30:27); "the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake" (Gen 39:5). Negative examples: "because of this thing the LORD will bless you" in a demand (Deut 15:10, positive), and "because of these abominations" (Deut 18:12, negative).

Against the English

KJV, WEB and YLT say "for your sake(s)". In modern English that suggests "for your benefit" or "out of concern for you", as if Moses were barred so that the people would gain something. BSB, ESV and NASB ("on your account") and NIV ("because of you") give the causal meaning clearly.

How it drifted

In 1611, "for your sake" could mean simply "because of you" (compare "for my sake" in the KJV's sense of "on my account"). Today "for someone's sake" means mainly "for their good". That shifts the verse toward a self-sacrificial reading that the Hebrew word does not say by itself.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Genesis uses (12:13; 30:27; 39:5) show a common pattern: one party's presence or conduct brings consequences on another. Here the pattern is turned around, with the people's conduct bringing a penalty on their leader. Deuteronomy uses different but parallel expressions for the same idea: lemaʿankhem, "on your account" (3:26), and ʿal-divreikhem, "because of your words" (4:21). Psalm 106:32–33 gives the same view of Meribah: "it went badly for Moses because of them (baʿavuram), for they embittered his spirit."

Where it appears

Genesis · 3

  1. Genesis 12:13 בִּגְלָלֵֽךְ׃ on account of you

    Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.”

  2. Genesis 30:27 בִּגְלָלֶֽךָ׃ on account of you

    But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”

    Here: 'Because of you'. Jacob is the channel of the blessing. The same expression is used of Joseph in Potiphar's house (39:5), and it echoes God's promise that others would be blessed through Abraham's line (12:2–3).

  3. Genesis 39:5 בִּגְלַ֣ל on account of

    From the time that he put Joseph in charge of his household and all he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s household on account of him. The LORD’s blessing was on everything he owned, both in his house and in his field.

    Here: 'Because of Joseph.' The blessing reaches the Egyptian through Joseph. Joseph is the reason for it, not the one who earns it.

Deuteronomy · 3

  1. Deuteronomy 1:37 בִּגְלַלְכֶ֖ם on account of you

    The LORD was also angry with me on your account, and He said, “Not even you shall enter the land.

    Here: "On account of you all." The ending is plural and points at the assembled people. Moses says the people's conduct was the occasion for God's anger at him. This is a cause, not a benefit: it means "because of you", not "for your good".

  2. Deuteronomy 15:10 בִּגְלַ֣ל׀ on account of

    Give generously to him, and do not let your heart be grieved when you do so. And because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything to which you put your hand.

    Here: A compound preposition, 'on account of, because of'. With kî ('for') before it, the combination is emphatic: 'for it is precisely on account of this'.

  3. Deuteronomy 18:12 וּבִגְלַל֙ and on account of

    For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.

1 Kings · 1

  1. 1 Kings 14:16 בִּגְלַ֞ל on account of

    So He will give Israel over on account of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”

    Here: An expression of cause, literally something like 'in the matter of'. It names the reason for the handing-over: Jeroboam's sins.

Jeremiah · 2

  1. Jeremiah 11:17 בִּ֠גְלַל on account of

    The LORD of Hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you on account of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have brought upon themselves, provoking Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.”

    Here: A causal preposition. It ties the disaster directly to its cause.

  2. Jeremiah 15:4 בִּ֠גְלַל on account of

    I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

    Here: A causal preposition, literally 'in the matter of'. It names the reason behind the disaster and points back across about two generations.

Micah · 1

  1. Micah 3:12 בִּגְלַלְכֶ֔ם on account of you

    Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.

    Here: 'Because of you (plural).' This points the blame straight at the people addressed in verses 9–11: the 'heads', the rulers, the priests and the prophets. It means 'by your fault', not 'for your benefit'.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.