Hebrew word · H1566

גָּלַע

yitgala'

to quarrel

Occurs only in Proverbs, always in this reflexive form: 17:14 'before the quarrel breaks out', 18:1 'he breaks out against all sound judgment', 20:3. The meaning 'break out, burst forth (in contention)' is secure from context.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to expose, lay bare

1a) (Hithpael)

1a1) to disclose oneself, break out

1a2) to break out (in contention)

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 Proverbs 20:3

Range of meaning

Occurs only in Proverbs, always in this reflexive form: 17:14 'before the quarrel breaks out', 18:1 'he breaks out against all sound judgment', 20:3. The meaning 'break out, burst forth (in contention)' is secure from context. Older lexicons, comparing Arabic and later Hebrew, linked it to 'laying bare', so 'expose oneself' or 'show one's teeth'.

Against the English

BSB and WEB 'quarrel', KJV 'be meddling', YLT 'intermeddleth'. 'Quarrel' gives the sense well but loses the picture of eruption. KJV's 'meddling' has shifted meaning in modern English (see drift).

How it drifted

In 1611, to 'meddle (with)' often meant to engage or fight (compare KJV Deut 2:5 'meddle not with them', i.e. don't start a war with them). Today it means poking into other people's business, which is a different fault.

Used elsewhere in the period

Prov 17:14; 18:1. The LXX renders this verse loosely as 'every fool gets entangled (symplekomai) in such things'.

From the study of Proverbs 17:14

Range of meaning

Found only in the reflexive-intensive (hitpael) form, and only in Proverbs 17:14, 18:1 and 20:3. The meaning comes mostly from context: to break out, burst forth, show oneself quarrelsome. Lexicons give 'break out (in dispute)' (HALOT) or 'expose oneself, break out' (BDB). Some scholars suggest a picture of baring the teeth.

Against the English

KJV: 'before it be meddled with', i.e. before people engage in it. Modern versions: 'before it breaks out' (ESV, NASB, BSB, NIV ['a dispute breaks out'], WEB). NLT turns it into 'before a dispute breaks out'.

How it drifted

KJV's 'meddled with' is a guess at a rare verb, and modern readers now take 'meddle' in a sense the translators did not mean (see drift).

Used elsewhere in the period

Prov 18:1: the one who isolates himself 'breaks out against' all sound judgment. Prov 20:3: 'every fool will be quarrelling (yitgallaʿ)'. In all three places it describes a contentious person losing restraint.

From the study of Proverbs 18:1

Range of meaning

Found only in this reflexive form, and only in Proverbs (17:14; 18:1; 20:3). Context shows it means strife breaking out or bursting forth: 'Starting a quarrel is like letting out water, so abandon it before the dispute breaks out' (17:14), and 'every fool will quarrel' (20:3). Lexicons (BDB, HALOT) give 'break out (in contention)'. Some connect it with a root meaning 'lay bare' or 'bare the teeth'.

Against the English

'Rebels against' (BSB), 'defies' (WEB), 'breaks out against' (ESV), 'quarrels against' (NASB), 'starts quarrels' (NIV), 'lash out at' (NLT), 'intermeddleth with' (KJV). The KJV's 'intermeddle' meant 'to busy oneself with, engage in' in 1611, and the same verb is rendered 'meddle' in 17:14 and 20:3. Today it can read neutrally or even positively ('engages with all wisdom').

How it drifted

'Intermeddle' has dropped out of use, and in this verse readers took it to mean active engagement with wisdom. That reversed the sense: the Hebrew describes hostility, not involvement.

Used elsewhere in the period

The three Proverbs uses all involve quarrels. The Septuagint paraphrases here ('he will be open to reproach at every time') and does not support a positive reading.

Where it appears

Proverbs · 3

  1. Proverbs 17:14 הִ֝תְגַּלַּ֗ע it has broken out

    To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.

    Here: A rare verb found only in Proverbs (17:14; 18:1; 20:3), always of quarrelsome people. Its exact picture is uncertain: 'break out', 'lay bare' or 'bare one's teeth' have all been proposed. Next to the water image, 'burst out' fits well: the moment the trickle becomes a torrent.

  2. Proverbs 18:1 יִתְגַּלָּֽע׃ he bursts out

    He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.

    Here: A rare verb found only in Proverbs, always of strife bursting out (17:14, 'before the quarrel breaks out'; 20:3, 'every fool will quarrel'). The verb form is reflexive. He 'lets himself break out': snapping, picking a fight with wisdom. It also sounds like hitgallōt ('laying bare') in the next verse, which links the two sayings.

  3. Proverbs 20:3 יִתְגַּלָּֽע׃ he bursts out

    It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool will quarrel.

    Here: "Lets it break out" or "bursts out". The verb is rare and occurs only in Proverbs, always about a quarrel erupting. Its form suggests the fool lets himself go, or shows what he is. The present-future tense marks this as his habit: he will always be doing it.

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