גֵּלֶל
dung (plural balls of dung)
Definition
The Hebrew noun גֵּלֶל (gêlel) refers specifically to dung, often in the form of dried balls of animal excrement. In its biblical usage, it primarily denotes human waste, as seen in Ezekiel 4:12, 15, where the prophet is instructed to bake bread using human dung as fuel, symbolizing impurity. It can also metaphorically represent something utterly worthless or vile, as in Job 20:7, where the wicked perish like their own dung, and Zephaniah 1:17, where people are scattered like dung in judgment. The word consistently carries connotations of filth, waste, and contempt.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only four times in the Old Testament, always in contexts emphasizing extreme defilement, worthlessness, or judgment. In Ezekiel 4:12, 15, it is used literally for human dung in a prophetic sign-act about the impurity of exile. In Job 20:7 and Zephaniah 1:17, it is used metaphorically to depict the complete and disgusting end of the wicked or those under God's wrath. All instances are in poetic or prophetic literature.
Etymology
Derived from the root גלל (g-l-l), meaning 'to roll,' likely referring to the rounded shape of dried dung balls. It is a variation of גָּלָל (galal, H1557), which also means 'dung.' The connection to rolling suggests the common form in which animal dung was found and handled in the ancient Near East.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it vividly illustrates concepts of impurity, divine judgment, and the utter worthlessness of sin before God. In Ezekiel, its use with sacrificial bread highlights the depth of defilement sin brings, even to holy things. In Job and Zephaniah, it underscores the final, contemptible end of those who oppose God. Understanding this strong imagery enriches the reader's grasp of the Bible's blunt portrayal of sin's consequences.
In the ancient Near East, dried animal dung was a common, readily available fuel for cooking fires, especially among the poor or in desert regions. Human dung, however, was considered highly impure and unfit for such use under Israel's purity laws (Deuteronomy 23:12-14). The command to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 4:12 would have been shocking and repulsive, intensifying the symbolic message of defilement.
צֵאָה (tse'ah, H6675) — excrement, often liquid or human waste; more clinical. דֹּמֶן (domen, H1828) — manure, dung used as fertilizer; less focused on shape.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →