גּוֹלָה
𐤂𐤅𐤋𐤄
gôwlâh
H1473 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Exile; the state or condition of being removed or deported from one's homeland to a foreign land, especially in reference to collective groups such as the Israelite population during forced deportations. May also refer concretely to the community of people who have been exiled as a group (e.g., the exiles in Babylon). In some rare contexts, can denote the act or process of exile. The semantic range includes both the abstract sense of 'exile' or 'captivity' and the collective noun referring to the exiled population itself.
Semantic Range
exile (state or condition), exiled community, collective of exiles, deportation, act/process of being exiled
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew root גלה (g-l-h), which means 'to uncover, reveal, or remove.' The noun גּוֹלָה (gôlāh) is a feminine active participle form, developed in biblical usage to denote the condition or community of exile. The root meaning of 'uncover' or 'remove' shifts here to the specific sense of removal from native land.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, גּוֹלָה predominantly refers to the communities of Israelites (primarily Judahites) who were deported by the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires, especially following the destruction and captivity of Samaria (722 BCE) and Jerusalem (586 BCE). The term appears mainly in exilic and post-exilic literature (e.g., Ezra, Nehemiah, Ezekiel), where it contrasts with שְׁבִי (shevi, 'captivity'), which often emphasizes the status or experience of being held captive, rather than the collective identity or experience of exile. The English word 'captivity' found in some translations may not fully convey the communal, identity-forming connotations of גּוֹלָה, which often denotes a distinct population group with shared experiences, customs, and identity outside their ancestral homeland. Over time, the term comes to be associated specifically with the communities of Israelites living in Babylon and later in the Persian Empire. It does not refer to forced labor in domestic settings, but rather to the status of a whole deported population. In later periods, the collective memory and identity of the גּוֹלָה remain significant for understanding the reintegration of exilic returnees with those who remained in the land.
Translation Consistency
gôwlâh primarily denotes the condition or state of being exiled and frequently refers to the community of those removed from their land. The simple, natural English noun "exile" covers both the abstract condition (exile/captivity) and the collective group (the exiles) and will read naturally in context while allowing regular inflection for number/possessive as needed.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or (shortened) גֹּלָה; active participle feminine of גָּלָה; exile; concretely and collectively exiles; (carried away), captive(-ity), removing.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
גלה (Golan) — to uncover, to reveal, to remove
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1474 | גּוֹלָן | Golan |
| H1526 | גִּילֹנִי | the man from Giloh |
| H1540 | גָּלָה | I will lay bare |
| H1541 | גְּלָה | one who uncovers |
| H1542 | גִּלֹה | from Giloh |
Word Forms
7 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1473-04 |
הַ/גֹּלָֽה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community | 25 |
H1473-01 |
בַּ/גּוֹלָ֑ה | bagolah | HRd/Ncfsa |
into-exile | in the exile | in the exile | 7 |
H1473-02 |
גּוֹלָ֥ה | golah | HNcfsa |
of exile | exile-community | exile-community | 7 |
H1473-03 |
גּוֹלֶ֔ה | goleh | HVqrmsa |
exile | exiled one | exiled one | 1 |
H1473-05 |
לַ/גֹּלָה֙ | lagolah | HRd/Ncfsa |
into exile | exile | into exile | 1 |
H1473-06 |
מֵֽ/הַ/גּוֹלָ֔ה | mehagolah | HR/Td/Ncfsa |
from the exile | from the exile-community | from the exile-community | 1 |
H1473-07 |
וּ/בַ/גּוֹלָ֖ה | uvagolah | HC/Rd/Ncfsa |
and into exile | and in the exile | and in the exile | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
43 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1473-03 |
2 Kings 24:14 | גּוֹלֶ֔ה | goleh | HVqrmsa |
exile | exiled one | exiled one |
H1473-02 |
2 Kings 24:15 | גּוֹלָ֥ה | golah | HNcfsa |
exile | exile-community | exile-community |
H1473-02 |
2 Kings 24:16 | גּוֹלָ֖ה | golah | HNcfsa |
captivity | exile-community | exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Jeremiah 28:6 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֔ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the-exiles | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Jeremiah 29:1 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֗ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Jeremiah 29:4 | הַ֨/גּוֹלָ֔ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exiles | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-01 |
Jeremiah 29:16 | בַּ/גּוֹלָֽה | bagolah | HRd/Ncfsa |
into exile | in the exile | into the exile |
H1473-04 |
Jeremiah 29:20 | הַ֨/גּוֹלָ֔ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Jeremiah 29:31 | הַ/גּוֹלָה֙ | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-02 |
Jeremiah 46:19 | גוֹלָה֙ | golah | HNcfsa |
captivity | exile-community | exile-community |
H1473-01 |
Jeremiah 48:7 | בַּ/גּוֹלָ֔ה | bagolah | HRd/Ncfsa |
into exile | in the exile | in the exile |
H1473-07 |
Jeremiah 48:11 | וּ/בַ/גּוֹלָ֖ה | uvagolah | HC/Rd/Ncfsa |
and into exile | and in the exile | and in the exile |
H1473-01 |
Jeremiah 49:3 | בַּ/גּוֹלָ֣ה | bagolah | HRd/Ncfsa |
into-exile | in the exile | in the exile |
H1473-04 |
Ezekiel 1:1 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֖ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the-exiles | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezekiel 3:11 | הַ/גּוֹלָה֙ | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezekiel 3:15 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֜ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exiles | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezekiel 11:24 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֔ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the-exiles | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezekiel 11:25 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֑ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-02 |
Ezekiel 12:3 | גוֹלָ֔ה | golah | HNcfsa |
of exile | exile-community | exile-community |
H1473-02 |
Ezekiel 12:4 | גוֹלָ֛ה | golah | HNcfsa |
of exile | exile-community | exile-community |
H1473-02 |
Ezekiel 12:4 | גּוֹלָֽה | golah-2 | HNcfsa |
of exile | exile-community | exile-community |
H1473-02 |
Ezekiel 12:7 | גוֹלָה֙ | golah | HNcfsa |
exile | exile-community | exile-community |
H1473-01 |
Ezekiel 12:11 | בַּ/גּוֹלָ֥ה | bagolah | HRd/Ncfsa |
in exile | in the exile | in the exile |
H1473-01 |
Ezekiel 25:3 | בַּ/גּוֹלָֽה | bagolah | HRd/Ncfsa |
into-exile | in the exile | in the exile |
H1473-01 |
Amos 1:15 | בַּ/גּוֹלָ֑ה | bagolah | HRd/Ncfsa |
into-exile | in the exile | into the exile |
H1473-05 |
Nahum 3:10 | לַ/גֹּלָה֙ | lagolah | HRd/Ncfsa |
into exile | exile | into exile |
H1473-04 |
Zechariah 6:10 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֔ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exiles | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-01 |
Zechariah 14:2 | בַּ/גּוֹלָ֔ה | bagolah | HRd/Ncfsa |
into-exile | in the exile | in the exile |
H1473-04 |
Esther 2:6 | הַ/גֹּלָה֙ | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezra 1:11 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֔ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezra 2:1 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֔ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the exiles | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezra 4:1 | הַ/גּוֹלָה֙ | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezra 6:19 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֖ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezra 6:20 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֔ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the captivity | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-06 |
Ezra 6:21 | מֵֽ/הַ/גּוֹלָ֔ה | mehagolah | HR/Td/Ncfsa |
from the exile | from the exile-community | from the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezra 8:35 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֜ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezra 9:4 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֑ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of-the-exiles | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezra 10:6 | הַ/גּוֹלָֽה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the exiles | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezra 10:7 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֔ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezra 10:8 | הַ/גּוֹלָֽה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the exiles | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Ezra 10:16 | הַ/גּוֹלָה֒ | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
Nehemiah 7:6 | הַ/גּוֹלָ֔ה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the exiles | the exile-community | the exile-community |
H1473-04 |
1 Chronicles 5:22 | הַ/גֹּלָֽה | hagolah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the exile | the exile-community | the exile-community |