גָּלַח (H1548) — Hebrew Lexicon

גָּלַח

𐤂𐤋𐤇

gâlach

H1548 verb

SILEX Entry

Root גלח to shave, make bald, remove hair

Definition

To shave the head or beard, to remove hair by shaving; to become bald or to cause baldness (including ritual or ceremonial shaving); by extension, to lay bare or strip (as of land or a population). The primary sense is the removal of hair from the body, frequently with ritual or symbolic overtones.

Semantic Range

to shave the head or beard, to become bald, to cause baldness, to remove hair from the body, to make (something) bare or stripped, to lay bare land, ritual shaving, ceremonial purification

Root / Etymology

Root גלח (G-L-Ḥ), associated with the action of shaving or making bald. The root's core meaning is 'to remove hair' or 'to make bare.' The verb גָּלַח reflects both the process of hair removal and its results—baldness or bareness. The term is found in both qal (to become bald, to shave oneself) and piel (to shave, to make bald) forms.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Israelite practice, גָּלַח is used for both everyday grooming (shaving the head or beard) and for specific ceremonial or ritual actions, such as the purification or initiation rites of Nazirites (Numbers 6:9, 6:18) and the cleansing of recovered skin disease sufferers (Leviticus 14:8-9). The term can also be used figuratively for the laying bare of land or peoples, highlighting a transition from fullness to exposure or vulnerability. The concept of shaving could carry varying connotations—humiliation, purification, mourning, or transition. In later periods, the act of shaving or being made bald could be associated with either positive or negative social meaning, depending on context. English translations sometimes narrowly render it as 'shave' or 'cut hair,' but the underlying Hebrew often has richer ritual or figurative significance. The root does not inherently mean 'to destroy' or 'to lay waste,' but this figurative extension appears in poetic or prophetic passages (e.g., Isaiah 7:20). Related terms include קָרַח (qarach, 'to be bald'), which focuses solely on baldness without the action of shaving.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to be bald, i.e. (causatively) to shave; figuratively to lay waste; poll, shave (off).

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Root Family

גלח (g-l-ḥ) — to shave, make bald, remove hair

Word Forms

16 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H1548-09`	וְ/גִלַּ֣ח	vegilach	`HC/Vpq3ms`	and shall shave	and he shaved off	3
`H1548-14`	יְגַלֵּ֑חַ	yegalecha	`HVpi3ms`	he shall shave	he will shave off	3
`H1548-07`	וַ/יְגַלַּח֙	vayegalach	`HC/Vpw3ms`	and shaved	and he shaved	2
`H1548-13`	יְגַלַּ֣ח	yegalach	`HVpi3ms`	he shall shave	he will shave off	2
`H1548-16`	יְגַלֵּ֑חוּ	yegalechu	`HVpi3mp`	shall they shave	they will make bald	2
`H1548-02`	גֻּלַּ֨חְתִּי֙	gulacheti	`HVPp1cs`	I am shaved	I was shaved	1
`H1548-12`	וְ/הִ֨תְגַּלָּ֔ח	vehitegalach	`HC/Vtq3ms`	and he shall shave himself	and he shaved himself	1
`H1548-03`	הִֽתְגַּלְּח֥/וֹ	hitegalecho	`HVtc/Sp3ms`	he has shaved	his shaving himself	1
`H1548-10`	וְ/גִלְּחָה֙	vegilechah	`HC/Vpq3fs`	and she shall shave	and she shaved	1
`H1548-08`	וַֽ/יְגַלְּחֵ֔/ם	vayegalechem	`HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3mp`	and he shaved them	and he shaved them	1
`H1548-05`	וּֽ/בְ/גַלְּח/וֹ֮	uvegalecho	`HC/R/Vpc/Sp3ms`	and when he shaved	and in his shaving him bald	1
`H1548-06`	וַ/תְּגַלַּ֕ח	vategalach	`HC/Vpw3fs`	and she shaved	she shaved bare	1
`H1548-11`	וְ/גִלְּח֑/וֹ	vegilecho	`HC/Vpq3ms/Sp3ms`	and he shaved it	and he shaved him bald	1
`H1548-15`	יְגַלְּחֶֽ/נּוּ	yegalechenu	`HVpi3ms/Sp3ms`	he shall shave it	he will shave him	1
`H1548-01`	גֻּלָּֽח	gulach	`HVPp3ms`	it was shaved	was shaved bald	1
`H1548-04`	מְגֻלְּחֵ֥י	megulechey	`HVPsmpc`	shavers of	shaved ones of	1

Occurrences in Scripture

23 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H1548-07`	Genesis 41:14	וַ/יְגַלַּח֙	vayegalach	`HC/Vpw3ms`	he shaved	and he shaved
`H1548-12`	Leviticus 13:33	וְ/הִ֨תְגַּלָּ֔ח	vehitegalach	`HC/Vtq3ms`	and he shall shave himself	and he shaved himself
`H1548-14`	Leviticus 13:33	יְגַלֵּ֑חַ	yegalecha	`HVpi3ms`	shall he shave	he will shave off
`H1548-09`	Leviticus 14:8	וְ/גִלַּ֣ח	vegilach	`HC/Vpq3ms`	and shall shave	and he shaved off
`H1548-13`	Leviticus 14:9	יְגַלַּ֣ח	yegalach	`HVpi3ms`	he shall shave	he will shave off
`H1548-14`	Leviticus 14:9	יְגַלֵּ֑חַ	yegalecha	`HVpi3ms`	he shall shave	he will shave off
`H1548-16`	Leviticus 21:5	יְגַלֵּ֑חוּ	yegalechu	`HVpi3mp`	shave	they will make bald
`H1548-09`	Numbers 6:9	וְ/גִלַּ֤ח	vegilach	`HC/Vpq3ms`	then he shall shave	and he shaved off
`H1548-15`	Numbers 6:9	יְגַלְּחֶֽ/נּוּ	yegalechenu	`HVpi3ms/Sp3ms`	he shall shave it	he will shave him
`H1548-09`	Numbers 6:18	וְ/גִלַּ֣ח	vegilach	`HC/Vpq3ms`	and shall shave	and he shaved off
`H1548-03`	Numbers 6:19	הִֽתְגַּלְּח֥/וֹ	hitegalecho	`HVtc/Sp3ms`	he has shaved	his shaving himself
`H1548-10`	Deuteronomy 21:12	וְ/גִלְּחָה֙	vegilechah	`HC/Vpq3fs`	and she shall shave	and she shaved
`H1548-02`	Judges 16:17	גֻּלַּ֨חְתִּי֙	gulacheti	`HVPp1cs`	I am shaved	I was shaved
`H1548-06`	Judges 16:19	וַ/תְּגַלַּ֕ח	vategalach	`HC/Vpw3fs`	and she shaved	she shaved bare
`H1548-01`	Judges 16:22	גֻּלָּֽח	gulach	`HVPp3ms`	it was shaved	was shaved bald
`H1548-07`	2 Samuel 10:4	וַ/יְגַלַּח֙	vayegalach	`HC/Vpw3ms`	and shaved	and he shaved
`H1548-05`	2 Samuel 14:26	וּֽ/בְ/גַלְּח/וֹ֮	uvegalecho	`HC/R/Vpc/Sp3ms`	and when he shaved	and in his shaving him bald
`H1548-14`	2 Samuel 14:26	יְגַלֵּ֔חַ	yegalecha	`HVpi3ms`	he would shave	he will shave off
`H1548-11`	2 Samuel 14:26	וְ/גִלְּח֑/וֹ	vegilecho	`HC/Vpq3ms/Sp3ms`	and he shaved it	and he shaved him bald
`H1548-13`	Isaiah 7:20	יְגַלַּ֣ח	yegalach	`HVpi3ms`	will shave	he will shave off
`H1548-04`	Jeremiah 41:5	מְגֻלְּחֵ֥י	megulechey	`HVPsmpc`	shavers of	shaved ones of
`H1548-16`	Ezekiel 44:20	יְגַלֵּ֔חוּ	yegalechu	`HVpi3mp`	shall they shave	they will make bald
`H1548-08`	1 Chronicles 19:4	וַֽ/יְגַלְּחֵ֔/ם	vayegalechem	`HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3mp`	and he shaved them	and he shaved them

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