Lexical Summary
gaal: To abhor, to loathe, to reject
Original Word:גָּאַל
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:ga'al
Pronunciation:gah-ahl
Phonetic Spelling:(gaw-al')
KJV: defile, pollute, stain
NASB:defiled, defile, unclean, stained
Word Origin:[a primitive root, (rather identified withH1350 (גָּאַל - redeemed), through the idea of freeing, i.e. repudiating)]
1. to soil
2. (figuratively) desecrate
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
defile, pollute, stain
A primitive root, (rather identified withga'al, through the idea of freeing, i.e. Repudiating); to soil or (figuratively) desecrate -- defile, pollute, stain.
see HEBREWga'al
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto defile
NASB Translationdefile (2), defiled (6), stained (1), unclean (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. [] , late (compare ) —
Perfect3masculine pluralIsaiah 59:3;Lamentations 4:14, on form see Ges§ 51, 2, Köi. 265;ParticipleZephaniah 3:1; —be defiled, hands with blood ,Isaiah 59:3 compareLamentations 4:14; participle as substantivedefiled, polluted oneZephaniah 3:1 of Jerusalem ("" ; appositive ).
Perfect1plural suffixMalachi 1:7pollute, desecrate, object (desecrated in his altar).
ImperfectEzra 2:62 =Nehemiah 7:64 construct pregnantand they were desecrated out of the priesthood, i.e. deposed, as desecrated one;Participle of bread laid on Yahweh's altarMalachi 1:7; of Yahweh's altar (table, )Malachi 1:12.
Perfect1singularIsaiah 63:3 (on Aramaic form see Köi. 27 Ges§ 53 R. 6 but) read perhapsPi`el, see GFMThLZ 1887, 292 compare also Gesl.c. N. Ol§ 255 b Sta§ 159 b, 3; —I have polluted, i.e.stained all my raiment.
ImperfectDaniel 1:8;Daniel 1:8; —defile himself.
Topical Lexicon
Semantics and Scopeגָּאַל depicts an act of rendering something unfit for sacred or communal use—by moral stain, ritual impurity, or public disgrace. Though the contexts vary, the unifying idea is loss of holiness and consequent exclusion from God-ordained purpose. The verb is always active: a person, object, city, or altar is “defiled,” “polluted,” or “stained,” never merely unfortunate but culpably corrupted.
Old Testament Distribution
1. Priesthood lineage:Ezra 2:62;Nehemiah 7:64
2. Prophetic indictments of national guilt:Isaiah 59:3;Zephaniah 3:1
3. Messianic judgment imagery:Isaiah 63:3
4. Exilic lament:Lamentations 4:14
5. Personal piety in exile:Daniel 1:8 (twice)
6. Post-exilic priestly failures:Malachi 1:7 (twice), 1:12
The occurrences cluster around periods of transition—return from exile, prophetic warning, and covenant renewal—underscoring the tension between God’s holiness and Israel’s waywardness.
Ritual Cleanness and Worship
Malachi 1 exposes how defilement corrupts worship at its source: “You are presenting defiled food on My altar” (Malachi 1:7). Sacrificial tables symbolize communion with God; polluted offerings sever that fellowship.Ezra 2:62 andNehemiah 7:64 show the same principle administratively: genealogies lacking verifiable purity barred claimants from the priesthood, protecting the sanctuary from contamination.
Moral and Social Corruption
Isaiah 59:3 links defilement to violence and deceit: “Your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity”. The pollution is ethical before it is ceremonial.Zephaniah 3:1 expands the charge to civic structures: Jerusalem becomes “rebellious and defiled,” illustrating how systemic injustice renders an entire city unclean.
Messianic and Eschatological Overtones
Isaiah 63:3 portrays the righteous Avenger whose garments are “stained” in the winepress of judgment. The verb ironically shifts: the Holy One’s clothing bears the stain of executed wrath, yet He remains personally undefiled. The image anticipatesRevelation 19:13, where the conquering Christ wears a robe dipped in blood—judgment that cleanses creation by removing wickedness.
Personal Piety and Conscience
Daniel 1:8 highlights individual responsibility: “Daniel resolved in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine.” Separation from idolatrous culture safeguards covenant fidelity. Daniel’s quiet protest models inner holiness that prepares servants for public usefulness (Daniel 2–6).
Consequences of Defilement
• Loss of priestly privilege (Ezra 2:62)
• Eclipse of civic blessing (Zephaniah 3:1–7)
• National exile and lament (Lamentations 4:14)
• Eventual eschatological wrath (Isaiah 63:3)
God’s response is consistent: exposure, exclusion, and ultimately purification—either by repentance or by judgment.
Christological Fulfillment
In the incarnation the Holy One enters a polluted world without contracting its stain (Hebrews 4:15). His atoning death provides the definitive cleansing anticipated in Old Testament sacrifices (Hebrews 9:13–14). Believers are now exhorted to “keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27), mirroring Daniel’s resolve and anticipating the pure worship pictured inRevelation 21:27.
Implications for Ministry Today
1. Guard the integrity of worship: careless practice profanes the Lord’s table.
2. Uphold ethical purity alongside ritual form; injustice defiles as surely as idolatry.
3. Encourage personal holiness that resists cultural compromise.
4. Proclaim Christ as both Judge who eradicates defilement and Savior who cleanses sinners.
Forms and Transliterations
אֶגְאָֽלְתִּי׃ אגאלתי׃ גֵֽאַלְנ֑וּךָ גאלנוך וְנִגְאָלָ֑ה וַֽיְגֹאֲל֖וּ וַיְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ ויגאלו ונגאלה יִתְגָּאַ֛ל יִתְגָּאָֽל׃ יתגאל יתגאל׃ מְגֹאָ֔ל מְגֹאָ֣ל מגאל נְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ נְגֹאֲל֣וּ נגאלו ’eḡ’ālətî ’eḡ·’ā·lə·tî egAleti ḡê’alnūḵā ḡê·’al·nū·ḵā gealNucha mə·ḡō·’āl məḡō’āl megoAl nə·ḡō·’ă·lū nəḡō’ălū negoaLu vaygoaLu venigaLah way·ḡō·’ă·lū wayḡō’ălū wə·niḡ·’ā·lāh wəniḡ’ālāh yiṯ·gā·’al yiṯ·gā·’āl yiṯgā’al yiṯgā’āl yitgaAl
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