Lexical Summary
gemul: Recompense, reward, benefit, dealing
Original Word:גְּמוּל
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:gmuwl
Pronunciation:guh-MOOL
Phonetic Spelling:(ghem-ool')
KJV: + as hast served, benefit, desert, deserving, that which he hath given, recompense, reward
NASB:recompense, benefit, benefits, dealings, deeds, good deed
Word Origin:[fromH1580 (גָּמַל - weaned)]
1. treatment, i.e. an act (of good or ill)
2. (by implication) service or requital
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
as hast served, benefit, desert, deserving, recompense, reward
Fromgamal; treatment, i.e. An act (of good or ill); by implication, service or requital -- + as hast served, benefit, desert, deserving, that which he hath given, recompense, reward.
see HEBREWgamal
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
gamalDefinitiona dealing, recompense, benefit
NASB Translationbenefit (1), benefits (1), dealings (1), deeds (1), deserved* (1), good deed (1), recompense (11), recompense* (1), what he deserves* (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
—
Psalm 94:2 11t.; suffix Obadiah 15, etc.; plural suffix
Psalm 103:2; —
dealing of the handsJudges 9:16;Proverbs 12:14 ()Isaiah 3:11 ().
dealing, hence (from context)equivalent of dealing, recompence: with suffix Obadiah 15 , Joel 4:4; Joel 4:7 (), so withPsalm 28:4;Psalm 137:8;Proverbs 19:17; absolutely ()Isaiah 59:18 (twice in verse);Isaiah 66:6;Jeremiah 51:6;Lamentations 3:64; Joel 4:4;Psalm 94:2;Isaiah 35:4the recompence of God.
benefit:Psalm 103:2;according to the benefit (done)unto him2Chronicles 32:25
Topical Lexicon
Concept Overviewגְּמוּל (gemul) denotes recompense—what is rendered back to someone for prior action, whether reward for good or retribution for evil. The term carries moral weight: it assumes just correspondence between deed and consequence under the righteous governance of God.
Positive Recompense: Blessing and Benefit
1. Divine kindness invites grateful remembrance. “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2). Gemul here underscores every gracious favor bestowed by God that demands thankful response rather than presumption (compare2 Chronicles 32:25, where Hezekiah’s pride is a failure to “repay” God’s goodness).
2. Human generosity invokes God’s reward. “Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender” (Proverbs 19:17). Mercy extended to the vulnerable becomes a deposit God Himself covers with interest, encouraging practical charity as an act of faith.
3. Righteous speech and labor are repaid in kind.Proverbs 12:14 teaches that “the work of his hands returns to him,” presenting gemul as a built-in moral law: diligence and wholesome words yield wholesome returns.
Negative Recompense: Retribution and Justice
1. Imprecatory prayer appeals to God’s just gemul. “Repay them according to their deeds” (Psalm 28:4) expresses confidence that the Judge of all will answer arrogance with equivalent penalty (Psalm 94:2).
2. Prophetic oracles warn nations. Babylon (Psalm 137:8;Jeremiah 51:6), Edom (Obadiah 1:15), and the Philistine cities (Joel 3:4–7) will receive their violence back upon their own heads, illustrating international accountability.
3. Eschatological judgment is certain. Isaiah stacks the term for emphasis: “So He will repay according to their deeds… He will repay the islands their due” (Isaiah 59:18; cf. 66:6). Final recompense vindicates God’s holiness and comforts the oppressed.
Covenantal and Eschatological Themes
Gemul operates within covenant structure: obedience and trust prompt blessing; rebellion brings curse.Judges 9:16 recalls the faithful acts of Gideon as the standard by which Shechem should judge its present behavior, showing gemul as communal memory. The prophets extend the principle to “the Day of the LORD” when every act meets its fitting answer (Obadiah 1:15). Thus gemul ties present ethics to future hope.
Personal and Corporate Dimensions
While many texts speak corporately (nations, cities), others are intensely personal.Lamentations 3:64 petitions, “You will repay them, O LORD, according to the work of their hands,” giving voice to sufferers who trust God to take vengeance rather than taking it themselves. Gemul therefore shapes both public policy and private piety: justice is sought through prayer, patience, and righteous living.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Preaching: Gemul underlines themes of accountability and assurance. God sees, records, and answers every deed—an antidote to complacency and despair alike.
• Pastoral care: Victims of wrongdoing find solace in divine recompense; perpetrators are urged to repent before the inevitable return of their own works.
• Stewardship and mercy ministries:Proverbs 19:17 frames benevolence as investment, motivating congregations to acts of compassion with confidence in God’s faithful repayment.
• Worship: Remembering “all His benefits” cultivates gratitude, preventing spiritual amnesia and fostering humility.
Christological and New Covenant Reflection
At the cross the principle of gemul reaches its climactic paradox: sin’s deserved recompense falls on the innocent Christ, while believers receive grace. Yet the New Testament upholds the same moral order—“each will receive his reward” (1 Corinthians 3:8)—showing continuity rather than contradiction. The gospel satisfies justice and empowers transformed living that still anticipates final recompense at Christ’s return.
Key Old Testament References
Judges 9:16;2 Chronicles 32:25;Psalm 28:4;Psalm 94:2;Psalm 103:2;Psalm 137:8;Proverbs 12:14;Proverbs 19:17;Isaiah 3:11;Isaiah 35:4;Isaiah 59:18;Isaiah 66:6;Jeremiah 51:6;Lamentations 3:64;Joel 3:4, 7;Obadiah 1:15.
Forms and Transliterations
גְּ֝מ֗וּל גְּ֝מוּלֵ֗ךְ גְּמ֕וּל גְּמ֖וּל גְּמ֛וּל גְּמ֣וּל גְּמ֥וּל גְּמֻלְךָ֖ גְּמֻלְכֶ֖ם גְּמוּלָ֣ם גְּמוּלָֽיו׃ גְמ֥וּל גְמֻלְכֶ֖ם גמול גמוליו׃ גמולך גמולם גמלך גמלכם הַגְּמ֗וּל הגמול וּ֝גְמֻל֗וֹ וּגְמ֥וּל וגמול וגמלו כִּגְמ֥וּל כִגְמֻ֤ל כגמול כגמל chigMul gə·mū·lām gə·mū·lāw gə·mū·lêḵ gə·mūl ḡə·mūl gə·mul·ḵā gə·mul·ḵem ḡə·mul·ḵem geMul gəmūl ḡəmūl gemuLam gəmūlām gemuLav gəmūlāw gemulCha gemulChem gemuLech gəmūlêḵ gəmulḵā gəmulḵem ḡəmulḵem hag·gə·mūl haggeMul haggəmūl kiḡ·mūl ḵiḡ·mul kigMul kiḡmūl ḵiḡmul ū·ḡə·mu·lōw ū·ḡə·mūl ugeMul ūḡəmūl ugemuLo ūḡəmulōw
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