Lexical Summary
gamal: To deal fully or adequately with, to recompense, to wean
Original Word:גָּמַל
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:gamal
Pronunciation:gah-MAHL
Phonetic Spelling:(gaw-mal')
KJV: bestow on, deal bountifully, do (good), recompense, requite, reward, ripen, + serve, mean, yield
NASB:weaned, rewarded, deal bountifully, dealt, dealt bountifully, did, does
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to treat a person (well or ill), i.e. benefit or requite
2. (by implication) (of toil), to ripen, i.e. (specifically) to wean
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bestow on, deal bountifully, do good, recompense, requite, reward, ripen, serve,
A primitive root; to treat a person (well or ill), i.e. Benefit or requite; by implication (of toil), to ripen, i.e. (specifically) to wean -- bestow on, deal bountifully, do (good), recompense, requite, reward, ripen, + serve, mean, yield.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto deal fully or adequately with, deal out to, wean, ripen
NASB Translationbore ripe (1), brought (1), compensate (1), deal bountifully (2), dealt (2), dealt bountifully (2), did (2), does (2), done (1), granted (2), recompense (1), repaid (1), repay (1), rewarded (4), rewarding (1), ripening (1), weaned (12).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
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(Assyriangamâlu, deal with,benefit, e.g. VR 2 Chronicles 35:19; Late Hebrew , Aramaic ; see Palmyrene proper name VogNo. 124, Nabataean proper name, feminine VogNab. below No. 7; perhaps originallycomplete, accomplish, cognate ; — Arabic
iscollect,
be beautiful, goodly) —
PerfectPsalm 13:6 +;ImperfectNumbers 17:23 +;ImperativePsalm 119:17;Infinitive ,1 Samuel 1:23;ParticipleProverbs 11:17 +; passiveIsaiah 11:8;Psalm 131:2 (twice in verse); —
deal out to, do to, with 2 accusativeshe doeth him good and not evilProverbs 31:12;for thou hast done unto me the good but I have done unto thee the evil1 Samuel 24:18;do eviluntoGenesis 50:15,17;Proverbs 3:30; with personIsaiah 3:9;do goodunto, 2 accusativeIsaiah 63:7 (twice in verse); compare alsoProverbs 11:17.
with persondeal bountifully withPsalm 13:6;Psalm 116:7;Psalm 119:17;Psalm 142:8; with accusative of personreward2 Samuel 22:21 (=Psalm 18:21), perhaps alsowhy should he reward me with this reward?2 Samuel 19:37.
recompense, repay, requite, in a bad sense, with 2 accusativePsalm 7:5; with personDeuteronomy 32:6;Psalm 137:8; with person 2 Chronicles 20:11;Psalm 103:10; Joel 4:4.
wean a child (complete his nursing)1 Samuel 1:23 (twice in verse);1 Samuel 1:24;1 Kings 11:20;Hosea 1:8;weaned childPsalm 131:2 (twice in verse);Isaiah 11:8;weaned from milkIsaiah 28:9.
transitiveripen, bear ripe (almonds)Numbers 17:23; intransitivebecome ripe (grapes)Isaiah 18:5.
Imperfect1 Samuel 1:22;Genesis 21:8;InfinitiveGenesis 21:8; —be weaned.
Topical Lexicon
Root Idea and Major SensesGamal conveys a movement from incompleteness to completion. In family life it marks the decisive moment when a child is weaned; in moral life it describes the full repayment—good or bad—rendered to another; in agriculture it pictures fruit that has reached full ripeness. In every setting the verb speaks of a process brought to its appointed goal.
Occurrences and Literary Distribution
About thirty-seven occurrences span Torah, Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, Psalms, Prophets, and Song of Solomon. The cluster divides naturally:
• Weaning and physical maturity (Genesis, 1 Samuel, Psalms, Isaiah, Hosea).
• Recompense between people (Genesis, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, Jeremiah, Proverbs).
• Divine recompense (2 Samuel 22; many Psalms).
• Agricultural ripening (Song of Solomon 2:13).
Childhood to Maturity
The first use records Isaac’s milestone: “The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned” (Genesis 21:8). Hannah waits until Samuel is “weaned” before presenting him at Shiloh (1 Samuel 1:22-24). The image becomes spiritual inPsalm 131:2, where David stills his soul “like a weaned child with its mother,” capturing the quiet trust of a believer who has moved beyond restless self-sufficiency.Isaiah 28:9 andHosea 1:8 use the term to mark developmental stages in prophetic argument.
Human Recompense
Gamal often governs relationships. Joseph’s brothers fear that he will “repay us for all the evil we did to him” (Genesis 50:15). Saul confesses to David, “You have repaid me with good, whereas I have repaid you with evil” (1 Samuel 24:17). Proverbs turns the verb into wisdom precept: “Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender” (Proverbs 19:17); “She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life” (Proverbs 31:12).
Divine Recompense
David’s song celebrates the Lord who settles accounts: “The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness” (2 Samuel 22:21;Psalm 18:20). The psalmist repeatedly appeals to Yahweh’s beneficent dealings:
• “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds” (Psalm 103:2).
• “Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you” (Psalm 116:7).
• “Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word” (Psalm 119:17).
Where justice is required, the same verb warns: “Should good be repaid with evil?” (Jeremiah 18:20).
Agricultural Fullness
InSong of Solomon 2:13 spring’s renewal is marked when “the fig tree ripens its early figs,” a sensory picture of life brought to fragrant maturity. The seasonal completion mirrors God’s orderly timing in human growth and moral recompense.
Theological Reflections
1. God’s dealings are never partial. Whether blessing or judgment, He brings matters to completion.
2. The believer’s rest resembles a weaned child—no longer clamoring for what was once indispensable, but content with the presence of the giver.
3. Sowing and reaping are inseparable. Human acts return in kind unless intercepted by grace.
4. Christ embodies the verb’s fullest sense: He was nourished in humble dependence (Luke 2:40), matured in obedience, and finally “repaid” the debt of sin at the cross, offering believers the plenitude of redemption.
Implications for Ministry and Discipleship
• Foster maturity: shepherd people from spiritual milk to solid food (Hebrews 5:12-14).
• Teach ethical reciprocity: encourage deeds that God delights to repay.
• Cultivate memory of God’s benefits; gratitude guards against doubt.
• Rely on divine recompense when wronged, modeling David’s restraint toward Saul.
• Celebrate seasons of growth—personal milestones, answered prayers, and congregational fruit—as tokens of God’s faithful “gamal.”
Forms and Transliterations
גְּמַלְתִּ֥יךָ גְּמַלְתַּ֣נִי גְּמָלַ֗תּוּ גְּמָלַ֣תְהוּ גְּמָלָ֖נוּ גְּמָלָ֥ם גְּמֹ֖ל גְּמוּלֵי֙ גְמָל֔וּךָ גְמָלְךָ֣ גָּ֭מַלְתִּי גָּמ֖וּל גָּמְלֵ֣ךְ גָּמַ֖לְנוּ גָּמַ֥ל גָמְל֥וּ גָמְלָ֖הּ גָמַ֣ל גֹּמְלִ֖ים גֹּמְלִ֤ים גֹּמֵ֖ל גֹּמֵ֣ל גמול גמולי גמל גמלה גמלו גמלוך גמלים גמלך גמלם גמלנו גמלתהו גמלתו גמלתי גמלתיך גמלתני הִגָּמֵ֥ל הגמל וַיִּגְמֹ֖ל וַיִּגָּמַ֑ל וַתִּגְמְלֵ֣הוּ וַתִּגְמֹ֖ל ויגמל ותגמל ותגמלהו יִגְמְלֵ֣נִי יִגְמְלֵ֥נִי יִגָּמֵ֤ל יגמל יגמלני כְּ֭גָמֻל כַּגָּמֻ֖ל כגמל שֶׁגָּמַ֥לְתְּ שגמלת תִּגְמְלוּ־ תִגְמֹ֣ל תגמל תגמלו־ gā·mal ḡā·mal gā·mal·nū gā·mal·tî ḡā·mə·lāh gā·mə·lêḵ ḡā·mə·lū gā·mūl gaMal gāmal ḡāmal gaMalnu gāmalnū Gamalti gāmaltî gameLah ḡāməlāh gameLech gāməlêḵ gameLu ḡāməlū gaMul gāmūl gə·mā·lā·nū gə·mā·lām gə·mā·laṯ·hū gə·mā·lat·tū ḡə·mā·lə·ḵā ḡə·mā·lū·ḵā gə·mal·ta·nî gə·mal·tî·ḵā gə·mōl gə·mū·lê gemaLam gəmālām gemaLanu gəmālānū gemaLathu gəmālaṯhū gemaLattu gəmālattū gemaleCha ḡəmāləḵā gemalTani gəmaltanî gemalTicha gəmaltîḵā gemaLucha ḡəmālūḵā geMol gəmōl gəmūlê gemuLei gō·mə·lîm gō·mêl goMel gōmêl gomeLim gōməlîm hig·gā·mêl higgaMel higgāmêl kag·gā·mul kaggaMul kaggāmul kə·ḡā·mul Kegamul kəḡāmul šeg·gā·malt šeggāmalt sheggaMalt tiḡ·mə·lū- ṯiḡ·mōl tigmelu tiḡməlū- tigMol ṯiḡmōl vaiyiggaMal vaiyigMol vattigmeLehu vattigMol wat·tiḡ·mə·lê·hū wat·tiḡ·mōl wattiḡməlêhū wattiḡmōl way·yig·gā·mal way·yiḡ·mōl wayyiggāmal wayyiḡmōl yig·gā·mêl yiḡ·mə·lê·nî yiggaMel yiggāmêl yigmeLeni yiḡməlênî
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