Gilgal
“A circle or rolling”
Summary
The first encampment of Israel west of the Jordan, where twelve memorial stones were set up and the nation was circumcised before beginning the conquest of Canaan.
☩The Memorial Stones
When Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground, Joshua commanded twelve men—one from each tribe—to take stones from the riverbed and carry them to their first campsite. These stones were set up at Gilgal as a perpetual memorial for future generations, that children might ask their meaning and learn how God had dried up the Jordan before the ark of the covenant.
☩Circumcision and Passover
At Gilgal the men of Israel who had been born in the wilderness were circumcised, for none had been circumcised during the forty years of wandering. The Lord declared, 'This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you'—hence the name Gilgal, meaning 'rolling.' The nation then kept the Passover, and the manna ceased on the day after they ate the produce of the land.
☩Military Headquarters
Gilgal served as Joshua's base of operations during the conquest of Canaan. From here he marched to the relief of Gibeon and conducted his campaigns against the southern and northern kings. The land was divided among the tribes while Israel was encamped at Gilgal. Later, Samuel judged Israel in a circuit that included Gilgal, and here Saul was confirmed as king and later rejected for disobedience.
☩Prophetic Condemnation
In later times Gilgal became associated with idolatrous worship. The prophets Hosea and Amos denounced the corrupted worship at Gilgal, declaring that Israel's sacrifices there were hateful to God. Yet Gilgal retained its sacred associations, as Elijah and Elisha passed through it before Elijah's ascent to heaven.
Related Verses42 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Gilgal," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. III (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Gilgal," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Gilgal," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Gilgal," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).