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גִּלָּיוֹן gillāyōn – mirror, stone tablet (?)

Semantic Fields: Utensils   
Author(s): Archibald van Wieringen *
First published: 2025-01-19
Citation: Archibald van Wieringen, גִּלָּיוֹן gillāyōn – mirror, stone tablet (?),
               Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database (sahd-online.com), 2025

Introduction

Grammatical type: n.m.
Occurrences: 2x HB (0/2/0); 0x Sir; 0x Qum; 0x Inscr. (Total: 2).

  • Nebiim: Isa 3:23; 8:1.

1. Root and Comparative Material

2. Formal Characteristics

3. Syntagmatics

4. Ancient Versions

a. Septuagint (LXX) and other Greek versions:

b. Peshitta (Pesh):

c. Targumim (Tg):

d. Vulgate (Vg) :

A.1

A.2

5. Lexical/Semantic Fields

6. Exegesis

Amethyst scarab

Amethyst scarab, Egypt, Middle Kingdom29

Amethyst 46 beads

String of 46 amethyst beads, Egypt, Middle Kingdom–Early New Kingdom30

7. Conclusion

A.1 Already in some of the oldest translations (TgJ, Vg), גִּלָּיוֹן in Isa 3:23 is interpreted as ‘mirror’. This interpretation is defensible in view of the noun's derivation from the verb גלה/gly, which means ‘to uncover’ or ‘to reveal’ in several Northwest Semitic languages; see Root and Comparative Material

A.2 The common interpretation of גִּלָּיוֹן in Isa 8:1 as ‘tablet’ or ‘writing board’ rests on a precarious basis. Only one of the ancient versions supports it (TgJ). Furthermore, it is unclear why the usual designation of such an object (לוּחַ) would have been avoided here. For these reasons, this view should be considered a possible but less likely option.

A.3 A better solution is to accept the meaning ‘mirror’ also for גִּלָּיוֹן in Isa 8:1. Following this interpretation of Isa 8:1, the goal of Isaiah's writing on a mirror was apparently to warn passers-by who saw their reflection in it and to make them realise that they were the target of the inscription.

Bibliography

For the abbreviations see the List of Abbreviations.

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Notes

Many thanks are due to Paul Sanders (PThU) for his suggestions.

Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database