The spiritual meaning of Gilgal represents different things in different people’s lives. It can be found as a place, a person’s name, or a word used in the Bible, such as “So Joshua exalted of Gilgal” (Joshua 6:26). A Gilgal might represent an important decision in your life that has carried you to this moment. Read up on our lessons from the Gilgal experience and the spiritual meaning of Gilgal in the Bible.
Gilgal or the Sabbath stone, was the place where the children of Israel encamped after leaving Egypt, just prior to crossing the Jordan to enter the promised land. There are no biblical events associated with this site, and yet one is mentioned again and again in scripture. It is interesting that even though there were no incidents recorded surrounding this place, it is mentioned repeatedly in scripture. What is the purpose of this?
Spiritual Meaning of Gilgal
Gilgal is a Hebrew word that means “rolling.” In the Bible, it’s used to describe a place where the Israelites camped before they entered the Promised Land. It was also said to be where Joshua led them across the Jordan River when they entered Canaan after fleeing Egypt.
Gilgal is mentioned 39 times, in particular in the Book of Joshua, as the place where the Israelites camped after crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 4:19 – 5:12). The Hebrew term Gilgal most likely means “circle of stones“.
Gilgal was also used as a synonym for “circle” in some translations of the Bible, but it’s not clear if this description refers to an actual location or is just meant metaphorically.
Gilgal Meaning in Hebrew
The Hebrew word gilgal means “wheel.” This could be a reference to the wheel of fortune, which is used in many religions as a metaphor for life. The wheel of fortune represents an ever-changing universe where things are always in flux and nothing stays constant for long.
Gilgal is also the name of a place in Israel where Joshua encamped his army after crossing over the Jordan River from Eretz Canaan into the land of Israel. There, he established boundaries for the tribes of Israel by letting them each take turns standing on one side of his tent while it was pitched there on one day, then moving it to another location on another day (as recorded in Joshua 4). In this way, he made sure that everyone had access to all parts of their new home, and he also established himself as their leader by showing that he was willing to sacrifice his own comfort for their benefit.
Gilgal means “rolling.” It is a place name that appears in the Bible and is mentioned in the book of Joshua. Gilgal means “rolling,” and it is perhaps best known as the place where Joshua led his people after they crossed the Jordan River.
Gilgal was also known as “the circle of stones” or “the circle of standing stones,” and archaeologists have found evidence of these ancient stone circles at Gilgal.
Gilgal was located near Jericho in the Jordan Valley, which was an important stop on the ancient trade route between Egypt and Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq).
The Bible uses Gilgal to refer to both a place name and a date. The first day of each month was known as “the day of Gilgal.”
Lessons From Gilgal Experience
There are at least two locations named Gilgal in the Bible. There was a Gilgal just west of the Jordan River near Jericho (Joshua 5:9, 13) and one nearer Bethel (2 Kings 2:1–2). Some scholars believe there was a third place named Gilgal near Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 11:29–30). The meaning of the name Gilgal is “rolling.”
Gilgal is not mentioned in the New Testament, but the Old Testament depicts it as follows:
Gilgal was a place of memorial. Gilgal is significant in the Bible as serving as a place of memorial for the Israelites, to remind them of what God had done. After miraculously crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the Israelites set up twelve stones taken from the river, representing the twelve tribes, to serve as a reminder to the children of Israel (Joshua 4:19–20). The stones at Gilgal would remind the Israelites and their descendants of the power of God and how He had dried up the Jordan River so they could walk through it, just as He had done to the Red Sea (Joshua 4:21–24). The stones at Gilgal would serve a teaching purpose to the younger generation, so that they too could remember what the Lord had done for them (Joshua 4:21–22).
Gilgal was a place of consecration and change. It was at Gilgal that the Israelites were circumcised and celebrated their first Passover in the Promised Land (Joshua 5:7–8, 10). The children of those who had wandered in the desert had not yet been circumcised, and it was time for them to take the sign of the covenant and be set apart as God’s people. This time of circumcision is what gave Gilgal its name, for the Lord said He had “rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you” (Joshua 5:9).
The “reproach” was the Israelites’ uncircumcised condition; the “rolling away” of that reproach set them apart, once and for all, from the Egyptian people and way of life. After the Israelites celebrated the Passover and began to eat the produce of their new land, the manna that the Lord had provided the Israelites during their years of wandering stopped. This also happened while they were camped at Gilgal (Joshua 5:11–12).
A place of worship. Years later, Gilgal was still a place of worship to offer sacrifices to the Lord, and it was the place where Saul was publicly crowned the first king of Israel (1 Samuel 10:8; 11:15). Unfortunately, as the Israelites slipped into idolatry, Gilgal became connected with the worship of false gods (Hosea 4:15; Amos 4:4).
A place of judgment. It was at Gilgal that Samuel rebuked Saul and prophesied of his loss of the kingdom (1 Samuel 13:13–14). Saul had been instructed to stay at Gilgal and wait for Samuel before offering sacrifices to the Lord there (1 Samuel 10:8; 13:8). Rather than obey, Saul took the matter into his own hands and sacrificed it to the Lord at Gilgal (1 Samuel 13:9–12). When Samuel arrived, he announced judgment on Saul for his disobedience, stating that Saul’s kingdom and position would not endure (1 Samuel 13:14).
A place of prophets. Gilgal was one of three cities where Samuel regularly held court as the judge of Israel (1 Samuel 7:16). It seems that Elijah and Elisha spent some time at a place called Gilgal before Elijah’s departure to heaven (2 Kings 2:1–2). This is most likely not the same Gilgal as where Joshua had camped; rather, it is a place nearer Bethel in central Canaan. Sometime after Elijah was gone, Elisha returned to Gilgal where many other prophets resided (2 Kings 4:38). There, he found that Gilgal was in the midst of a famine and so made sure the prophets were fed. He also miraculously fed around a hundred other residents (2 Kings 4:38–44).
Gilgal was a significant place in that it reminded the Israelites of their heritage, served as a place of worship, and was visited by kings and prophets.
Bethel And Gilgal
Gilgal is the place where the Israelites turned away from their wandering and began to travel in a straight line. It was a turning point for them, and it’s a lesson for us today.
We all have times when we feel like we’re lost or that we’re going in circles—and even if you don’t think of yourself as lost, there are still times when you feel like you’re not making progress or going anywhere at all.
The lesson of Gilgal is that sometimes you have to take a step back and make sure that what you’re doing is really helping you reach your goal. If it isn’t, then maybe it’s time to try something new!