What is the importance of Gilgal in the Bible?

Answer

There are at least two locations named Gilgal in the Bible. One Gilgal was situated just west of the Jordan River near Jericho. “And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.”, (Joshua 5:9,13) “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?”, (Joshua 5:9,13), and another was closer to Bethel (2 Kings 2:1-2). Some scholars suggest a third Gilgal near Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 11:29-30). The name Gilgal means “rolling.”

Gilgal is not mentioned in the New Testament, but the Old Testament portrays it as follows:

Gilgal served as a memorial site. It holds significance in the Bible as a place of remembrance for the Israelites, reminding them of God’s deeds. Upon crossing the Jordan River miraculously into the Promised Land, the Israelites erected twelve stones from the river, symbolizing the twelve tribes, to serve as a reminder to the children of Israel (Joshua 4:19-20). These stones at Gilgal would prompt the Israelites and their descendants to recall God’s power and how He had dried up the Jordan River for them to pass through, akin to what He did at the Red Sea (Joshua 4:21-24).

(Joshua 4:21-24). The stones at Gilgal had a teaching purpose for the younger generation, so they could also 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” «And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. », (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 remained a place of worship to offer sacrifices to the Lord, and it was where Saul was publicly crowned the first king of Israel (1 Samuel 10:8;1 Samuel 11:15). Unfortunately, as the Israelites fell into idolatry, Gilgal became associated 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 about 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; 1 Samuel 13:8). Instead of obeying, Saul took matters into his own hands and sacrificed 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 “But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.”, (1 Samuel 13:14).

A place of prophets. Gilgal was one of three cities where Samuel regularly held court as the judge of Israel “And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.”, (1 Samuel 7:16). It appears that Elijah and Elisha spent some time at a place called Gilgal before Elijah’s ascension to heaven (2 Kings 2:1-2). This is likely not the same Gilgal where Joshua had camped; instead, it is a place closer to Bethel in central Canaan. After Elijah’s departure, Elisha returned to Gilgal where many other prophets resided “And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets…”

Were sitting before him, and he said unto his servant, “Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.” (2 Kings 4:38). There, he found that Gilgal was in the midst of a famine and ensured that the prophets were fed. He also miraculously fed around a hundred other residents (2 Kings 4:38-44).

Gilgal was a significant place as it reminded the Israelites of their heritage, served as a place of worship, and was visited by kings and prophets.