Gillulim in the Bible: Idols, Abominations, and False Worship
1. What Are Gillulim?
The Hebrew word gillûlîm (גלולים), translated as “idols,” appears forty-eight times in the Old Testament, thirty-nine of them in Ezekiel. It is a word of contempt, meant to strip idols of any glory or legitimacy. Some scholars suggest its etymology comes from a neutral word for “stela,” deliberately reshaped by the prophets to resemble words for “abominations” (šiqqûṣîm) or even “filth.” Others connect it to gĕlālîm, meaning “dung” (Ezekiel 4:12, 15). Either way, the word carries derision, showing that these so-called gods were nothing more than polluted counterfeits of the true God.
Gillulim never describes neutral religious objects. Every use is polemical, rejecting false deities and their images as worthless and offensive. In this way, the Bible confronts idolatry not only by forbidding it (Exodus 20:3–5) but also by ridiculing it, making it contemptible in the eyes of God’s people.
2. Gillulim in Ezekiel
No prophet uses gillulim more than Ezekiel. His ministry to the exiles was marked by vivid denunciations of idolatry. Ezekiel 6:13 declares, “You shall know that I am the Lord, when their slain are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak.”
Ezekiel consistently connects gillulim with violence, apostasy, and judgment:
They are found “on every high hill” (Ezekiel 6:13).
They provoke God’s jealousy (Ezekiel 8:3).
They pollute the land and the people (Ezekiel 20:7–8).
They will be destroyed and defiled (Ezekiel 30:13).
The constant repetition of gillulim in Ezekiel functions as a drumbeat of accusation. The prophet shows that Judah’s downfall and the destruction of the Temple were not political accidents but the result of worshipping idols.
3. Gillulim in the Historical Books
Outside Ezekiel, gillulim appears in narratives of Israel’s kings and reforms. It is associated with the rise and fall of nations:
King Asa tried to remove idols from Judah (1 Kings 15:12).
Ahab embraced Baal worship and filled the land with idolatry (1 Kings 21:26).
The northern kingdom fell to Assyria because of gillulim (2 Kings 17:12).
Manasseh and Amon promoted idols in Judah, provoking divine anger (2 Kings 21:11, 21).
Josiah attempted to purge idols as part of his reform (2 Kings 23:24).
Idolatry was never a side issue. It was the central reason for exile, judgment, and covenant curses (Leviticus 26:30; Deuteronomy 29:16). When Israel worshiped gillulim, they broke covenant with Yahweh, the living God, and invited destruction.
4. Gillulim and the Prophets
Jeremiah also uses gillulim (Jeremiah 50:2), mocking Babylon’s idols as powerless and doomed to shame. He joins Ezekiel in reminding God’s people that idols were not only foreign objects but also adopted practices within Israel.
The prophetic critique of gillulim emphasizes two points:
Idols are worthless — “They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see” (Psalm 115:5).
Idols are dangerous — they represent demonic powers that enslave and corrupt. Paul reflects this same truth in the New Testament when he writes, “What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God” (1 Corinthians 10:19–20).
Thus gillulim are not mere lifeless statues. They are conduits of demonic deception, drawing people away from covenant loyalty to the Lord.
5. Gillulim in the Septuagint and the New Testament
The Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) consistently translates gillulim with εἴδωλα (eidōla), meaning idols. This word appears ninety-one times in the LXX, and its derogatory sense carries into the New Testament.
Paul uses εἴδωλον polemically in 1 Corinthians 8–10, addressing the problem of idol food in pagan temples. He insists that idols are not divine but are tied to demonic powers. The church must not participate in idolatry, for “you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:21).
John likewise warns believers, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). The continuity from Ezekiel to Paul to John shows that idolatry remains a present danger even in the age of the Gospel.
6. Idolatry, Gillulim, and the Gospel
The Bible’s contempt for gillulim underscores the exclusivity of God’s covenant. Idols demand worship, but they cannot save. The Gospel proclaims the true God revealed in Jesus Christ, who shatters the power of idols.
Where idols bring judgment, the Gospel brings life. Where idols enslave, Christ sets free. Acts 14:15 records Paul and Barnabas crying out, “Turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.” This same call echoes throughout history: flee from gillulim, and cling to the Lord who alone is God.
In eschatological perspective, Revelation 9:20 warns that even after great judgments, people “did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood.” Yet the kingdom of God will not tolerate idols forever. Revelation 21:8 assures that idolaters will share in the second death, excluded from the new creation.
7. Theological Themes of Gillulim
Gillulim in the Bible highlight crucial themes:
The futility of false worship: Idols are powerless (Psalm 135:15–18).
The danger of demonic deception: Idolatry opens the door to spiritual slavery (1 Corinthians 10:19–21).
The seriousness of covenant loyalty: Israel’s exile was the direct result of chasing gillulim (Ezekiel 20:7–9).
The necessity of Christ: Only the true image of God (Colossians 1:15) reveals the Father and delivers His people from idols.
The certainty of judgment: All idolaters will face God’s wrath (Revelation 21:8).
8. Conclusion
Gillulim represent more than ancient statues; they symbolize humanity’s rebellion against the true God. They are abominations, polluted counterfeits of divine glory, and they lead only to ruin. From Ezekiel’s harsh polemics to Paul’s warnings, the Bible consistently portrays gillulim as enemies of God and snares for His people.
The Gospel offers the antidote. Where idols enslave, Christ redeems. Where gillulim defile, the Spirit sanctifies. And where idols collapse in judgment, the kingdom of God endures forever. Believers are called to reject all idols and worship the one true God, knowing that salvation belongs to Him alone.
Bible Verses on Gillulim (Idols)
Ezekiel 6:13 — “You shall know that I am the Lord when their slain lie among their idols around their altars...”
Ezekiel 20:7 — “Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt.”
Ezekiel 30:13 — “I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis.”
1 Kings 15:12 — “He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.”
2 Kings 17:12 — “They served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, ‘You shall not do this.’”
2 Kings 21:11 — “Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations, having done things more evil than all that the Amorites did, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols.”
Jeremiah 50:2 — “Announce among the nations... proclaim and say: ‘Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed. Her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed.’”
1 Corinthians 10:19–20 — “What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God.”
1 John 5:21 — “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
Revelation 21:8 — “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
