ga.al describes becoming or making persons, clothing, food, or a city unclean or defiled in Scripture.

The attested use describes defilement or uncleanness in varied settings: persons are associated with blood, clothing is affected by trampling, food and a table are treated as defiled, and exclusion from priesthood or a defiled city is described in the same terms.

1. Becoming or making persons and things unclean · dominant

   In Daniel 1:8, the Hithpael imperfect forms occur in Daniel's resolve not to defile himself through the king's food and wine; the APB renders the clause “he would not defile himself.” In Isaiah 59:3 and Lamentations 4:14, Niphal perfect forms describe hands or people defiled with blood, while Isaiah 63:3 uses a Hiphil perfect form as the speaker says that blood from trampling has affected his clothing. Pual participles in Malachi 1:7 and Malachi 1:12 occur with food and the Lord's table, which the APB presents as defiled or profaned.

   Daniel 1:8Isaiah 59:3Lamentations 4:14Isaiah 63:3Malachi 1:7Malachi 1:12

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the clauses with “defile” or “defiled,” but also uses “profane” for the Lord's table in Malachi 1:12 and “excluded” or “defiled from the priesthood” in Ezra 2:62 and Nehemiah 7:64. These renderings show the verse-level presentation rather than fixed English equivalents.