ga.val marks the setting or defining of a boundary, whether for land or for restricting access to a mountain.

The attested uses chiefly describe a territorial boundary or the defining of one, including an inherited landmark, the Jordan’s eastern limit, and Hamath’s relation to Tyre and Sidon; it also occurs in commands to establish a restricted perimeter around the mountain.

1. Defining territorial limits · dominant

   In Deuteronomy 19:14, the Qal perfect plural form occurs in the clause about a neighbor's boundary being set up in an inheritance. In Joshua 18:20 the Qal imperfect identifies the Jordan as the eastern border, while in Zechariah 9:2 the Qal imperfect places Hamath as bordering with Tyre and Sidon; the APB renders these clauses with “boundary,” “border,” and “borders.”

   Deuteronomy 19:14Joshua 18:20Zechariah 9:2
2. Establishing a restricted perimeter · common

   In Exodus 19:12, the Hiphil sequential perfect is addressed to a singular male and concerns setting bounds all around the people so that the mountain is not approached or touched. In Exodus 19:23, the Hiphil imperative repeats the instruction to set bounds around the mountain; the APB renders the clauses “set bounds.”

   Exodus 19:12Exodus 19:23

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the territorial uses through “boundary,” “border,” and “borders,” and the mountain-access instructions through “set bounds.” These renderings confirm the clauses' boundary setting without fixing a separate English equivalent in every instance.