# What does the word "Gilead" call to mind for you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 4, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317 "2014-04-04T03:33:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/21 "2014-04-04T07:54:34Z")
There is a balm in Gilead that soothes the sin-sick soul… Now the hymn is stuck in my head, thank you very much! Are you saying you found it crass to name a pharmaceutical company after something that brings to mind healing? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/22 "2014-04-04T08:24:34Z")
English: some place in the Bible [as in one of those biblical bits one picks up through culture rather than reading the book]; balm, which I imagined to be some type of ointment; consolation. ‘_Ointment_’, that’s a funny word. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/23 "2014-04-04T08:28:50Z")
Balm ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/24 "2014-04-04T08:35:04Z")
No, she was afraid it might be crass to name the company after the tyrannical theocracy depicted in _The Handmaid’s Tale_. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/25 "2014-04-04T09:04:17Z")
The capital of the barony of New Canaan, seat of the House of Deschain, the last civilized holding in what remained of the Affiliation after the world moved on. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/26 "2014-04-04T09:44:04Z")
The actress from the X Files I’m not really good at these things ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/27 "2014-04-04T11:27:26Z")
Captain Jack Aubrey, “'Here’s a palm in Gilead, by God!” ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/28 "2014-04-04T11:52:15Z")
I thought of Balm of Gilead. I don’t know what would makes it crass. Gilead was a real place and balm was a resin derived from a real plant that grew and still grows in the Middle East. It was used as a spice and perfume and sometimes for its purported medicinal qualities. Now if a company named itself after a miraculous substance like manna or the elixir of life, or panacea, that would be crass. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/29 "2014-04-04T11:53:05Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The Republic of Gilead was my first thought, yes. Mine as well. Which gives me all kinds of other related thoughts, but the first thoughts were of Atwood’s book. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/30 "2014-04-04T12:18:27Z")
The Handmaid’s Tale is my first thought. What kind of pharmaceuticals does this company specialize in anyway…? ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/31 "2014-04-04T12:26:11Z")
1. Balm of/in Gilead, which “makes the wounded whole.” 2. after a bit of thinking, the Marilynne Robinson novel of that name. Seems quite reasonable to name a drug company after a healing substance. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/32 "2014-04-04T12:29:24Z")
Some vague bible something. Nothing good or bad, just from there. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/33 "2014-04-04T13:13:11Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Balm in Gilead. No idea why it would be crass, though. This was my answer, too. ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/34 "2014-04-04T13:16:33Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Captain Jack Aubrey, “'Here’s a palm in Gilead, by God!” Poor old Jack – he does tend to misquote stuff and generally, verbally bugger things up. (Like many PPs, my only association for Gilead, was balm.) ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/35 "2014-04-04T13:21:39Z")
My first thought: “Isn’t Sir Gilead one of the knights of the Round Table?” I’m not a smart man. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/36 "2014-04-04T13:21:43Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The capital of the barony of New Canaan, seat of the House of Deschain, the last civilized holding in what remained of the Affiliation after the world moved on. This. I’ve never heard of any balm, but then again, I don’t really pay attention to the Bible. ---
**Author:** ![Melchior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Melchior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melchior)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/37 "2014-04-04T13:27:24Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > There is a [news story about a pharmaceutical company called "Gilead Sciences"](http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2014/03/31/push-comes-to-shove-gileads-1000-pill-could-hurt-insurer-earnings/)which is in the center of some controversy because of a 1000 dollar a day drug for Hepatitis C. > > When I saw that their name was included “Gilead” I cringed. It just seems like a crass use fo that particular word. My husband, however, had no association with the word, so didn’t think anything of it. > > Do you have an association with the word “Gilead”? If so, does the word seem at odds with the news story for you? Someplace where the balm is. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/38 "2014-04-04T13:34:48Z")
Roland of Gilead is the only place I recall that name from. I do not understand why the use of the word would be crass. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/39 "2014-04-04T13:39:39Z")
Because it’s a drug company, my first thought was “Balm” from the hymn/in the Bible and I thought it was moderately clever, not crass. If it had been a \*fertility \*company named Gilead, I probably would have jumped instead the Republic of Gilead in Handmaid’s Tale, and THAT would have been crass. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317/40 "2014-04-04T13:45:14Z")
Gilead = balm, as in the Bible and the Raven. Not only not crass, but very clever and appropriate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-gilead-call-to-mind-for-you/685317.md?page=3)