GALL (OF LIVER) (מְרֹרָה, H5355, מְרֵרָה, H5354; χολή, G5958). The gall mentioned in Job 16:13 obviously refers to the bile from the gall bladder. The gall of bitterness in Acts 8:23 may be the bitter herb, or the liquid from the bladder—for the Gr. word cholē means “anything bitter” or bile.

The bitter internal secretion produced inside the gall bladder can cause extreme bitterness and disgust, when by mistake left inside a cooked hare or rabbit. The Biblical usage of the word indicates despair, just as the ghastly taste of the gall bile has a “despairing” effect on men.