יָעֵף (ya.eph)
ya.eph
weary
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew word yaeiph describes a state of physical exhaustion or faintness. It appears in only four verses, primarily in Isaiah, Judges, and Second Samuel, to depict people who are worn out by hardship or labor. The term captures the tangible sensation of fatigue that follows intense activity or prolonged suffering.
In Judges 4:21, the word describes Jael driving a tent peg through Sisera’s temple while he was yaeiph—deeply exhausted and asleep. This usage highlights how vulnerability can follow extreme physical depletion. Similarly, in Isaiah 40:30, it illustrates that even young men will grow weary and faint if they do not rely on divine strength.
The root suggests a loss of vitality or energy. Translators often render it as “weary” or “faint,” emphasizing the body’s limit rather than emotional sadness. This word reminds readers that human endurance has boundaries, and rest is a natural consequence of exertion.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word yaeiph captures the heavy, physical reality of exhaustion. It is not merely a mood but a state where the body’s strength has run out. In Judges 8:15, it describes men who are too tired to eat, showing how hardship drains our basic energy. This word reminds us that fatigue is a natural limit of human life, not a sign of spiritual failure.
Yet this limitation points us toward divine support. Isaiah 40:29 speaks of God giving power to the weary and increasing strength to those with no might. The text in Isaiah 50:4 also shows how God sustains those who are faint. We do not have to carry our burdens alone when we reach our limits.
When you feel worn out by labor or sorrow, remember that rest is part of the human design. God sees your exhaustion and offers renewal. You can find peace in knowing that His strength meets you exactly where your own ends.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to the/ weary [person]1×
- the/ weary [person]1×
- [the] weary1×
- <the>/ weary1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לַ/יָּעֵ֖ף1×
- יָעֵ֖ף1×
- הַ/יָּעֵ֖ף1×
- הַ/יְּעֵפִ֖ים1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 40:29
He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.
This verse directly contrasts human weakness with God’s power to sustain those who are weary.
-
Judges 8:15
He came to the men of Succoth, and said, “See Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’”
Here the word describes men too exhausted to eat, highlighting the tangible cost of prolonged conflict.
-
Isaiah 50:4
The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary. He awakens morning by morning, he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.
The Lord provides words to sustain those who are faint, showing care for physical and emotional depletion.