עֹל (ol)
ol
yoke
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 32 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun ol refers to a yoke, specifically the curved wooden beam fastened across the necks of draft animals to connect them to a load or plow. In its literal sense, it describes this heavy instrument of labor and burden, as seen in regulations for sacrificial animals in Numbers 19:2 and Deuteronomy 21:3.
Scripture frequently employs ol figuratively to represent subjugation, oppression, or servitude. This metaphor is central to the narrative of King Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12, where he threatens to replace his father’s heavy yoke with an even heavier one, and in Jeremiah, where prophets warn of the political yoke imposed by foreign empires (Jeremiah 27:8). It also conveys personal calamity or divine discipline, such as the yoke of affliction described in Lamentations 3:27.
The word’s power lies in its physical weight and immovability. Translators consistently render it as "yoke" to preserve this imagery of forced submission. Whether describing national exile or individual suffering, ol captures a state of being bound and directed by an external force, highlighting the tension between human freedom and imposed authority.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word ol describes a heavy wooden beam fastened across the necks of draft animals to connect them to a load. In ancient Israel, this was not merely a tool for farming but a powerful symbol of authority and submission. When Scripture speaks of a yoke, it often refers to the weight of obligation, whether imposed by a harsh ruler or by the demands of sin. The image is vivid: a person bound, directed, and burdened by an external force that dictates their path.
Yet the biblical narrative does not leave us in this state of forced servitude. God reveals Himself as the One who breaks the bars of the yoke, freeing His people from slavery in Egypt (Leviticus 26:13). This freedom is central to our faith. While we may face burdens in life, the promise remains that divine deliverance is real and active. We are called to trust in a God who lifts heavy loads, offering rest rather than oppression.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 32 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- yoke/ your8×
- a yoke6×
- yoke/ our4×
- [the] yoke of4×
- in/ [the] yoke of3×
- yoke/ his2×
- the/ yoke2×
- and/ some of/ yoke/ his2×
- a yoke of2×
- yoke/ its1×
- by/ a yoke1×
- and/ yoke/ its1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עֹ֖ל5×
- עֻלְּ/כֶ֔ם3×
- עֻלְּ/כֶ֑ם3×
- עֹ֣ל3×
- עֻלֵּ֔/נוּ2×
- עֻלֵּ֑/נוּ2×
- וּ/מֵ/עֻלּ֧/וֹ2×
- הָ/עֹ֔ל2×
- עֻלֵּ֗/ךְ1×
- עֻלֵּ֖/ךְ1×
- עֻלּ֖/וֹ1×
- עֻלּ֔/וֹ1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 26:13
I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you walk upright.
This verse establishes the foundational theme of divine liberation, where God actively breaks the yoke to allow His people to walk upright.
-
I Kings 12:11
Now my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”
Rehoboam uses the yoke as a metaphor for oppressive governance, illustrating how political power can become a crushing burden on the people.
-
Jeremiah 27:12
I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
Here the yoke represents submission to Babylonian rule, showing how prophets used the term to describe geopolitical reality and divine judgment.
-
Isaiah 10:27
It will happen in that day that his burden will depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
This passage offers hope by predicting the destruction of the oppressor's yoke, linking physical freedom to spiritual anointing.