עֲלִילִיָּה (a.li.liy.yah)
a.li.liy.yah
deed
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun ‘ălîlîyyâh appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, found in Jeremiah 32:19. In this context, it translates simply as "deed." The word serves as a direct object for God’s actions, specifically describing His works of judgment and salvation. It is not used for human deeds but exclusively for the mighty acts performed by Yahweh.
Its rarity highlights its weight. By using this specific term, the text emphasizes that God’s interventions are concrete historical realities rather than abstract concepts. The single occurrence in Jeremiah underscores the seriousness of divine action during a time of national crisis, reminding the reader that God’s power is demonstrated through tangible events in history.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word ‘ălîlîyyâh appears only once in the entire Old Testament, found in Jeremiah 32:19. It translates simply as "deed" or "work," but carries a specific weight because it describes God’s actions, not human efforts. In this verse, the prophet reminds us that Yahweh is mighty in His deeds, intervening directly in history to bring about judgment and salvation.
This rarity highlights the seriousness of divine action during times of national crisis. The text emphasizes that God’s interventions are concrete historical realities rather than abstract concepts. When we face uncertainty, remembering that God acts with purpose in the real world can provide a steady anchor for our faith.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ deed[s]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הָ/עֲלִֽילִיָּ֑ה1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 32:19
great in counsel, and mighty in work; whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of men, to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings;
This is the only occurrence of the word, where it describes God's mighty works as concrete historical interventions rather than abstract ideas.