עָמֵל (a.mel)
a.mel
labour(er); laborious
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew word amel describes a person defined by toil or suffering. It functions as both an adjective meaning "toiling" and a noun for a laborer or one who endures hardship. The sources note its primary sense is that of someone engaged in exhausting work, often with negative connotations of weariness or wretchedness.
This term appears nine times in the Old Testament, concentrated heavily in Ecclesiastes, Job, and Proverbs. In these contexts, it characterizes the futility of human effort under the sun. For instance, Ecclesiastes frequently contrasts the amel with those who rest, highlighting how labor often yields no lasting satisfaction or security.
The word’s root implies a state of being worn down by exertion. Unlike terms for skilled craftsmanship, amel emphasizes the burden and strain of the work itself. It captures the physical and emotional weight of striving in a world where outcomes are uncertain, serving as a poignant reminder of human limitation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word amel describes a person defined by toil or suffering. It functions as both an adjective meaning 'toiling' and a noun for a laborer or one who endures hardship. The sources note its primary sense is that of someone engaged in exhausting work, often with negative connotations of weariness or wretchedness.
This term appears nine times in the Old Testament, concentrated heavily in Ecclesiastes, Job, and Proverbs. In these contexts, it characterizes the futility of human effort under the sun. For instance, Ecclesiastes frequently contrasts the amel with those who rest, highlighting how labor often yields no lasting satisfaction or security.
The word’s root implies a state of being worn down by exertion. Unlike terms for skilled craftsmanship, amel emphasizes the burden and strain of the work itself. It captures the physical and emotional weight of striving in a world where outcomes are uncertain, serving as a poignant reminder of human limitation.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a laborer2×
- [was] a laborer2×
- workmen1×
- to/ a sufferer1×
- a sufferer1×
- [is] a laborer1×
- [are] a laborer1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עָמֵ֖ל3×
- עָמֵֽל\׃1×
- עָמֵ֣ל1×
- עָמֵ֗ל1×
- עָ֭מֵל1×
- עֲמֵלִ֑ים1×
- לְ/עָמֵ֣ל1×
Key Verses
-
Ecclesiastes 2:18
I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
This verse shows the deep regret that comes when one realizes their hard work will outlast them but bring no personal eternal reward.
-
Ecclesiastes 4:8
There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.
Here the word highlights the emptiness of endless striving for wealth when there is no one to share the joy or comfort with.
-
Job 3:20
“Why is light given to him who is in misery, life to the bitter in soul,
The term connects physical labor to spiritual misery, asking why God gives life to those whose souls are already bitter and worn down.