רְמִיָּה (re.miy.yah)
re.miy.yah
deceit; slackness
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 14 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun remiyah describes a state of deceit or treachery, but it also carries the distinct meaning of laxness or slackness. In the Hebrew Bible, this word bridges the gap between moral dishonesty and physical or spiritual negligence. It suggests that when people are untrustworthy in their words, they often become careless in their actions.
This dual nature appears clearly in wisdom literature. Proverbs 26:18-19 uses it to describe a fool who claims to be joking while actually causing harm, highlighting how deceit can mask malicious intent. In Psalms and Job, the term often points to the emptiness of false promises or the failure to uphold commitments, showing that reliability is tied to integrity.
The connection between these meanings lies in the idea of looseness. Just as a slack rope fails to hold tension, a deceitful person lacks the firmness required for true relationship. Translators often render it as "deceit" or "slackness," depending on whether the context emphasizes moral failure or practical negligence.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word remiyah captures a quiet but serious failure in integrity. It describes both the active choice to deceive others and the passive neglect of one’s duties. When we look at how it is used, we see that dishonesty often leads to carelessness. A person who twists the truth may also become lazy with their responsibilities, leaving things undone or done poorly.
This connection reminds us that trustworthiness requires effort. It is not enough to simply avoid lying; we must also be diligent in keeping our promises. When our words and actions align, we build relationships grounded in reality rather than illusion. This alignment brings peace to those around us and steadiness to our own lives.
God values consistency between what we say and what we do. By striving for honesty and diligence, we reflect a character that is reliable and strong. This kind of integrity does not demand perfection, but it does ask for sincerity. We can find comfort in knowing that God sees our efforts to be truthful and faithful in our daily tasks.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 14 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- deceit5×
- slackness2×
- idleness2×
- [is] deceit2×
- laxness1×
- and/ idleness1×
- <of> deceit1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- רְמִיָּֽה\׃5×
- רְמִיָּ֣ה2×
- רְמִיָּ֑ה2×
- רְמִיָּה\׃1×
- רְמִיָּ֥ה1×
- רְמִיָּ֔ה1×
- רְמִ֫יָּ֥ה1×
- ו֝/רְמִיָּ֗ה1×
Key Verses
-
Job 13:7
Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?
This verse highlights the moral weight of deceit when it is directed toward God, showing that dishonesty is not just a social error but a spiritual failure.
-
Psalms 32:2
Blessed is the man to whom Yahweh doesn’t impute iniquity, in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Here, the absence of remiyah in one's spirit is linked directly to blessing, indicating that inner honesty is foundational to a right relationship with God.
-
Proverbs 10:4
He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.
Although often translated as 'lazy,' this occurrence connects the concept of slackness to tangible poverty, illustrating how neglecting work leads to hardship.
-
Jeremiah 48:10
“Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
This passage uses the term for negligence in serving God, warning that half-hearted commitment to divine duties brings a curse rather than favor.