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הוֹלֵלוּת

𐤄𐤅𐤋𐤋𐤅𐤕

hôwlêlûwth

H1948 noun

SILEX Entry

Root הלל to shine, to boast, to act foolishly

Definition

A state or act of foolishness, lack of sound judgment, or senseless behavior; denotes folly and madness in the sense of irrational or mindless conduct, often with moral overtones of irresponsibility or reckless disregard for wisdom.

Semantic Range

folly, foolishness, mindless behavior, irrationality, senseless or reckless conduct, madness (in the sense of foolish action), moral folly

Root / Etymology

From the root הלל (to shine, to boast, to be foolish) in the piel stem, where the meaning shifts from 'to boast/show off' to 'to act foolishly.' The abstract noun form הוֹלֵלוּת designates the quality or state of acting foolishly or irrationally, derived from the participial stem indicating ongoing or characteristic behavior.

Historical & Contextual Notes

הוֹלֵלוּת appears in late biblical texts (e.g., Ecclesiastes, especially in post-exilic wisdom literature), typically contrasting with wisdom (חָכְמָה). Its usage reflects a movement from mere irrationality or senselessness to morally laden folly — i.e., not only lacking sense but also acting in ways contrary to expected community norms or wisdom. In some post-exilic contexts, it can imply self-destructive or boundary-crossing behavior, as in the contrast with prudent conduct. Related nouns such as כְּסִילוּת ('foolishness') overlap in meaning but may bear more of an intellectual deficiency, while הוֹלֵלוּת often emphasizes reckless, outward behavior. Later translations sometimes render the term as 'madness' or 'insanity,' but the primary emphasis is on folly as a characteristic of those who ignore wisdom's counsel. The term's sense is broader than modern 'madness' (as in mental illness), focusing instead on behavioral folly. The Greek Septuagint usually translates with terms like ἀφροσύνη (aphrosynē, 'folly').

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from active participle of הָלַל; folly; madness.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

הלל (h-l-l) — to shine, to boast, to act foolishly

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1947 הוֹלֵלָה acts of folly
H1966 הֵילֵל shining one
H1974 הִלּוּל festal rejoicings
H1984 הָלַל I will extol
H1985 הִלֵּל Praise-One

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1948-01 הוֹלֵל֖וּת holelut HNcfsa madness reckless foolishness 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1948-01 Ecclesiastes 10:13 הוֹלֵל֖וּת holelut HNcfsa madness reckless foolishness
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