אֲמֵלָל
𐤀𐤌𐤋𐤋
ʼămêlâl
H537 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person who is weak, feeble, languishing, or suffering physical or emotional frailty; especially used to describe one who is drained of strength or vigor. The word implies enervation and diminished capacity, whether through illness, mourning, or adverse circumstances. In poetic contexts, it denotes individuals worn down by suffering or disaster, and is sometimes contrasted with the robust or vital.
Semantic Range
feeble, languid, drained of strength, emotionally depleted, physically weak, worn out by suffering, afflicted by disaster
Root / Etymology
From the root אָמַל (אמל), meaning 'to languish, to grow weak, to wither.' The noun אֲמֵלָל is a derivative form indicating one who is afflicted in this way—i.e., a languisher or feeble one. The root conveys a loss of energy or vitality, emphasizing decline rather than mere lack of strength.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אֲמֵלָל appears rarely, primarily within poetic and prophetic texts (e.g., Isaiah 19:8; Job 16:7; Joel 1:10), often in contexts describing devastation, ruin, or loss. It typically refers to the state of persons brought low by calamity—be they mourners, sufferers of disaster, or those weakened by illness or grief. The term is more nuanced than general terms for 'weakness' in Hebrew (such as חָלָשׁ chalash or דַּל dal), as it emphasizes debilitation and the result of ongoing or overwhelming negative forces. In later translations, 'languishing' or 'feeble' is common, but does not always capture the depth of existential depletion implied in the biblical context. The word never refers to moral or spiritual weakness, but to a somatic or existential state. In post-biblical Hebrew, the root persists in terms denoting similar physical or emotional decline.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אָמַל; languid; feeble.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אמל (ʾ-m-l) — to languish, to wither, to waste away
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H537-01 |
הָ/אֲמֵלָלִ֖ים | haamelalim | HTd/Aampa |
feeble | the languishing ones | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H537-01 |
Nehemiah 3:34 | הָ/אֲמֵלָלִ֖ים | haamelalim | HTd/Aampa |
feeble | the languishing ones |