עָלַז
𐤏𐤋𐤆
ʻâlaz
H5937 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To exult, be exuberantly joyful, display intense gladness, or celebrate triumphantly. In biblical usage, עָלַז expresses outward, energetic joy, often in contexts of celebration, victory, or public festivity. It encompasses emotions and actions of rejoicing, whether in response to military victory, divine deliverance, or other sources of communal and individual elation.
Semantic Range
to exult, to celebrate exuberantly, to leap for joy, to publicly rejoice, to display triumphant gladness, to have rapturous joy
Root / Etymology
Root ע-ל-ז (עלז), likely connected to a sense of leaping up or exuberance. The root conveys core ideas of being overjoyed or exuberantly glad, possibly with a physical demonstration (such as leaping), though the verbal form is figurative in its attestations. The root עָלַז does not have a clear etymological relation to other known Semitic roots, though it occurs in related forms in some later Hebrew and Aramaic.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, עָלַז appears primarily in poetic and prophetic contexts, describing both individual and collective expressions of joy. Its usage is distinct from other common verbs for joy, such as שָׂמַח (samach, 'to rejoice' or 'be glad'), often emphasizing a heightened or exuberant quality of joy, sometimes linked with public celebration or response to divine acts. In post-biblical Hebrew, cognate forms retain the sense of exuberant gladness but may lack the explicit physical nuance seen in the root meaning. Some English translations narrow עלז to simple 'rejoice' or 'be joyful,' but the Hebrew emphasizes exuberance and spirited expression. In later Jewish liturgy, roots of עלז are used to signal communal, festive joy. There are no significant semantic shifts evidenced across different periods of the Hebrew Bible; the term consistently denotes a high degree of emotionally charged joy, often in response to divine intervention or deliverance.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to jump for joy, i.e. exult; be joyful, rejoice, triumph.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עלז (ʿ-l-z) — exultation, exuberant joy, triumphant gladness
Word Forms
14 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5937-01 |
אֶעְל֑וֹזָה | eelozah | HVqh1cs |
I-will-exult | Let me exult | 3 |
H5937-13 |
יַעֲלֹ֔זוּ | yaalozu | HVqi3mp |
exult | they exult | 2 |
H5937-07 |
וָֽ/אֶעְלֹ֑ז | vaeeloz | HC/Vqw1cs |
nor rejoiced | and I exulted | 1 |
H5937-12 |
יַעֲלֹ֣ז | yaaloz | HVqi3ms |
let be joyful | he will exult | 1 |
H5937-11 |
וְ/תַעְלֹ֥זְנָה | vetaelozenah | HC/Vqi3fp |
and they will rejoice | and they will exult | 1 |
H5937-14 |
יַעְלְז֣וּ | yaelezu | HVqi3mp |
let the godly exult | they will exult | 1 |
H5937-08 |
וַ/יַּעֲלֹ֥ז | vayaaloz | HC/Vqw3ms |
and it rejoiced | and he exulted | 1 |
H5937-03 |
תַֽעֲלְז֔וּ | taalezu | HVqi2mp |
you exult | you all exult | 1 |
H5937-09 |
וְ/עָלְזִי֙ | vealezi | HC/Vqv2fs |
and rejoice | and exult! | 1 |
H5937-02 |
לַ/עְל֑וֹז | laeloz | HR/Vqc |
to rejoice | to exult | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
17 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5937-04 |
2 Samuel 1:20 | תַּעֲלֹ֖זְנָה | taalozenah | HVqi3fp |
triumph | they will exult |
H5937-02 |
Isaiah 23:12 | לַ/עְל֑וֹז | laeloz | HR/Vqc |
to rejoice | to exult |
H5937-05 |
Jeremiah 11:15 | תַּעֲלֹֽזִי | taalozi | HVqi2fs |
you rejoice | you will exult |
H5937-07 |
Jeremiah 15:17 | וָֽ/אֶעְלֹ֑ז | vaeeloz | HC/Vqw1cs |
nor rejoiced | and I exulted |
H5937-06 |
Jeremiah 50:11 | תעלזי | tlzy | HVqi2fs |
you exult | you will exult |
H5937-03 |
Jeremiah 50:11 | תַֽעֲלְז֔וּ | taalezu | HVqi2mp |
you exult | you all exult |
H5937-13 |
Jeremiah 51:39 | יַעֲלֹ֔זוּ | yaalozu | HVqi3mp |
they may revel | they exult |
H5937-01 |
Habakkuk 3:18 | אֶעְל֑וֹזָה | eelozah | HVqh1cs |
will rejoice | Let me exult |
H5937-09 |
Zephaniah 3:14 | וְ/עָלְזִי֙ | vealezi | HC/Vqv2fs |
and rejoice | and exult! |
H5937-08 |
Psalms 28:7 | וַ/יַּעֲלֹ֥ז | vayaaloz | HC/Vqw3ms |
and it rejoiced | and he exulted |