עַצְלָה
(as abstractly) indolence
Definition
The Hebrew noun עַצְלָה (ʻatslâh) refers to the abstract quality or state of slothfulness, laziness, or indolence. It describes a willful avoidance of work and responsibility, leading to neglect and decay. In Proverbs 19:15, it is depicted as the cause of deep sleep and resulting hunger, personifying it as an active force that overcomes a person. In Ecclesiastes 10:18, the word is used to describe the specific neglect of maintaining a house, which leads to its physical collapse, illustrating how moral failure has tangible consequences.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the Old Testament, both times in wisdom literature (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes). In both instances, it describes a culpable laziness that leads directly to negative outcomes. In Proverbs 19:15, it causes personal poverty ('an idle person will suffer hunger'), while in Ecclesiastes 10:18, it results in the ruin of a household ('through laziness the rafters sag'). The usage consistently frames slothfulness not as a passive trait but as an active cause of ruin.
Etymology
The word עַצְלָה (ʻatslâh) is the feminine abstract noun derived from the adjective עָצֵל (ʻāṣēl, H6102), meaning 'sluggish' or 'lazy.' The root conveys the sense of being slow, sluggish, or hanging back from duty. This formation turns the characteristic of a lazy person into the abstract concept of laziness itself.
Semantic Range
In biblical wisdom literature, עַצְלָה is a serious moral and spiritual failing, not mere personality. It is antithetical to the divine call to stewardship and diligent work (Proverbs 6:6-11). Theologically, it represents a failure to use God-given time and resources responsibly, leading to personal and communal decay. Understanding this Hebrew concept enriches reading by highlighting how the Bible connects internal attitude (laziness) with external, tangible consequences (ruin), framing sloth as a destructive force against God's order.
In an ancient agrarian society where daily survival depended on consistent, physical labor (farming, building, maintenance), willful laziness was seen as a direct threat to the family and community's wellbeing. The image in Ecclesiastes 10:18 of a leaky roof and sagging beams would have been a immediately recognizable symbol of a household in decline due to the head's negligence, making the abstract vice concretely understandable.
רְמִיָּה (remiyyâh, H7423) — deceitful idleness or slackness, often with a connotation of treachery or negligence in one's duties. עָצֵל (ʻāṣēl, H6102) — the adjective describing a lazy or sluggish person.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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