עֹנֶג
luxury
Definition
The Hebrew noun עֹנֶג (ʻôneg) primarily denotes 'luxury,' 'delight,' or 'exquisite enjoyment.' It describes a state of pleasurable abundance and comfort. In Isaiah 13:22, it refers to the 'luxury' or 'pomp' of a royal palace that will come to an end, emphasizing material opulence. In Isaiah 58:13, the meaning shifts to a spiritual and relational 'delight,' specifically the delight one is to find in honoring the Sabbath, connecting pleasure to obedience to God.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the Old Testament, both times in the book of Isaiah. Its usage shows a contrast between worldly and godly pleasure. In Isaiah 13:22, it describes the temporal, arrogant luxury of Babylon that will be destroyed. In Isaiah 58:13, it prescribes the proper, holy delight that God's people should experience in keeping the Sabbath day, reframing delight as a spiritual discipline.
Etymology
Derived from the root verb עָנַג (ʻānag, H6026), meaning 'to be soft,' 'to be delicate,' or 'to take delight in.' This root conveys the idea of tender, luxurious pleasure. The noun form עֹנֶג carries this sense of delicate, enjoyable abundance, whether physical or spiritual.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it connects human delight with divine command. In Isaiah 58:13, delight (ʻôneg) is not a spontaneous emotion but a cultivated attitude toward God's holy time. It teaches that true, lasting pleasure is found in alignment with God's will, contrasting sharply with the fleeting, self-indulgent luxury of the world condemned in Isaiah 13:22. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the biblical concept of joy as an act of worship.
In its ancient context, 'luxury' or 'delight' would have been associated with the rare comforts and security of royal or wealthy life, a stark contrast to the common experience of hardship. The prophetic reapplication of the term to Sabbath observance would have been striking, elevating a communal religious practice to the status of the highest and most refined pleasure.
שַׂמְחָה (śimḥâ, H8057) — a more general term for joy, gladness, or celebration, often in festive contexts. תַּעֲנוּג (taʻănûg, H8588) — a very close synonym meaning 'delight' or 'pleasure,' used in Proverbs and sharing the same root.
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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