abstractly from יֶלֶד; boyhood (or girlhood); childhood, youth.
Transliteration:yaldûwth
Pronunciation:yal-dooth'
Detailed Word Study
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew noun yaldûwth (`{{H3208}}`) is an abstract derivative of the root yeled (`{{H3206}}`), which means "child," "boy," or "youth." As an abstract noun, yaldûwth does not refer to a specific person but rather to the *state* or *period* of being a child or young person. Its core meaning encompasses "childhood," "boyhood," "girlhood," and "youth." It denotes the formative years of life, a period characterized by growth, development, and often a degree of immaturity or lack of full responsibility compared to adulthood. While it can refer broadly to the entire period from birth to young adulthood, its usage in the biblical text often highlights a specific phase of emerging self-awareness and decision-making, prior to the full burdens of mature life.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The term yaldûwth appears five times in the Hebrew Bible, offering distinct insights into its nuances:
* **Psalm 110:3**: "Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the dawn, your youth (or 'youthful vigor') will be to you the dew." This verse, part of a messianic psalm, speaks of the Messiah's army. The phrase "from the womb of the dawn, your youth will be to you the dew" is challenging. Some interpret yaldûwth here as referring to the youthful freshness, vigor, and abundance of the Messiah's followers, likened to the refreshing dew. It emphasizes a dynamic, fresh, and powerful beginning, perhaps even an early, vigorous start to the Messiah's reign.
* **Ecclesiastes 11:9**: "Rejoice, O young man, in your youth (yaldûwth), and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth (yaldûwth)." Here, yaldûwth is explicitly linked to a period of enjoyment and freedom. The Preacher encourages the young to embrace the pleasures of this stage of life, yet immediately follows with a solemn warning that God will bring every deed into judgment. The repetition emphasizes the specific period of life being addressed, highlighting both its opportunities for joy and its inherent accountability.
* **Ecclesiastes 12:1**: "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth (yaldûwth), before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, 'I have no pleasure in them.'" This verse serves as a direct admonition to make spiritual choices during one's formative years. The period of yaldûwth is presented as a crucial window of opportunity to establish a relationship with God before the physical and mental declines of old age make such remembrance more challenging. It underscores the importance of early spiritual commitment.
* **Jeremiah 3:25**: "We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covers us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth (yaldûwth) even to this day." In this corporate confession of sin, yaldûwth marks the beginning of a long history of rebellion against God. It indicates that the nation's sinful patterns were not recent but deeply ingrained, having originated in their early, formative stages as a people and persisted through generations.
* **Jeremiah 32:30**: "For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth (yaldûwth); for the children of Israel have provoked me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the LORD." Similar to Jeremiah 3:25, this verse uses yaldûwth to describe the enduring nature of Israel's apostasy. God's indictment highlights that their rebellion was not a momentary lapse but a consistent, deep-seated characteristic stemming from their earliest days as a nation, indicating a pervasive and generational pattern of disobedience.
Across these occurrences, yaldûwth consistently refers to a period of life, but its connotations vary from youthful vigor and opportunity for joy to a critical time for spiritual decision-making and, lamentably, the establishment of deeply rooted patterns of sin.
### Related Words & Concepts
The word yaldûwth is intimately connected to other Hebrew terms describing age and development:
* **yeled (`{{H3206}}`)**: The foundational noun from which yaldûwth is derived. yeled refers to a "child" or "boy," the individual person, whereas yaldûwth is the abstract state or period of being such.
* **na'ar (`{{H5288}}`)**: Often translated as "young man," "lad," or "servant." While na'ar can refer to a similar age range as yeled, it often implies a greater degree of responsibility or readiness for work. yaldûwth is the period, na'ar is the person.
* **bachur (`{{H970}}`)**: "Young man," often specifically denoting one chosen, a select youth, or one of military age. It emphasizes vigor and strength.
* **'elem (`{{H5958}}`)** and **'almah (`{{H5959}}`)**: Referring to a "young man" and "young woman" respectively, often implying a stage of maturity prior to marriage, or simply youth.
Concepts associated with yaldûwth include:
* **Formation and Development**: The period where character, habits, and beliefs are significantly shaped.
* **Potential and Opportunity**: A time of energy, learning, and choice, as highlighted in Ecclesiastes.
* **Vulnerability**: A period where one might be more susceptible to negative influences or lack mature judgment.
* **Innocence (or its loss)**: Though not explicitly stated, yaldûwth often precedes the full awareness of sin and responsibility.
* **Rebellion**: As seen in Jeremiah, it can be the starting point for persistent disobedience.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of yaldûwth is multifaceted, touching upon human development, divine expectation, and the nature of sin.
1. **A Critical Period for Spiritual Formation**: Ecclesiastes powerfully underscores that yaldûwth is not merely a time for unbridled pleasure but a crucial window for remembering and honoring one's Creator ([[Ecclesiastes 12:1]]). This period of youthful vitality and mental acuity is presented as the optimal time to establish a foundational relationship with God, before the inevitable declines of old age. It implies a divine expectation for early spiritual engagement and accountability.
2. **The Origin and Entrenchment of Sin**: The prophetic laments in Jeremiah reveal a darker aspect of yaldûwth. The repeated phrase "from their youth" (`{{H3208}}`) indicates that Israel's persistent rebellion against God was not an isolated incident but a deeply ingrained pattern, established from the earliest stages of their national existence ([[Jeremiah 3:25]], [[Jeremiah 32:30]]). This highlights the tragic reality that sin can take root early in life, even generationally, and become a pervasive characteristic. It underscores the need for profound repentance and divine intervention to break such long-standing cycles.
3. **Divine Observation and Accountability**: God's perspective encompasses the entire span of human life, including yaldûwth. The call to remember Him in youth, alongside the divine indictment of sin from youth, demonstrates that this period is fully within the scope of divine observation and judgment. Youth is not a time exempt from moral responsibility.
4. **Messianic Vigor and New Beginnings**: The enigmatic usage in Psalm 110:3, though debated, suggests a divine understanding of yaldûwth as a period of fresh, powerful, and abundant vitality. In a messianic context, it might hint at the vigor and newness of the Messiah's reign and the willing devotion of His people, contrasting with the weariness of human efforts.
### Summary
The Hebrew word yaldûwth (`{{H3208}}`) denotes the abstract period of "childhood" or "youth." Its biblical occurrences highlight it as a highly significant stage of life. On one hand, it is portrayed as a time of vigor, potential, and opportunity for joy, coupled with the profound responsibility to remember and serve the Creator before the onset of old age. On the other hand, particularly in the prophetic books, yaldûwth is tragically identified as the period from which deep-seated patterns of sin and rebellion can originate and become entrenched, even across generations. Thus, yaldûwth is presented as a critical, formative period, foundational to an individual's or a nation's spiritual trajectory, and fully within the scope of divine observation and accountability.
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