Word Study for H5949 (עֲלִילָה)

ʻălîylâh /al-ee-law'/ Ask about this word

Rootor עֲלִלָה · from עָלַל in the sense of effecting

Meaningan exploit (of God), or a performance (of man, often in a bad sense); by implication, an opportunity

KJV usageact(-ion), deed, doing, invention, occasion, work.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʻălîylâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʻălîylâh, represented by H5949, refers to an exploit, a performance, or a deed. It appears 24 times in 24 unique verses in the Bible. The term carries a dual meaning, often describing the mighty acts of God, but also referring to the doings of humanity, which are frequently presented in a negative sense as corrupt inventions or pretexts.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, H5949 is used to contrast the nature of God's actions with those of mankind. The term is repeatedly used to call people to declare God's mighty deeds or doings (Psalms 105:1; 1 Chronicles 16:8; Isaiah 12:4). His acts are presented as something to be made known to all people, as seen when God revealed His ways to Moses and His acts to Israel Psalms 103:7. Conversely, when applied to humans, the word often describes corrupt and wicked works Psalms 141:4. These human doings are the basis for divine judgment and are described as defiling Ezekiel 36:17 and corrupt Zephaniah 3:7. In a specific legal context, it can also mean an occasion for an accusation, such as giving "occasions of speech" against a new wife Deuteronomy 22:14.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the context and meaning of H5949:

H1870 derek (way): This word is frequently paired with ʻălîylâh to describe a person's complete course of life and conduct, upon which God's judgment is based (Ezekiel 24:14; Ezekiel 36:19).
H7843 shâchath (to corrupt): This verb is used to describe the nature of human doings, emphasizing their depravity. People are said to have corrupted all their doings Zephaniah 3:7, and their doings themselves are called corrupt Ezekiel 20:44.
H5953 ʻâlal (to practise, do): As the root verb from which ʻălîylâh is derived, it appears in contexts of practicing wicked works, showing the active nature of these deeds Psalms 141:4.
H1697 dâbâr (speech, matter): This term is used alongside ʻălîylâh to signify a pretext or an "occasion of speech" used to bring a false accusation (Deuteronomy 22:14; Deuteronomy 22:17).

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5949 is demonstrated through its consistent usage in several key themes:

The Standard for Divine Judgment: A person's doings are presented as the evidence weighed by God. The LORD is a God of knowledge by whom actions are weighed 1 Samuel 2:3, and He judges people according to their ways and doings (Ezekiel 24:14; Ezekiel 36:19).
The Contrast Between Divine and Human Action: The word highlights a stark difference. God's doings are mighty exploits to be declared and praised (Psalms 9:11; Psalms 77:12). In contrast, humanity's doings are often described as abominable Psalms 14:1, corrupt Ezekiel 20:44, and the source of their defilement Ezekiel 36:17.
The Call to Proclamation: Believers are commanded to make God's deeds and doings known among the people (Psalms 105:1; 1 Chronicles 16:8). This implies that a core function of the faithful is to testify to God's powerful work in the world.

Summary

In summary, H5949 is a powerful word that encapsulates the concept of action and its moral implications. It serves as a vehicle to contrast the glorious and terrible acts of God with the frequently sinful and corrupt doings of mankind. This term underscores that all doings are subject to divine judgment and that the mighty deeds of the LORD are to be remembered, celebrated, and proclaimed among the nations. It is a constant reminder of the accountability for one's actions before a holy God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 24 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

עֲלִילוֹתָ
עֲלִלוֹת
עֲלִילָה

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 24 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (9 verses); never once in the other 32.

Deuteronomy

1 Samuel

1 Chronicles

Psalms

Isaiah

Ezekiel

Zephaniah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.