166. ahal
Lexical Summary
ahal: To shine, to be clear, to be bright

Original Word: אָהַל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ahal
Pronunciation: ah-hal
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-hal')
KJV: shine
NASB: has brightness
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to be clear

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
shine

A primitive root; to be clear -- shine.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to be clear, shine
NASB Translation
has...brightness (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. [אָהַל] verb Hiph`il be clear, shine, Imperfect 3 masculine singular יַאֲהִיל (subject moon יָרֵחַ) Job 25:5 ("" זַכּוּ subject כוכבים, compare also יִזְכֶּה Job 25:4) (= יָהֵל, from הלל; by textual error ?) compare Di so ᵐ5 > = I. אָהַלI, 373, after Ki).

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Usage

The term conveys the idea of giving light or shining. It is employed only once in the Hebrew Scriptures, in Job 25:5, where Bildad the Shuhite declares that even the moon fails to “shine” with sufficient splendor before the God who is sovereign in holiness.

Context in Job 25

Job 25 forms Bildad’s brief final speech. He underscores human smallness by contrasting it with God’s transcendent majesty. The unique verb paints a vivid picture: the very luminaries that govern night are inadequate beacons when measured against the Lord’s radiance. “If even the moon does not shine and the stars are not pure in His sight” (Job 25:5) sets up his conclusion that “man, who is a maggot… who is a worm” (Job 25:6) possesses no inherent righteousness before his Maker.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Holiness and Transcendence: The verse magnifies the qualitative difference between Creator and creation. Celestial bodies, symbols of steadfast order and brilliance (Genesis 1:14–18), become illustrations of relative dimness.
2. Human Insufficiency: Bildad’s point resonates with broader biblical teaching—“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The shattering of human pride in the face of divine light anticipates the gospel call to salvation by grace.
3. Cosmic Witness: Scripture repeatedly uses heavenly bodies to testify to God’s power (Psalm 19:1; Jeremiah 31:35). Job 25:5 turns that testimony inward: even their testimony is limited; only God’s own glory is absolute.

Connections with Other Scriptures

Psalm 19:4–6 portrays the sun as a bridegroom rejoicing to run its course, yet even such grandeur pales when Isaiah sees the LORD’s glory fill the temple (Isaiah 6:1–5).
Isaiah 24:23 foretells a day when “the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed” in the light of God’s revealed kingship, echoing Job’s sentiment.
Revelation 21:23 anticipates the ultimate fulfillment: “The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” The once-in-Job verb therefore points forward to the age when created light is eclipsed by the Creator’s presence.

Practical Ministry Insights

• Preaching: Job 25:5 invites exposition on the doctrine of sin and the holiness of God without descending into hopelessness, for Scripture moves from exposure of darkness to the offer of redemptive light in Jesus Christ.
• Counseling: When believers wrestle with feelings of inadequacy, the passage humbles self-reliance yet drives confidence toward the God who “is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
• Worship: The contrast establishes motivation for sincere, reverent worship that centers on God’s incomparable glory rather than human competence or achievement.

Christological Significance

The Gospel of John introduces Jesus as “the true Light that gives light to every man” (John 1:9). By calling even the moon’s brilliance insufficient, Job 25 sets a prophetic backdrop for the incarnate Light who alone fully manifests the Father (John 1:18). Christ answers the dilemma posed by Bildad: humanity cannot brighten itself, but God sends the Light into the world so that “whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Devotional Implications

Believers are reminded to view personal righteousness as borrowed radiance, like the moon reflecting the sun. The passage nurtures humility, awe, and longing for eternal fellowship with the One whose glory outshines every created light. It calls the church to live as “children of light” (Ephesians 5:8), transparently dependent on the divine brilliance that alone can dispel darkness.

Forms and Transliterations
יַאֲהִ֑יל יאהיל ya’ăhîl ya·’ă·hîl yaaHil
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Job 25:5
HEB: יָ֭רֵחַ וְלֹ֣א יַאֲהִ֑יל וְ֝כוֹכָבִ֗ים לֹא־
NAS: even the moon has no brightness
KJV: Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars
INT: the moon no has and the stars no

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 166
1 Occurrence


ya·’ă·hîl — 1 Occ.

165
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