1947. holelah

Lexicon

holelah: Folly, foolishness

Original Word: הוֹלֵלָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: howlelah
Pronunciation: ho-lay-LAH
Phonetic Spelling: (ho-lay-law')
Definition: Folly, foolishness
Meaning: folly

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

madness

Feminine active participle of halal; folly -- madness.

see HEBREW halal

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from halal
Definition
madness
NASB Translation
insanity (1), madness (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[הוֺלֵלָה] noun feminine madness (on text see below), only plural הֹלֵלוֺת, הוֺלֵלוֺת, and only Ecclesiastes: Ecclesiastes 1:17 and I set my heart (וָאֶתְּנָה לִבִּי) to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly (הֹלֵלוֺת וְשִׂכְלוּת), compare הוֺלֵלוֺת Ecclesiastes 2:12 ("" id.); ׳וְלָדַעַת רֶשַׁע כֶּסֶל וְהַסִּכְלוּת ה Ecclesiastes 7:25; i.e. to know folly to be madness; possibly read חוֺלֵלוּת, compare סִכְלוּת & following; the moral evil of it is specifically recognized in Ecclesiastes 9:3 ("" רָע).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root verb הָלַל (halal), which means "to boast" or "to be foolish."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • Strong's Greek Number 877: ἄνοια (anoia) • meaning "folly" or "senselessness."
• Strong's Greek Number 3472: μωρία (moria) • meaning "foolishness" or "absurdity."

These Greek terms capture similar themes of folly and foolishness as seen in the Hebrew הוֹלֵלָה, emphasizing the universal biblical theme of the contrast between wisdom and folly.

Usage: The word הוֹלֵלָה is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe actions or behaviors that are considered foolish or lacking in wisdom. It is often associated with moral and spiritual folly, emphasizing the contrast between wise and foolish living.

Context: • Occurrences in Scripture: The term הוֹלֵלָה appears in the Old Testament, notably in the book of Ecclesiastes, where it is used to describe the vanity and senselessness of life when lived apart from divine wisdom. For example, Ecclesiastes 10:13 states, "The beginning of his talking is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness."
• Theological Implications: In the biblical context, folly is not merely a lack of intelligence but a moral failing. It represents a departure from the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). The fool, characterized by הוֹלֵלָה, often rejects God's commandments and pursues a path of self-destruction.
• Contrast with Wisdom: The concept of folly is frequently juxtaposed with wisdom in the wisdom literature of the Bible. While wisdom leads to life and prosperity, folly leads to ruin and death. This dichotomy serves as a moral lesson, urging believers to seek wisdom and avoid the pitfalls of foolishness.
• Cultural Context: In ancient Israelite society, wisdom was highly valued, and folly was seen as a significant social and spiritual problem. The wise person was one who lived in accordance with God's laws, while the fool was one who disregarded them.

Forms and Transliterations

הוֹלֵל֖וֹת הוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃ הוללות הוללות׃ וְהוֹלֵל֖וֹת וְהוֹלֵל֤וֹת והוללות hō·w·lê·lō·wṯ holeLot hōwlêlōwṯ veholeLot wə·hō·w·lê·lō·wṯ wəhōwlêlōwṯ

Englishman's Concordance

Ecclesiastes 1:17
HEB: חָכְמָ֔ה וְדַ֥עַת הוֹלֵל֖וֹת וְשִׂכְל֑וּת יָדַ֕עְתִּי
NAS: and to know madness and folly;
KJV: and to know madness and folly:
INT: wisdom know madness and folly realized

Ecclesiastes 2:12
HEB: לִרְא֣וֹת חָכְמָ֔ה וְהוֹלֵל֖וֹת וְסִכְל֑וּת כִּ֣י ׀
NAS: wisdom, madness and folly;
KJV: wisdom, and madness, and folly:
INT: to consider wisdom madness and folly for

Ecclesiastes 7:25
HEB: כֶּ֔סֶל וְהַסִּכְל֖וּת הוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃
NAS: of folly and the foolishness of madness.
KJV: even of foolishness [and] madness:
INT: of folly of foolishness of madness

Ecclesiastes 9:3
HEB: מָלֵא־ רָ֨ע וְהוֹלֵל֤וֹת בִּלְבָבָם֙ בְּחַיֵּיהֶ֔ם
NAS: of evil and insanity is in their hearts
KJV: of evil, and madness [is] in their heart
INT: is full of evil and insanity their hearts live

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 1947
4 Occurrences

hō·w·lê·lō·wṯ — 2 Occ.
wə·hō·w·lê·lō·wṯ — 2 Occ.