Lexical Summary yegiah: Labor, toil, effort, product of labor Original Word: יְגִעָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance weariness Feminine of yagiya'; fatigue -- weariness. see HEBREW yagiya' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom yaga Definition wearying NASB Translation wearying (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs יְגִעָה noun feminine wearying (late formative, DrIntr. 455 SiegfNH Gram § 47 b) וְלַהַג הַרְבֵּה יְגִעַת כָּשָׂר Ecclesiastes 12:12 and studying much is a wearying of flesh. Topical Lexicon Root Meaning and Semantic Field יְגִעָה portrays the physical and mental exhaustion that follows sustained effort. While its lone occurrence in Ecclesiastes highlights intellectual labor, the term nests in the broader Hebrew idea of “toil” (עָמָל), “weariness” (לְאָה), and “servile work” (מְלָאכָה). Together these words map the full arc of human striving in a fallen world—from honest industry to the futility that often shadows it. Canonical Context Ecclesiastes, with its sober appraisal of life “under the sun,” employs יְגִעָה to caution against unreflective pursuit of knowledge. “Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). The Preacher does not denigrate scholarship; he exposes its limits when detached from the fear of God (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Thus יְגִעָה becomes a narrative hinge, redirecting hearers from self-reliant striving to reverent obedience. Theological Significance 1. Human finitude. יְגִעָה reveals how even noble endeavors succumb to entropy. Genesis 3:17-19 foretells toil as a post-Fall reality; Ecclesiastes names its wearying effect. Wisdom Literature Emphasis on Labor Proverbs prizes diligence (Proverbs 10:4) yet recognizes diminishing returns when toil eclipses trust (Proverbs 23:4-5). Ecclesiastes 12:12 crystallizes this tension: relentless study apart from divine perspective exhausts rather than enriches. The “goads and firmly embedded nails” of verse 11 picture inspired wisdom anchoring the soul, while יְגִעָה warns against knowledge divorced from that anchor. Comparative Biblical Usage of Related Terms • יָגַע (“to weary”)—Isaiah 40:30 records youths who “grow weary,” contrasting human limits with the Lord who “does not faint or grow weary” (Isaiah 40:28). New Testament Echoes Jesus’ invitation, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), supplies the antidote to יְגִעָה. Paul affirms purposeful labor that is “not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58), transforming toil into worship when undertaken by grace. Practical and Ministry Applications • Discipleship. Encourage balanced study that leads to awe, not fatigue. Bible teachers model diligence while guarding against information overload that obscures devotion. Homiletical Insights A sermon can juxtapose Ecclesiastes 12:12 with Matthew 11:28, presenting a progression from weary scholarship to restful discipleship. Illustrate with contemporary examples—students overwhelmed by exams or professionals facing “information glut”—and invite hearers to rest in the One greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42). Summary יְגִעָה captures the weariness that shadows human effort, epitomized by the Preacher’s caution against endless study. While toil characterizes life east of Eden, Scripture reframes it within God’s larger story: labor yields to Sabbath, fatigue to divine strength, and the weary scholar finds lasting rest in the fear of the Lord and the finished work of Christ. Forms and Transliterations יְגִעַ֥ת יגעת yə·ḡi·‘aṯ yəḡi‘aṯ yegiAtLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ecclesiastes 12:12 HEB: וְלַ֥הַג הַרְבֵּ֖ה יְגִעַ֥ת בָּשָֽׂר׃ NAS: and excessive devotion [to books] is wearying to the body. KJV: study [is] a weariness of the flesh. INT: and excessive of many is wearying to the body 1 Occurrence |
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