Lexical Summary minleh: Fulfillment, completion Original Word: מִנְלֶה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance perfection From nalah; completion, i.e. (in produce) wealth -- perfection. see HEBREW nalah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nalah Definition perhaps gain, acquisition NASB Translation grain (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מִנְלֶה] noun [masculine] ? gain acquisition ? — Only suffix לֹא יִטֶּה לָאָרֶץ מִנְלָם Job 15:29 (si vera lectio) their acquisition, but very dubious; Di (formerly) שִׁבֳּלִים, Hi מְלִלִים ears, compare Bu; other conjectures see in Di; Du thinks hopelessly corrupt. — ᵐ5 σκιάν [i.e. צִלָּם], ᵑ6 their word [מִלָּתָם]. Topical Lexicon Word portraitמִנְלֶה portrays material plenty spreading out and multiplying over a territory. The single occurrence in Job 15:29 places the term on Eliphaz’s lips as he predicts that the unrighteous man’s “possessions will not spread over the land”. The image is agricultural and commercial—yield, holdings, and influence expanding like a crop overrunning its field—yet the context stresses that such abundance is short-lived when divorced from reverence for God. Canonical setting Job 15 stands within the second cycle of speeches. Eliphaz, increasingly severe, argues that Job’s suffering proves concealed sin. Into this accusation he inserts מִנְלֶה to describe the earthly prosperity the wicked crave but will fail to keep. The word therefore functions rhetorically: it heightens the contrast between fleeting human affluence and the immutable justice of God (Job 15:20–35). Biblical theology of transient wealth 1. Impermanence of riches מִנְלֶה contributes to this chorus, underscoring that outward expansion cannot guarantee lasting security. 2. True security in God The lexical rarity of מִנְלֶה intensifies the warning: even the most remarkable material flourishing dissolves apart from covenant faithfulness. Historical and cultural insights In the patriarchal and early monarchic periods wealth often consisted of livestock, grain yields, silver, and territorial rights. The verb-idea behind מִנְלֶה evokes the spreading of herds and harvests beyond ordinary borders—a sign of surplus. Eliphaz’s audience would picture wheat fields whitening or flocks filling valleys (cf. Psalm 65:13). By denying the wicked this overflow, he invokes the covenant principle that prosperity ultimately hinges on moral alignment with God (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Connection to wider wisdom motifs Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes repeatedly juxtapose apparent prosperity with divine evaluation. מִנְלֶה serves that literary purpose: prosperity without righteousness is a façade. The single use of the noun allows it to stand out, reinforcing the elusive nature of ungodly gain much as the singular “vanity of vanities” motif punctuates Ecclesiastes. Christological and eschatological trajectory Jesus takes up the same theme: “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Earthly מִנְלֶה finds its antithesis in the treasure “where moth and rust do not destroy” (Matthew 6:20). Eschatologically, Revelation 18 pictures Babylon’s opulence collapsing in an hour, echoing Eliphaz’s verdict upon the wicked man’s fleeting plenty. Pastoral and discipleship applications • Guard the heart: teach believers to measure success by faithfulness, not accumulation. Homiletical outline suggestion 1. The promise of abundance (define מִנְלֶה). Summary Though מִנְלֶה appears only once, it encapsulates a timeless lesson: material expansion detached from godly fear is destined to wither. Scripture consistently calls God’s people to value righteousness above riches, holding possessions loosely while laying hold of life that is truly life (1 Timothy 6:19). Forms and Transliterations מִנְלָֽם׃ מנלם׃ min·lām minLam minlāmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 15:29 HEB: יִטֶּ֖ה לָאָ֣רֶץ מִנְלָֽם׃ NAS: endure; And his grain will not bend down KJV: neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth. INT: bend to the ground and his grain 1 Occurrence |
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