Lexical Summary netel: Burden, Load Original Word: נֵטֶל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance weighty : from natal; a burden -- weighty. see HEBREW natal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom natal Definition burden, weight NASB Translation weighty (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs נֵ֫טֶל noun [masculine] burden, weight; — ׳נ construct, of sand, Proverbs 27:3 ("" כֹּבֶד). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Semantic Range נֵטֶל denotes a literal load or burden of weight and, by extension, anything that feels ponderous or oppressive. It evokes the heft of material objects while opening a window onto emotional and moral encumbrances. Scriptural Usage Proverbs 27:3 sets the only canonical occurrence: “A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.” (Berean Standard Bible) The proverb escalates from substantial physical burdens (stone, sand) to a relational burden (the vexation caused by folly), illustrating that moral and spiritual pressures can surpass tangible loads. Cultural and Historical Background Ancient Hebrew life was steeped in manual labor—quarrying, transporting grain, hauling stones for construction. Weights were measured with scales (Leviticus 19:35-36), and builders gauged load-bearing capacities carefully. Listeners to Proverbs immediately sensed the effort required to lift stone or sand. By equating an irritant fool with such toil, the sage communicates a lived reality: the exhausting drain of enduring foolishness outstrips even the backbreaking tasks of daily survival. Theological Significance 1. Moral weight surpasses material weight. Scripture consistently moves readers from the material to the moral; here the fool’s provocation becomes a burden on the soul, confirming that sin’s consequences are not light (Genesis 4:13; Psalm 38:4). Practical Ministry Applications • Pastoral counseling: discern when relational friction arises from entrenched folly rather than simple misunderstanding; address the heart, not merely circumstances. Cross-References and Related Concepts – Hebrew מַשָּׂא (massaʾ, burden) in Isaiah 13:1; similar imagery but often prophetic. – Hebrew סְבַל (seval, load) in Exodus 2:11; physical labor in Egypt highlights oppressive systems. – Greek βάρος (baros, weight/burden) in Galatians 6:2, where believers “carry one another’s burdens,” reversing the isolating effect of נֵטֶל. – Greek φορτίον (phortion, load) in Matthew 11:30, where Christ declares, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Conclusion נֵטֶל, though appearing once, captures a timeless insight: the heaviest loads we face are often intangible. Wisdom recognizes folly’s crushing potential, while redemption offers the only sure relief. Forms and Transliterations וְנֵ֣טֶל ונטל veNetel wə·nê·ṭel wənêṭelLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Proverbs 27:3 HEB: כֹּֽבֶד־ אֶ֭בֶן וְנֵ֣טֶל הַח֑וֹל וְכַ֥עַס NAS: and the sand weighty, But the provocation KJV: and the sand weighty; but a fool's INT: is heavy A stone weighty and the sand the provocation 1 Occurrence |
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