5763. ul

Lexical Summary

ul: Child, infant, young one

Original Word: עוּל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: `uwl
Pronunciation: ool
Phonetic Spelling: (ool)
KJV: milch, (ewe great) with young
NASB: nursing, ewes with suckling lambs, milch, suckling lambs
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to suckle, i.e. give milk

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

to suckle

A primitive root; to suckle, i.e. Give milk -- milch, (ewe great) with young.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to nurse, give suck
NASB Translation
ewes with suckling lambs (1), milch (1), nursing (2), suckling lambs (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. [עוּל] verb give suck (Arabic , give suck (while pregnant); compare Aramaic foetus, sucking child; foal, so Ethiopic image unavailable Talmud עִילָה); —

Qal Participle feminine plural עָלוֺת giving suck, of cows 1 Samuel 6:7,10; ewes Psalm 78:71 and (figurative of returning exiles) Isaiah 40:11; of both Genesis 33:13 (J).

Topical Lexicon

Overview of Biblical Usage

The term describes animals that are still nursing or are engaged in nursing their young. Its five appearances occur exclusively in pastoral or agrarian settings, highlighting the tenderness and vulnerability of life that must be handled with special care.

Occurrences

• Genesis 33:13 – Jacob explains that “the children are weak and the nursing flocks and herds are with me.”
• 1 Samuel 6:7 – The Philistines select “two milk cows that have calved” to draw the cart bearing the Ark.
• 1 Samuel 6:10 – The same nursing cows are yoked to the cart, their calves taken home.
• Psalm 78:71 – The Lord “brought him from tending the ewes with their young” to shepherd Israel.
• Isaiah 40:11 – “He will gather the lambs in His arms and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”

Agrarian Context and Daily Life

In the ancient Near East, livestock were foundational to family economy. A nursing ewe or cow represented current productivity and future herd strength. Separating such animals from their offspring, as in 1 Samuel 6, risked loss and distress, underscoring the Philistines’ test of divine sovereignty. Jacob’s slow pace in Genesis 33 shows responsible husbandry: forcing nursing animals would jeopardize both mothers and young, a loss no pastoralist could afford.

Symbol of Vulnerability and Dependence

Each appearance stresses fragility—either of the mother bound to her young or of the young dependent on the mother. Scripture uses this picture to convey both human weakness and God’s protective mercy. Psalm 78:71 links David’s faithful care for delicate lambs to the shepherd-king role he would assume over Israel. Isaiah 40:11 raises the image to its highest theological point: the Lord Himself stoops to shepherd, gathering “the lambs” and leading “the nursing ewes.” The term therefore becomes shorthand for the most defenseless members of the covenant community.

Divine Compassion and Leadership

Isaiah’s prophecy juxtaposes God’s omnipotence with His gentleness. The same chapter that asks, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand?” (40:12) also shows Him cradling nursing lambs. The vocabulary of suckling intensifies the contrast and magnifies divine grace. The shepherd motif, consistent from Genesis to Revelation, is cemented here by the tender care expected toward nursing creatures.

Redemptive Foreshadowing

The unyoked cows of 1 Samuel 6 carry the Ark without human guidance, moving straight to Beth-Shemesh. Their obedience, despite natural maternal instincts, anticipates the submission of Christ, “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). Both scenes involve sacrifice for the presence and glory of God.

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

1. Gentle Shepherding – Church leaders are to model the Lord’s compassion, bearing the weak and leading gently, especially new or fragile believers.
2. Patient Discipleship – Like Jacob, ministry must adapt its pace to the slowest members of the flock.
3. Sacrificial Service – The milk cows illustrate costly obedience; authentic worship may demand relinquishing legitimate affections for a higher call.
4. Training Future Leaders – David’s promotion from caring for nursing ewes to ruling a nation affirms that faithfulness in small, tender responsibilities prepares one for greater authority.

Christological Resonance

Jesus identifies Himself as “the good shepherd” (John 10:11). His ministry mirrors Isaiah 40:11—gathering the weary, nursing the spiritually hungry, and laying down His life for the flock. The suckling imagery underscores the incarnational closeness of the Son of God, who took on human frailty to redeem those utterly dependent on Him.

Forms and Transliterations

עָל֔וֹת עָל֖וֹת עָל֗וֹת עָל֣וֹת עלות ‘ā·lō·wṯ ‘ālōwṯ aLot

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 33:13
HEB: וְהַצֹּ֥אן וְהַבָּקָ֖ר עָל֣וֹת עָלָ֑י וּדְפָקוּם֙
NAS: and herds which are nursing are a care
KJV: and herds with young [are] with me: and if men should overdrive
INT: the flocks and herds are nursing care are driven

1 Samuel 6:7
HEB: וּשְׁתֵּ֤י פָרוֹת֙ עָל֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־
KJV: two milch kine,
INT: and two cows milch which has never

1 Samuel 6:10
HEB: שְׁתֵּ֤י פָרוֹת֙ עָל֔וֹת וַיַּאַסְר֖וּם בָּעֲגָלָ֑ה
NAS: and took two milch cows and hitched
KJV: and took two milch kine, and tied
INT: two cows milch and hitched to the cart

Psalm 78:71
HEB: מֵאַחַ֥ר עָל֗וֹת הֱ֫בִיא֥וֹ לִ֭רְעוֹת
NAS: From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought
KJV: From following the ewes great with young he brought
INT: the care of the ewes brought to shepherd

Isaiah 40:11
HEB: וּבְחֵיק֖וֹ יִשָּׂ֑א עָל֖וֹת יְנַהֵֽל׃ ס
NAS: He will gently lead the nursing [ewes].
KJV: [and] shall gently lead those that are with young.
INT: his bosom and carry the nursing lead

5 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5763
5 Occurrences

‘ā·lō·wṯ — 5 Occ.