Lexical Summary ul: Child, Infant Original Word: עוּל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sucking child, infant From uwl; a babe -- sucking child, infant. see HEBREW uwl NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ul Definition a sucking child, suckling NASB Translation infant (1), nursing child (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs עוּל noun masculine sucking child, suckling; — construct יָמִים ׳ע Isaiah 65:20 a suckling of days, i.e. a few days old; suffix עוּלָהּ Isaiah 49:15 ("" בֶּןבִּֿטְנָהּ). II. עול (√ of following; compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Meaning and Range of Imagery The term designates a nursing infant—a child wholly dependent upon its mother for life and sustenance. Because such children represent the most vulnerable members of society, the word naturally evokes ideas of helplessness, tenderness, and covenantal responsibility. Within Scripture the image of the nursing infant is employed both to expose societal injustice and to proclaim divine compassion and future blessing. Occurrences in Scripture • Job 24:9 exposes the cruelty of the wicked who “snatch the fatherless infant from the breast”, highlighting social oppression. Historical and Cultural Background In the Ancient Near East, weaning normally occurred between two and three years of age (compare Genesis 21:8). Until that milestone, an infant’s survival depended almost entirely on maternal care and family protection. Losing a nursing child or being forced to part with one—whether through debt slavery, war, or famine—was viewed as a profound tragedy. Legal codes from surrounding cultures contain provisions for the protection of such infants, underscoring their recognized vulnerability. Theological and Redemptive Themes 1. Divine Compassion: Isaiah 49:15 ties God’s covenant remembrance to a mother’s instinctive care, elevating maternal love as an analogy for divine faithfulness while simultaneously surpassing it. Typological and Christological Reflections The vulnerability of the nursing infant foreshadows the incarnation. The Son of God entered history not as a triumphant warrior but as “a child… a Son” (Isaiah 9:6), Himself once a nursing infant (Luke 2:7). By taking on this state of dependence, He identified with the weakest, later blessing little children (Mark 10:13-16) and pronouncing that the kingdom belongs to those who receive it “like a little child.” Practical Ministry Applications • Pro-Life and Orphan Care: Scripture’s regard for the nursing infant urges the church to protect unborn and newborn life, support crisis-pregnancy ministries, and advocate adoption and foster care. Related Words and Concepts Nursing mother (Isaiah 60:16), suckling (Psalm 8:2), weaning (Genesis 21:8), adoption (Romans 8:15), childlikeness (Matthew 18:3), compassion (Lamentations 3:22), remembrance (Malachi 3:16). Summary Across its three occurrences, the term for “nursing infant” functions as a theological lens into God’s character and redemptive plan: it unmasks injustice, magnifies divine compassion, and anticipates the age when death’s shadow is banished. The church is therefore called to embody the same protective love and to proclaim the gospel that secures such hope. Forms and Transliterations וְֽעַל־ ועל־ ע֤וּל עוּלָ֔הּ עול עולה ‘ū·lāh ‘ūl ‘ūlāh ul uLah veal wə‘al- wə·‘al-Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 24:9 HEB: מִשֹּׁ֣ד יָת֑וֹם וְֽעַל־ עָנִ֥י יַחְבֹּֽלוּ׃ INT: the breast the orphan sucking child the poor take Isaiah 49:15 Isaiah 65:20 3 Occurrences |
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feed, nourish; see Wetzst in DeJob 16:11).