What does עֹל (ʿōl) mean in the Bible?
עֹל (ʿōl): Yoke denotes subjugation or servitude; figuratively conveys covenant obligation, divine law, or oppressive burden
Hebrew · H5923
עֹל
A yoke (as imposed on the neck), literally or figuratively
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עֹל H5923
Pronunciation ʿōl
What does עֹל (ʿōl) mean in the Bible?
עֹל (ʿōl): Yoke denotes subjugation or servitude; figuratively conveys covenant obligation, divine law, or oppressive burden
Full entry for עֹל (H5923) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5923?
The BSB source-word alignment has 40 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the yoke (11), yoke (7), your yoke (4), a yoke (2), his yoke (2).
Where does עֹל (ʿōl) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 27:40. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (10), 1 Kings (8), 2 Chronicles (7), Isaiah (5).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the yoke 11× 1 Kings 12:9, 2 Chronicles 10:9, Isaiah 9:4, Isaiah 10:27
yoke 7× Deuteronomy 28:48, 1 Kings 12:4, 1 Kings 12:11, 2 Chronicles 10:4
your yoke 4× 1 Kings 12:11, 1 Kings 12:14, 2 Chronicles 10:11, Jeremiah 2:20
a yoke 2× Jeremiah 28:14, Lamentations 1:14
his yoke 2× Genesis 27:40, Isaiah 14:25
made our yoke 2× 1 Kings 12:10, 2 Chronicles 10:10
under the yoke 2× Jeremiah 27:11, Jeremiah 27:12
. . . 1× 1 Samuel 6:7
and the yoke 1× Isaiah 10:27
been yoked 1× Deuteronomy 21:3
made your yoke 1× 1 Kings 12:14
of their yoke 1× Ezekiel 34:27
of your yoke 1× Leviticus 26:13
under [his] yoke 1× Jeremiah 27:8
under a yoke 1× Numbers 19:2
Whereas [my father] made your yoke 1× 2 Chronicles 10:14
you laid a most heavy yoke 1× Isaiah 47:6
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 27:40 עֻלּ֖וֹ to his yoke Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Leviticus 26:13 עֻלְּכֶ֔ם to of your yoke Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural Numbers 19:2 עֹֽל׃ to under a yoke Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 21:3 בְּעֹֽל׃ to been yoked Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 28:48 עֹ֤ל to yoke Noun - masculine singular construct 1 Samuel 6:7 עֹ֑ל to . . . Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 12:4 עֻלֵּ֑נוּ to yoke Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural 1 Kings 12:4 וּמֵעֻלּ֧וֹ to yoke Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1 Kings 12:9 הָעֹ֔ל to the yoke Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 12:10 עֻלֵּ֔נוּ to made our yoke Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 27:40
Aligned rows 40
Books represented 12
Genesis 1 Leviticus 1 Numbers 1 Deuteronomy 2 1 Samuel 1 1 Kings 8 2 Chronicles 7 Isaiah 5 Jeremiah 10 Lamentations 2 Ezekiel 1 Hosea 1
Source forms
עֹ֖ל 5x ‘ōl Isaiah 10:27, Jeremiah 28:2, Jeremiah 28:4, Lamentations 3:27
עֹ֣ל 4x ‘ōl 1 Kings 12:11, 2 Chronicles 10:11, Isaiah 9:4, Jeremiah 28:14
עֻלְּכֶ֔ם 3x ‘ul·lə·ḵem Leviticus 26:13, 1 Kings 12:14, 2 Chronicles 10:14
עֻלְּכֶ֑ם 3x ‘ul·lə·ḵem 1 Kings 12:11, 1 Kings 12:14, 2 Chronicles 10:11
הָעֹ֔ל 2x hā·‘ōl 1 Kings 12:9, 2 Chronicles 10:9
וּמֵעֻלּ֧וֹ 2x ū·mê·‘ul·lōw 1 Kings 12:4, 2 Chronicles 10:4
עֻלֵּ֑נוּ 2x ‘ul·lê·nū 1 Kings 12:4, 2 Chronicles 10:4
עֻלֵּ֔נוּ 2x ‘ul·lê·nū 1 Kings 12:10, 2 Chronicles 10:10
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 8x Numbers 19:2, 1 Samuel 6:7, 1 Kings 12:11, 2 Chronicles 10:11
Noun - masculine singular construct 7x Deuteronomy 28:48, Isaiah 9:4, Jeremiah 28:2, Jeremiah 28:4
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural 6x Leviticus 26:13, 1 Kings 12:11, 1 Kings 12:14, 2 Chronicles 10:11
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural 4x 1 Kings 12:4, 1 Kings 12:10, 2 Chronicles 10:4, 2 Chronicles 10:10
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 3x Genesis 27:40, Isaiah 14:25, Jeremiah 30:8
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct 3x Jeremiah 27:8, Jeremiah 27:11, Jeremiah 27:12
Article | Noun - masculine singular 2x 1 Kings 12:9, 2 Chronicles 10:9
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2x 1 Kings 12:4, 2 Chronicles 10:4
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Yoke denotes subjugation or servitude; figuratively conveys covenant obligation, divine law, or oppressive burden
Source Gloss
a yoke (as imposed on the neck), literally or figuratively
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Yoke denotes subjugation or servitude; figuratively conveys covenant obligation, divine law, or oppressive burden
a yoke (as imposed on the neck), literally or figuratively BDB: yoke Usage: yoke.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
A bar placed on the neck symbolizing bondage or oppression.
Showing 1 selected witness from 40 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
Why This Word Matters
The breaking of the yoke signifies divine liberation from foreign domination. Isaiah 10:24-34
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain