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אֱוִלִי

𐤀𐤅𐤋𐤉

ʼĕvilîy

H196 adjective

SILEX Entry

Root אול to be foolish, to act foolishly, to lack wisdom

Definition

Pertaining to foolishness or folly; describes a person characterized by lack of wisdom, senselessness, or the neglect of sound judgment. In some contexts may carry connotations of moral deficiency, recklessness, or spiritually unwise behavior. The term can also function as a descriptive designation or as a personal name.

Semantic Range

foolish, senseless, lacking wise judgment, lacking moral sense or insight, impious, reckless, serving as a personal or clan designation

Root / Etymology

From the root אוִל (אֵוִיל), meaning 'to be foolish, to act foolishly.' The form אֱוִלִי is an adjectival or gentilic formation, indicating a person given to folly or characterized by foolishness. The '-י' ending can function as a gentilic or adjectival marker, identifying an individual as belonging to the category of 'fool,' or, in rare cases, could be a personal or clan designation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, forms of this root (אוִל) are used to describe those who neglect wisdom or act contrary to sound reason, typically in wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs, Job). The term can imply not merely intellectual deficiency but also moral and ethical waywardness. The adjectival/gentilic form often functions to typify the behaviors or attitudes associated with foolishness rather than to name a specific ethnic group. In later periods or translation traditions (e.g., Greek or Latin), the nuance of reckless or impious behavior may be emphasized and sometimes associated with broader moral judgment. There are occasional uses as a personal name; compare related terms like נָבָל (nāvāl, 'scoundrel, fool'), which similarly carries connotations of moral as well as intellectual failure. English translations often collapse the meaning into 'foolish' or 'impious,' but the Hebrew term can be both descriptive (practical folly) and evaluative (moral deficiency).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אֱוִיל; silly, foolish; hence (morally) impious; foolish.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אול (ʾ-w-l) — to be foolish, to act foolishly, to lack wisdom

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H177 אוּאֵל and Will-of-God
H191 אֱוִיל senseless man
H193 אוּל robust-bodied ones of
H197 אוּלָם yet indeed
H199 אוּלָם and indeed

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H196-01 אֱוִלִֽי evili HAamsa foolish foolish one 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H196-01 Zechariah 11:15 אֱוִלִֽי evili HAamsa foolish foolish one
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