נָלָה
𐤍𐤋𐤄
nâlâh
H5239 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To finish, bring to completion, bring to an end; to act or reach a state so that something is done or concluded. Used of completing a period of time, a process, or a task, with the nuance of bringing something to its finished state or closing out an event or era.
Semantic Range
to finish; to come to an end; to bring to completion; to be spent (of breath or life); to exhaust
Root / Etymology
Root likely נלה. The verb נָלָה (nâlâh) appears to derive from this root; while not common, it signals the idea of ending or completing. There is no widely attested cognate in other Semitic languages, but the structure and the limited textual evidence support the sense of 'to complete' or 'to bring to an end.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
This verb is extremely rare in the Hebrew Bible, appearing only in Job 17:1 in a poetic context. Its usage there implies not merely temporal completion, but the exhaustion or conclusion of life itself ('My breath is spent'). In post-biblical Hebrew, the term does not occur, and thus its semantic range and root connections remain somewhat uncertain. English translations often render it with expressions like 'spent,' 'finished,' or 'at an end,' which do capture the essential nuance but may miss poetic or existential overtones present in context. The related idea of 'to finish' or 'bring to a close' is conveyed in other biblical Hebrew verbs such as כָּלָה (kâlâh), but נָלָה is distinct in its rare, literary usage. There is no reliable evidence that the word ever had the theological sense of 'fulfill' as used in later periods.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
apparently a primitive root; to complete; make an end.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נלה (n-l-h) — to finish, to bring to an end, to complete
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4512 | מִנְלֶה | their completed-yield |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5239-01 |
כַּ/נְּלֹתְ/ךָ֥ | kanelotekha | HR/Vhc/Sp2ms |
when you cease | your bringing to completion | when you finish | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5239-01 |
Isaiah 33:1 | כַּ/נְּלֹתְ/ךָ֥ | kanelotekha | HR/Vhc/Sp2ms |
when you cease | your bringing to completion | when you finish |