---
title: הוֹלֵלָה — madness · The Tanakh dictionary
description: הוֹלֵלָה (1947), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 4 times: madness. BDB 1906: n.f. madness. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# הוֹלֵלָה

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«הוֹלֵלָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **madness** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 4 times · **Key:** 1947 · **BDB:** הוֹלֵלָה

### Glosses

madness(es) (4)

### Meaning (OSHB)

madness [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1492/1947/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. madness [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1492/1947/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. madness (on text v. infr.), only pl. הֹלֵלוֹת, הוֹלֵלוֹת, and only Ec: Ec 1:17 and I set my heart (וָאֶתְּנָה לִבִּי) to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly (הֹלֵלוֹת וְשִׂכְלוּת), cf. הוֹלֵלוֹת 2:12 (‖ id.); וְלָדַעַת רֶשַׁע כֶּסֶל וְהַסִּכְלוּת ה׳ 7:25, i.e. to know folly to be madness; possibly read חוֹלֵלוּת, cf. סִכְלוּת \& foll.; the moral evil of it is specif. recognised in Ec 9:3 (‖ רָע).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 4 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «הוֹלֵלָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1492/1947/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Ecclesiastes 1:17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.1.17/)

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וָאֶתְּנָ֤ה לִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת חָכְמָ֔ה וְדַ֥עַת הוֹלֵל֖וֹת וְשִׂכְל֑וּת יָדַ֕עְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶ֥ה ה֖וּא רַעְי֥וֹן רֽוּחַ׃

*Word for word:* and I gave heart my to know wisdom and to.know madness(es) and folly I.knew (cmp) also this it \[is\].a.striving of.wind

*JPS 1917:* And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly — I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

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[Ecclesiastes 2:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.2.12/)

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וּפָנִ֤יתִֽי אֲנִי֙ לִרְא֣וֹת חָכְמָ֔ה וְהוֹלֵל֖וֹת וְסִכְל֑וּת כִּ֣י ׀ מֶ֣ה הָאָדָ֗ם שֶׁיָּבוֹא֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־כְּבָ֖ר עָשֽׂוּהוּ׃

*Word for word:* and I.turned I to consider wisdom and madness(es) and folly (dm) what? \[is\].the person who he.will.come after the king (et) \[that\].which already people have.done.it

*JPS 1917:* And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

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