---
title: אִוֶּלֶת — folly · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אִוֶּלֶת (200), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 25 times: folly. BDB 1906: n.f. folly. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/200.html)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/) / [א](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1488-2.md)‎ / אִוֶּלֶת‎

<!-- .hw dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
# אִוֶּלֶת

<!-- .meta -->
«אִוֶּלֶת» in the Tanakh dictionary: **folly** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Used:** 25 times · **Key:** 200 · **BDB:** אִוֶּ֫לֶת

### Glosses

foolishness (13); folly (3); \[is\].folly (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

folly [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/200/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. folly [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/200/#m2)

<!-- fold -->
**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. folly.—abs. Pr 12:23 +; cstr. 14:8 +; sf. אִוַּלְתִּי ψ 38:6, etc.;—folly, special product of כְּסִילִים (v. כֶּסֶל) Pr 12:23 + (12 times); c. פְּתָאִים Pr 14:18; c.אֱוִלִים only 16:22; 27:22 (cf. 14:24) for alliteration. It is bound up in mind of boy, to be removed only by rod of discipline Pr 22:15; א׳ personif. tears down house built by חַכְמוֹת נָשִׁים Pr 14:1; it is contrasted with תְּבוּנָה Pr 14:29; 15:21.

<!-- .note -->
Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 11 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (4 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (5 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אִוֶּלֶת» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/200/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

<!-- div verse -->

<!-- .ref -->
[Proverbs 14:18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.14.18/)

<!-- .vt dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
נָחֲל֣וּ פְתָאיִ֣ם אִוֶּ֑לֶת וַֽ֝עֲרוּמִ֗ים יַכְתִּ֥רוּ דָֽעַת׃

*Word for word:* they.inherit naive.people foolishness and sensible.\[people\] they.surround knowledge

*JPS 1917:* The thoughtless come into possession of folly; but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- div verse -->

<!-- .ref -->
[Proverbs 14:24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.14.24/)

<!-- .vt dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
עֲטֶ֣רֶת חֲכָמִ֣ים עָשְׁרָ֑ם אִוֶּ֖לֶת כְּסִילִ֣ים אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

*Word for word:* \[the\].crown of.wise.\[people\] wealth \[is\].their \[the\].folly of.fools \[is\].folly

*JPS 1917:* The crown of the wise is their riches; but the folly of fools remaineth folly.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [אוּלָם](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/199.md)
- next →: [אוֹמָר](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/201.md)
- ↑ back to [א](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1488-2.md)