---
title: יָאַל — be foolish · The Tanakh dictionary
description: יָאַל (2973), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 4 times: be foolish. BDB 1906: vb. be foolish. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# יָאַל

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«יָאַל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **be foolish** — 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:** 2973 · **BDB:** יָאַל

### Glosses

they.have.acted.foolishly (1); they.have.become.fools (1); they.will.become.fools (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

be foolish [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1497/2973/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. be foolish [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1497/2973/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. be foolish (cf. 1. אול)— Pf. 3 mpl. נוֹאֲלוּ Is 19:13 Je 5:4; וְנֹאָ֑לוּ Je 50:36; 1 pl. נוֹאַלְנוּ Nu 12:11;—do or act foolishly:— shew wicked folly = sin חַטָּאת אֲשֶׁר נוֹאַלְנוּ וַאֲשֶׁר חָטָאנוּ Nu 12:11 (J); in Je 5:4 an exhibition of this folly is ascribed to ignorance. become fools, lacking insight and judgment: נוֹאֲלוּ שָׂרֵי צֹעַן Is 19:13 the princes of Zoan have become fools (‖ נִשְּׁאוּ שָׂרֵי נֹף, and, in v 11 אֱוִילִים שָׂרֵי צֹעַן, etc.); חֶרֶב אֶל־הַבַּדִּים וְנֹאָ֑לוּ Je 50:36 a sword is against the praters, and they shall become fools—be shewn up as such (‖ חָֽתּוּ׃).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 4 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (26 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (20 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «יָאַל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1497/2973/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Isaiah 19:13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.19.13/)

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נֽוֹאֲלוּ֙ שָׂ֣רֵי צֹ֔עַן נִשְּׁא֖וּ שָׂ֣רֵי נֹ֑ף הִתְע֥וּ אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם פִּנַּ֥ת שְׁבָטֶֽיהָ׃

*Word for word:* they.have.become.fools the.officials of.Zoan they.have.been.deceived the.officials of.Memphis they.have.misled (et) Egypt the.corner its.tribes her

*JPS 1917:* The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have caused Egypt to go astray, that are the corner-stone of her tribes.

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[Jeremiah 50:36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JER.50.36/)

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חֶ֥רֶב אֶל־הַבַּדִּ֖ים וְנֹאָ֑לוּ חֶ֥רֶב אֶל־גִּבּוֹרֶ֖יהָ וָחָֽתּוּ׃

*Word for word:* a.sword against the.empty talkers and they.will.become.fools a.sword against its warriors and they.will.be.shattered

*JPS 1917:* A sword is upon the boasters, and they shall become fools; a sword is upon her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed.

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