---
title: אָלָה — swear · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אָלָה (422), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 8 times: swear. BDB 1906: swear, curse. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אָלָה

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«אָלָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **swear** — 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:** 8 times · **Key:** 422 · **BDB:** אָלָה

### Glosses

an.oath (2); put (2); cursing (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

swear [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/422/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

swear, curse [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/422/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. swear, curse (cf. I. אלה? so Thes LagOr ii. 3)— Pf. 1 K 8:31 (= 2 Ch 6:22 all Vrss Th Bö Bä Kp reading וְאָלָה); אָלִית Ju 17:2; Inf. abs. אָלֹה Ho 4:2; אָלוֹת Ho 10:4. swear, take oath before God 1 K 8:31 (= 2 Ch 6:22); in covenants Ho 4:2; 10:4 (falsely). curse Ju 17:2. Impf. וַיֹּ֫אֶ֗ל 1 S 14:24; Inf. לְהַאֲלֹתוֹ 1 K 8:31 = 2 Ch 6:22 adjure, put under oath.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech not compared, 6 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (14 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (12 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אָלָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/422/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Hosea 4:2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/HOS.4.2/)

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אָלֹ֣ה וְכַחֵ֔שׁ וְרָצֹ֥חַ וְגָנֹ֖ב וְנָאֹ֑ף פָּרָ֕צוּ וְדָמִ֥ים בְּדָמִ֖ים נָגָֽעוּ׃

*Word for word:* cursing and deceiving and murdering and stealing and committing.adultery people.have.broken.out and blood(s) (in) blood(s) they.have.touched

*JPS 1917:* Swearing and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery! they break all bounds, and blood toucheth blood.

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[Hosea 10:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/HOS.10.4/)

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דִּבְּר֣וּ דְבָרִ֔ים אָל֥וֹת שָׁ֖וְא כָּרֹ֣ת בְּרִ֑ית וּפָרַ֤ח כָּרֹאשׁ֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט עַ֖ל תַּלְמֵ֥י שָׂדָֽי׃

*Word for word:* they.have.spoken words they.have.sworn.an.oath falsehood they.have.made a.covenant and it.sprouts.up like.(the) poisonous plant justice on \[the\].furrows of.a.field

*JPS 1917:* They speak words, they swear falsely, they make covenants; thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

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