---
title: אָלָה — oath · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אָלָה (423), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 34 times: oath. BDB 1906: n.f. oath. 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: **oath** — 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:** 34 times · **Key:** 423 · **BDB:** אָלָה²

### Glosses

a.curse (8); oath (7); an.oath (6)

### Meaning (OSHB)

oath [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/423/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. oath [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/423/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. oath Gn 26:28 +; sf. אָלָתִי, אָלָתוֹ Gn 24:41 + (4 times); pl. אָלוֹת Dt 29:20 + (4 times) oath in testimony Lv 5:1 Nu 5:21(×2) (P) Pr 29:24; בא באלה come into an oath Ne 10:30; הביא באלה bring into an oath Ez 17:13; נשׂא אלה 1 K 8:31 (= 2 Ch 6:22). oath of covenant Gn 24:41(×2); 26:28 (J) Dt 29:11, 13; בזה אלה despise an oath Ez 16:59; 17:16, 18, 19. curse (a) from God Nu 5:23 (P) Dt 29:18, 19, 20; 30:7 2 Ch 34:24 Is 24:6 Je 23:10 Dn 9:11 Zc 5:3; (b) from men Jb 31:30 ψ 10:7; 59:13. execration in the phrase היה לאלה become an execration Nu 5:27 (P) Je 29:18; 42:18; 44:12.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 32 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, 1 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/1488/423/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 29:24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.29.24/)

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חוֹלֵ֣ק עִם־גַּ֭נָּב שׂוֹנֵ֣א נַפְשׁ֑וֹ אָלָ֥ה יִ֝שְׁמַ֗ע וְלֹ֣א יַגִּֽיד׃

*Word for word:* \[one.who\].has.shares with a.thief \[is\].hating self his.own an.oath he.hears and not he.tells

*JPS 1917:* Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth the adjuration and uttereth nothing.

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[Job 31:30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.31.30/)

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וְלֹא־נָתַ֣תִּי לַחֲטֹ֣א חִכִּ֑י לִשְׁאֹ֖ל בְּאָלָ֣ה נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

*Word for word:* and not I.have.permitted to sin palate my by asking.for by a.curse life his

*JPS 1917:* Yea, I suffered not my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse.

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