Hebrew word · H5965

עָלַס

nit'alesah

to rejoice

A rare verb meaning "rejoice, revel, delight in", usually with a strong sense of physical or sensual enjoyment.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to rejoice

1a) (Qal) to rejoice

1b) (Niphal) to exult

1b1) to flap joyously (of ostrich)

1c) (Hithpael) to delight oneself

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Job 20:18

Range of meaning

A rare verb meaning "rejoice, revel, delight in", usually with a strong sense of physical or sensual enjoyment.

Against the English

KJV/WEB "rejoice" can sound like spiritual or worshipful joy. BSB/ESV "enjoy" is closer to the sense of savoring pleasure.

How it drifted

In church English "rejoice" has come to mean mainly religious joy, while ʿālas here means revelling in the pleasure of possessions.

Used elsewhere in the period

Prov 7:18 has "let us delight ourselves (nitʿallsâ) with love" (the adulteress). Job 39:13 has the ostrich's wings flapping joyously. The related ʿālaz and ʿālaṣ are near-synonyms.

Where it appears

Job · 2

  1. Job 20:18 יַעֲלֹֽס׃ he will rejoice

    He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.

    Here: A rare verb for physical, sensual delight. It is used of lovers enjoying each other (Prov 7:18) and of the ostrich's wings flapping gleefully (Job 39:13). He will never get to relish what he grabbed.

  2. Job 39:13 נֶעֱלָ֑סָה it flaps joyously

    The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and feathers of the stork.

Proverbs · 1

  1. Proverbs 7:18 נִ֝תְעַלְּסָ֗ה let us delight ourselves

    Come, let us take our fill of love till morning. Let us delight in loving caresses!

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.