Lexical Summary
yaal: To profit, to benefit, to be of use
Original Word:יַעַל
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:ya`al
Pronunciation:yah-ahl
Phonetic Spelling:(yaw-al')
KJV: X at all, set forward, can do good, (be, have) profit, (able)
NASB:profit, avail, furnish the slightest, gain, profitable, slightest benefit, things of profit
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. (properly) to ascend
2. (figuratively) to be valuable (objectively
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
set forward, can do good, be, have profit, able
A primitive root; properly, to ascend; figuratively, to be valuable (objectively: useful, subjectively: benefited) -- X at all, set forward, can do good, (be, have) profit, (able).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto confer or gain profit or benefit
NASB Translationavail (1), furnish the slightest (1), gain (1), profit (17), profitable (1), slightest benefit (1), things of profit (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. [] only
; —
PerfectHabakkuk 2:18;ImperfectJeremiah 2:11 2t.;Job 35:3;1 Samuel 12:21 6t.;Jeremiah 2:8;Jeremiah 12:13;Isaiah 57:12;Job 21:15;Infinitive absoluteJeremiah 23:22; constructJeremiah 7:8 4t.;ParticipleJeremiah 16:19; —profit, avail, benefit, always (exceptJob 30:13 where in bad sense,Isaiah 47:12) with negative, or in question implying negative; especially of idols or false gods (asunprofitable), soHabakkuk 2:18;Isaiah 44:9,10;Isaiah 57:12;Jeremiah 2:8 ,Jeremiah 2:11 ,Jeremiah 16:19 ,1 Samuel 12:21, of vain confidencesJeremiah 7:8, or promisesJeremiah 23:32 (twice in verse) (followed by ); of Egypt as allyIsaiah 30:5 (followed by ),Isaiah 30:5;Isaiah 30:6; ofwickednessProverbs 10:2;wealthProverbs 11:4;worthless menJob 30:13 ( i.e. promote it); of wordsJob 15:3 ("" ); in Generalgain profitIsaiah 47:12;Isaiah 48:17;Jeremiah 12:13;Job 21:15;Job 35:3.
Topical Lexicon
יַעַל (yā‛al)
Overview
יַעַל frames the biblical question of what truly “profits” a person, a nation, or a work. Across its twenty-three appearances the verb measures everything—treasures, words, idols, religious activity—against the living God, exposing what is worthless and affirming what genuinely benefits His people.
Primary Old Testament Settings
• Historical narrative:1 Samuel 12:21 warns Israel after the monarchy’s inauguration not to “turn aside after worthless things which cannot profit or deliver.”
• Wisdom literature: Job (15:3; 21:15; 30:13; 35:3) and Proverbs (10:2; 11:4) wrestle with the practical and moral value of actions, wealth, or piety.
• Prophetic corpus: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk use the term in their indictments of idolatry, false prophecy, political alliances, and empty ritual.
• Divine promise:Isaiah 48:17 uniquely shifts the word from negation to hope—“I am the LORD your God who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.”
Futility of Idolatry and False Religion
Idols and the systems built around them are repeatedly branded “no profit.”
•Isaiah 44:9 declares, “Those who fashion idols are all nothing, and the treasures they prize are worthless.”
•Habakkuk 2:18 ridicules the mute idol that “profits nothing.”
• Jeremiah extends the charge to religious leaders: “The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed worthless idols” (Jeremiah 2:8), and to foreign nations: “Our fathers inherited nothing but lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all” (Jeremiah 16:19).
The prophets thereby confront every generation with the emptiness of trusting any substitute for the covenant God.
Riches versus Righteousness
Proverbs contrasts material gain with moral standing:
• “Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death” (Proverbs 10:2).
• “Riches are worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death” (Proverbs 11:4).
What appears advantageous now offers no leverage when divine judgment arrives; only right standing with God avails.
False Speech and Empty Counsel
Job laments advisers whose words are “not profitable” (Job 15:3). Jeremiah echoes the theme: “You keep trusting in deceptive words that are worthless” (Jeremiah 7:8). Scripture thus links profitless speech with spiritual peril, urging discernment in both giving and receiving counsel.
Political Alliances that Cannot Save
Isaiah condemns Judah’s appeal to Egypt: “Egypt’s help is utterly worthless; therefore I call her Rahab Who Sits Still” (Isaiah 30:7, implicit after verses 5-6). The same verb underscores that geopolitical strategies divorced from faith are futile.
Divine Instruction that Truly Profits
Against the backdrop of failure,Isaiah 48:17 stands out:
“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.’”
The Lord Himself grants benefit—covenant wisdom, moral formation, and eventual restoration—showing that profit is relational before it is material.
Ministry Implications
1. Preaching and Teaching: Proclaim the insufficiency of idols—ancient or modern—and the sufficiency of God’s redemptive instruction.
2. Pastoral Care: When believers question the value of obedience (Job 35:3), remind them that divine profit may be hidden but is nonetheless certain (Hebrews 11:6).
3. Discipleship and Stewardship: UseProverbs 10:2; 11:4 to shape financial ethics that prioritize righteousness over accumulation.
4. Apologetics:Jeremiah 16:19 provides a missional vision—the nations themselves will testify to the worthlessness of their idols and seek refuge in the Lord.
Christological Perspective
The New Testament amplifies the theme: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). Jesus embodiesIsaiah 48:17, leading His followers into the only lasting benefit—reconciliation with God (1 Peter 3:18).
Contemporary Relevance
Modern culture prizes productivity and return on investment. יַעַל calls the church to re-evaluate success by eternal standards, measuring every pursuit—technology, wealth, entertainment, even religious activity—by whether it brings genuine advantage in God’s sight.
Summary
יַעַל exposes the bankruptcy of idols, ill-gotten gain, and deceitful words, while exalting the Lord who alone “teaches us to profit.” Its message unites law, wisdom, and prophecy in one continuous summons: seek the benefit that comes from knowing and obeying the living God.
Forms and Transliterations
אֹ֝עִ֗יל אעיל הוֹעִ֖יל הוֹעִ֣יל הוֹעִֽיל׃ הועיל הועיל׃ וְהוֹעֵ֛יל והועיל י֭וֹעִילוּ יֹעִ֑ילוּ יוֹעִ֑ילוּ יוֹעִ֑לוּ יוֹעִ֖לוּ יוֹעִ֛ילוּ יוֹעִ֣יל יוֹעִ֣ילוּ יוֹעִ֥יל יוֹעִ֥ילוּ יוֹעִֽיל׃ יוֹעִֽילוּ׃ יוֹעִילֽוּךְ׃ יועיל יועיל׃ יועילו יועילו׃ יועילוך׃ יועלו יעילו לְהוֹעִ֔יל להועיל מוֹעִֽיל׃ מועיל׃ נּ֝וֹעִ֗יל נועיל ’ō‘îl ’ō·‘îl hō·w·‘îl hoIl hōw‘îl lə·hō·w·‘îl lehoIl ləhōw‘îl mō·w·‘îl moIl mōw‘îl nō·w·‘îl noIl nōw‘îl oIl vehoEil wə·hō·w·‘êl wəhōw‘êl yō‘îlū yō·‘î·lū yō·w·‘i·lū yō·w·‘î·lū yō·w·‘î·lūḵ yō·w·‘îl yoIl yoIlu yoiLuch yōw‘îl yōw‘ilū yōw‘îlū yōw‘îlūḵ
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