Idle, Idleness
Idle, Idleness
d’l, d’l-nes: Both words, adjective and noun, render different Hebrew words (from , acel, to be lazy, , raphah, to relax, and , shakat, to be quiet). According to the Yahwistic narrative Pharaoh’s retort to the complaints of the Israelites was a charge of indolence (Exo 5:8, Exo 5:17). It was a favorite thought of Hebrew wisdom – practical philosophy of life – that indolence inevitably led to poverty and want (Pro 19:15; Ecc 10:18). The virtuous woman was one who would not eat the bread of idleness (Pro 31:27). In Eze 16:49 for the King James Version abundance of idleness, the Revised Version (British and American) has prosperous ease. In the New Testament idle generally renders the Greek word , argos, literally, inactive, useless (Mat 20:3, Mat 20:6). In Luk 24:11 idle talk corresponds to one Greek word which means empty gossip or nonsensical talk.