Extended Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (Brown-Driver-Briggs based)
to toil
Usage: 1) to labour, toil 1a) (Qal) to labour
Strong's Number
H5998
Language
Hebrew
Linked Usages
11
Books
4
Strong's H5998 Quick Answer
Strong's H5998 עָמַל (`amal) is a Hebrew Strong's word-study entry. `amal (aw-mal') v. 1. to toil, i.e. work severely and with irksomeness [a primitive root] It has 11 linked Bible usages across 4 books. Visible English usage signals include labour, laboured, laboureth, works, and work. Indexed coverage on this page includes Old Testament.
- Meaning
- `amal (aw-mal') v. 1. to toil, i.e. work severely and with irksomeness [a primitive root]
- Usage
- 11 linked usages
- Books
- 4 indexed books
- Corpus
- Old Testament
- Usage Words
- labour, laboured, laboureth, works, and work
Meaning and Definition
`amal (aw-mal') v. 1. to toil, i.e. work severely and with irksomeness [a primitive root] KJV: (take) labour (in).
Across Lexicons
How independent scholarly lexicons define Strong's H5998. Each definition is shown with its source so you can compare and cite the original reference works.
How Strong's H5998 Is Translated
The English word each shown verse actually uses to render `amal, taken from the interlinear word alignment (the same word underlined in the excerpts below). Where a rendering is used more than once, the count is shown.
labour
Psalms 127:1
6×
laboured
Ecclesiastes 5:16
2×
laboureth
Proverbs 16:26
work
Ecclesiastes 8:17
works
Ecclesiastes 2:11
How Strong's H5998 Usage Compares
Indexed coverage includes Old Testament. Each section below keeps corpus counts and sample passages visible so readers can compare the word across contexts instead of reading one flat concordance list.
- The largest indexed corpus on this page is Old Testament with 11 linked usages.
- The linked rows are Old Testament Hebrew usage, grouped by book for fast canonical scanning.
Strong's H5998 by Corpus
Indexed usage grouped by testament and extended corpus so readers can compare this word across the Bible, Septuagint, deuterocanonical books, and 1 Enoch where present.
Strong's H5998 in the Old Testament
11 indexed usages in Old Testament.
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
Usage Excerpts
First 11 linked usage excerpts for Strong's H5998.
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
All Indexed Usage Links
Every indexed verse link for Strong's H5998, grouped by book.
Psalms 1 usage, Old Testament
Proverbs 1 usage, Old Testament
Ecclesiastes 8 usages, Old Testament
Jonah 1 usage, Old Testament
Strong's H5998 FAQ
What does amal (עָמַל) mean?
Amal (Strong's H5998) is a Hebrew word most simply glossed "toil". `amal (aw-mal') v. 1. to toil, i.e. work severely and with irksomeness [a primitive root]
How many times is amal (עָמַל) used in the Bible?
This page currently indexes 11 linked usages for Strong's H5998 across 4 books.
Where can I study amal (עָמַל) in context?
Use the linked verse references on this page to study Strong's H5998 in context. The indexed coverage includes Old Testament.
What English words translate amal (עָמַל)?
The visible usage excerpts most often surface English words such as labour, laboured, laboureth, works, and work. These are scanning signals from the displayed verses, not replacements for the original-language definition.