Original Word: עָמַל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: `amal
Pronunciation: ah-mal
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-mal')
KJV: (take) labour (in)
NASB: labored, toils, does, labor, laboriously, work, works
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to toil, i.e. work severely and with irksomeness

take labor in

A primitive root; to toil, i.e. Work severely and with irksomeness -- (take) labour (in).

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to labor, toil
NASB Translation
does (1), labor (1), labored (4), laboriously (1), toils (2), work (1), works (1).

עָמַל verb labour, toil (Late Hebrew id.; Arabic labour, make; Sabean עמל work (? noun or verb) CIS^{iv. No. 250}; Aramaic עֲמַל, ; Zinjirli עמל; Assyrian nîmelu, gain, possessions); —

Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳ע Ecclesiastes 2:21; 3feminine singular עָֽמְלָה Proverbs 16:26; 2masculine singular עָמַלְתָּ Jonah 4:10; 1singular עָמַלְתִּי Ecclesiastes 2:11 2t.; 3 plural עָֽמְלוּ Psalm 127:1; Imperfect3masculine singular יַעֲמֹל Ecclesiastes 1:3 3t.; — labour (very late): in building Psalm 127:1; tillage, with בְּ Jonah 4:10; Generally, with בְּ Ecclesiastes 2:21, with לְ Proverbs 16:26; Ecclesiastes 5:15, with לְ + infinitive Ecclesiastes 8:17; עֲמָלוֺ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל Ecclesiastes 1:3; Ecclesiastes 5:17, compare Ecclesiastes 2:11,19,20.

II. עָמֵל verbal adjective toiling, only Ecclesiastes, as predicate; — Ecclesiastes 2:18,22; Ecclesiastes 3:9; Ecclesiastes 4:8; Ecclesiastes 9:9.

Overview of עָמַל in Scripture

The term consistently depicts strenuous human effort that carries a sense of weariness, frustration, and even sorrow. While honest labor is commended throughout the Old Testament, עָמַל exposes the darker side of work when it is pursued apart from divine purpose. The word surfaces eleven times, chiefly in the Wisdom writings and once in Jonah, forming a small but striking thread that critiques self-reliant toil and points readers toward dependence on the Lord.

Distribution and Contexts

Psalm 127:1; Proverbs 16:26; Ecclesiastes 1:3; 2:11, 19, 20, 21; 5:16, 18; 8:17; and Jonah 4:10 contain the term. Its clustering in Ecclesiastes anchors the book’s refrain of vanity, while the lone appearances in Psalms, Proverbs, and Jonah broaden the theme into worship, ethics, and prophetic satire.

Psalm 127:1—Labor Without the Lord

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Here עָמַל underscores the futility of projects that exclude God’s blessing. The psalm redirects ambition from self-achieved security to resting in covenant faithfulness.

Proverbs 16:26—Hunger as a Spur to Work

“The worker’s appetite works for him, because his hunger drives him onward” (Proverbs 16:26). While Ecclesiastes stresses frustration, Proverbs notes a practical benefit: physical need propels diligence. Yet even this utilitarian motive is subordinate to the fear of the LORD that frames the book.

Ecclesiastes—The Limits of Human Toil

Ecclesiastes employs עָמַל nine times, beginning with the rhetorical question, “What does a man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3). The Preacher’s survey reveals:
• 2:11—Achievements cannot satisfy; they are “vanity and a chasing after the wind.”
• 2:19–21—Inheritance may be squandered by an unwise successor, nullifying decades of effort.
• 5:16—One departs the world exactly as he entered, taking “nothing from his labor to carry in his hand.”
• 5:18—Yet there is God-given joy in accepting daily work as a gift.
• 8:17—Even exhaustive toil cannot fathom God’s mysterious works.

Together these passages expose the bankruptcy of autonomous striving while affirming grateful enjoyment of labor when received from God’s hand.

Jonah 4:10—A Prophetic Object Lesson

“You cared about the plant…though you did not labor over it or make it grow” (Jonah 4:10). Jonah’s misplaced compassion for a vine he never cultivated contrasts sharply with his indifference toward Nineveh. עָמַל here emphasizes the prophet’s lack of investment, reinforcing God’s right to show mercy on what He has nurtured.

Theological Trajectory

Old Testament usage prepares the way for New Testament teaching:
• Jesus invites the weary to find rest in Him (Matthew 11:28).
• Paul exhorts believers to labor, “knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
• Hebrews affirms a Sabbath-rest that remains for the people of God, contrasting faith-driven obedience with futile works (Hebrews 4:9–10).

Thus Scripture maintains continuity: human toil divorced from God is empty, but service rendered unto Him participates in eternal purpose.

Pastoral and Discipleship Implications

1. Guard against performance-based identity; fruitfulness flows from abiding in Christ.
2. Encourage vocational stewardship—seeing every task as worship under God’s sovereign gaze.
3. Cultivate contentment; gratitude transforms drudgery into participation in divine provision.
4. Preach hope beyond the grave, where the believer’s works follow after and are rewarded (Revelation 14:13).

Homiletic Outline Suggestion

Title: “Laboring Under the Sun or Serving Under the Son?”

I. Futile Foundations—Psalm 127:1

II. Consuming Cravings—Proverbs 16:26

III. Empty Earnings—Ecclesiastes 1:3; 2:11

IV. Satisfying Sabbath—Ecclesiastes 5:18

V. Divine Compassion—Jonah 4:10

VI. Gospel Fulfillment—Matthew 11:28–30

Conclusion

עָמַל confronts every generation with the stark choice between restless self-effort and restful God-centered work. Its limited yet concentrated appearances form a cautionary mirror, urging readers to anchor their labor in the Lord, whose purposes alone confer lasting significance.

יַעֲמֹ֧ל יעמל עָ֣מְלָה עָֽמַל־ עָמְל֣וּ עָמַ֥לְתָּ עמל־ עמלה עמלו עמלת שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹ֖ל שֶֽׁעָמַ֥לְתִּי שֶׁיַּעֲמֹ֣ל שֶׁעָמַ֖לְתִּי שֶׁעָמַ֣לְתִּי שיעמל שעמלתי ‘ā·mal- ‘ā·mal·tā ‘ā·mə·lāh ‘ā·mə·lū ‘āmal- ‘āmaltā ‘āməlāh ‘āməlū amal aMalta Amelah ameLu še‘āmaltî še·‘ā·mal·tî še·ya·‘ă·mōl šeya‘ămōl sheaMalti sheiyaaMol ya‘ămōl ya·‘ă·mōl yaaMolInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts