Original Word: יַעֲלָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: ya`alah
Pronunciation: yah-ah-LAH
Phonetic Spelling: (yah-al-aw')
NASB: doe
Word Origin: [feminine of H3277 (יָעֵל - wild goats)]

1. roe

roe

Feminine of ya'el -- roe.

see HEBREW ya'el

Word Origin
fem. of yael
Definition
female mountain goat
NASB Translation
doe (1).

I. [יַעֲלָה] noun feminine = I. יָעֵל (female); — אַיֶּלֶת אֲהָבִים וְיַעֲלַת חֵן Proverbs 5:19 figurative of wife.

Zoological Background

The term designates the graceful female of the wild mountain deer family native to the hill country of Israel. Agile on rocky terrain, the animal became a familiar sight to shepherds, hunters, and travelers, making it an apt metaphor for beauty and swift affection. Because deer are ruminants with a divided hoof, they were counted among clean animals (Deuteronomy 14:5), reinforcing positive associations of purity and acceptability.

Literary Context in Proverbs 5:19

Proverbs 5 is a father’s appeal to his son to avoid the snare of adultery. The lone occurrence of the word stands in the climactic call to marital enjoyment: “A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever” (Proverbs 5:19). The immediate context contrasts stolen, illicit pleasure (verses 3–14) with the wholesome refreshment of covenant fidelity (verses 15–20). The image of the trusting doe frames the legitimate wife as gentle, appealing, and worthy of lifelong delight.

Theology of Marital Delight

Scripture affirms that sexual intimacy is God’s good gift within marriage (Genesis 2:24; Hebrews 13:4). The gentle doe points to tenderness, while her captivating quality speaks of exclusivity and emotional arrest. By invoking a clean and graceful creature, Proverbs underscores that marital passion is both holy and pleasurable, not merely a concession to biology. The verse calls husbands to proactive, continual satisfaction in their own wives, warding off the wandering eyes that lead to ruin (Proverbs 5:21–23).

Comparative Imagery in Scripture

Although יַעֲלָה appears only in Proverbs 5:19, related deer imagery enriches its meaning:
• Psalm 42:1 pictures spiritual longing: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.”
• Song of Solomon repeatedly likens lovers to “a gazelle or a young stag” (Song of Solomon 2:9; 8:14), reinforcing the association between covenant love and graceful wildlife.
• Habakkuk 3:19 uses the deer’s sure-footedness to depict God-given stability amid hardship.

Each passage presents the deer as a positive emblem—either of affectionate pursuit or confident trust—validating the wholesome picture in Proverbs 5.

Historical Reception

Jewish commentators linked the doe with the joy of Torah study, noting that the animal’s appearance brings delight just as faithful intimacy brings joy to marriage. Early Christian writers, including John Chrysostom, cited Proverbs 5:19 when exhorting spouses to cherish one another and to resist cultural pressures toward infidelity. The verse was often read alongside Ephesians 5:25–33 to show that Christ-like love is affectionate as well as sacrificial.

Pastoral and Discipleship Applications

1. Premarital counseling: The passage supplies a positive, Scripture-rooted vision of marital sexuality, countering shame-driven or permissive cultural messages.
2. Marriage enrichment: Couples are encouraged to cultivate tenderness, exclusivity, and ongoing physical affection, seeing such practice as obedience to divine wisdom.
3. Purity ministries: Leaders can contrast the fleeting allure of sexual sin with the satisfying, covenantal joy symbolized by the humble doe.
4. Men’s discipleship: The admonition to be “captivated” by one’s wife challenges pervasive visual temptation and underscores personal responsibility before a God who “examines all paths” (Proverbs 5:21).

Christ-Centered Reflection

While Proverbs 5 focuses on human marriage, Christian theology sees a faint echo of the greater covenant between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:32). The gentle yet compelling beauty of the doe foreshadows the attractiveness of divine love that holds believers in perpetual captivation. As the husband’s eyes are fixed on his bride, so the redeemed fix their gaze on the Lord, finding in Him incomparable satisfaction.

וְֽיַעֲלַ֫ת־ ויעלת־ veyaaLat wə·ya·‘ă·laṯ- wəya‘ălaṯ-Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts