Original Word: עַצְלָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: `atslah
Pronunciation: ats-lah'
Phonetic Spelling: (ats-law')
KJV: slothfulness
NASB: indolence, laziness
Word Origin: [feminine of H6102 (עָצֵל - sluggard)]

1. (as abstractly) indolence

slothfulness

Feminine of atsel; (as abstractly) indolence -- slothfulness.

see HEBREW atsel

Word Origin
from atsel
Definition
sluggishness
NASB Translation
indolence (1), laziness (1).

עֵצְלָה noun feminine sluggishness; — ׳י Proverbs 19:15; dual intensive עֲצַלְתַּיִם Ecclesiastes 10:18 double (i.e. great) sluggishness (so Thes De and others; read then perhaps עֵצְלָתַיִם; > from עָצֵל a sluggish pair, i.e. hands Ew and others), but improbable; "" שִׁפְלוּת יָדַיִם, whence Bi conjectures עֵצְלוּת, Siegf עֵצְלַת יָדַיִם.

Meaning and Scope

The term denotes a settled condition of sluggishness that resists effort and responsibility. It is more than occasional fatigue; it is a habitual attitude that shrinks from productive labor and therefore leaves duties undone, whether in the field, the workshop, the home, or the heart.

Canonical Occurrences

Proverbs 19:15 warns, “Laziness brings on deep sleep, and an idle soul will suffer hunger.”

Ecclesiastes 10:18 observes, “Through laziness the rafters sag, and through idleness the house leaks.”

In both verses the word pictures a moral failure that yields practical loss—hunger in the proverb, structural decay in the proverb-like saying of Ecclesiastes.

Wisdom Literature’s Teaching

Proverbs consistently contrasts diligence with this form of sloth (Proverbs 6:6-11; 10:4; 12:24; 20:4; 24:30-34; 26:13-16). Laziness wastes time, resources, and opportunity; diligence brings provision, honor, and security. Ecclesiastes adds a communal dimension: indolence not only impoverishes the sluggard but also endangers the household. Together the books reveal that a community’s stability can be undermined by personal negligence.

Historical Background

In an agrarian economy every season demanded timely attention—plowing, sowing, harvesting, repairing. Failure in any task imperiled food supply and shelter. Thus Scripture’s rebukes of sloth carried immediate economic relevance: negligence could spell hunger or collapse of one’s dwelling. The imagery of sagging rafters in Ecclesiastes would have resonated with hearers who understood the constant need for roof maintenance in Israel’s climate.

Theological and Spiritual Implications

Slothfulness runs counter to humanity’s creation mandate to “work and keep” God’s world (Genesis 2:15). It resists the Lord’s own example, for God “neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4), and it contradicts the Savior’s call to vigilant stewardship (Matthew 25:26). Habitual indolence breeds vulnerability to temptation, dulls spiritual perception, and invites divine discipline (Hebrews 6:12).

Ministry and Discipleship Applications

1. Work Ethic: Believers are to “never be lacking in zeal” (Romans 12:11) and to “work with your own hands” (1 Thessalonians 4:11).
2. Stewardship: Churches and families deteriorate when maintenance of prayer, teaching, and service is neglected, just as a roof decays without care.
3. Pastoral Counsel: Address patterns of long-term unemployment or disengagement not only as economic issues but as spiritual dangers, calling for repentance, accountability, and practical support.
4. Mission: Diligence commends the gospel (2 Corinthians 8:7), whereas laziness discredits it.

Related Biblical Witness

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 28:47-48; Psalm 128:2; Proverbs 13:4.

New Testament: Colossians 3:23; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12; James 2:17.

Scripture thus presents עַצְלָה as a vice that erodes both personal well-being and covenant community life, urging God’s people toward diligent, faithful labor in every season.

בַּעֲצַלְתַּ֖יִם בעצלתים עַ֭צְלָה עצלה ‘aṣ·lāh ‘aṣlāh Atzlah ba‘ăṣaltayim ba·‘ă·ṣal·ta·yim baatzalTayimInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts