H5923 H5923
yoke — a wooden bar for draft animals; figuratively, the burden of servitude, oppression, or subjugation
Ol is a masculine noun for a yoke — the wooden crossbar placed on the necks of oxen — appearing 40 times with a dramatic shift from literal agricultural implement to dominant metaphor for political and spiritual bondage. Only a handful of occurrences are strictly literal: the red heifer upon which no yoke has come (Num 19:2), the unyoked cow for the unsolved murder rite (Deut 21:3), and the untrained cows carrying the ark (1 Sam 6:7). The remainder are figurative. Rehoboam's refusal to lighten his father's 'yoke' fractures the kingdom (1 Kgs 12:4-14). Jeremiah wears an actual yoke as prophetic theater, declaring that nations must submit to Babylon's 'yoke' — and Hananiah breaks it, prompting God to replace wooden bars with iron ones (Jer 27-28). The liberating counter-image runs from the Exodus ('I broke the bars of your yoke,' Lev 26:13) through the eschatological promise ('I will break his yoke from off your neck,' Jer 30:8; Nah 1:13).
Senses
1. yoke (burden/servitude) — A wooden bar placed on the necks of draft animals, used literally in a few agricultural and ritual contexts (Num 19:2; Deut 21:3; 1 Sam 6:7) but predominantly as a figure for subjugation, servitude, and political oppression. The metaphor is politically decisive in Rehoboam's kingdom-splitting exchange (1 Kgs 12:4-14). Jeremiah's 'yoke' sign-act (Jer 27-28) dramatizes submission to Babylon, while Hananiah's breaking of the wooden yoke triggers the threat of an iron one (Jer 28:13-14). The liberating counter-image — 'breaking the yoke' — signals divine deliverance from bondage (Lev 26:13; Isa 9:4; 10:27; Jer 30:8; Ezek 34:27; Nah 1:13). Spanish 'yugo,' French 'joug,' and German 'Joch' all preserve both the concrete and metaphorical range. 40×
AR["النِّيرُ","النّيرِ","بِنِيرِ","نيراً","نيرَنا","نِيرًا","نِيرٌ","نِيرَ","نِيرَنَا","نِيرُ"]·ben["আমাদের-জোয়াল","জোয়াল","জোয়ালে"]·DE["[עלנו]","in-ueber","ueber","unser-yoke","yoke","yoke-von"]·EN["Yoke-of","a-yoke","in-yoke-of","our-yoke","the-yoke","yoke","yoke-of"]·FR["[עלנו]","dans-sur","joug","notre-joug","sur","yoke","yoke-de"]·heb["ב-עול","עֹל","עֻלֵּנוּ","עול","על","עלנו-נו"]·HI["जूआ","जूए-में","जूए-हमारे","हमारा-जूआ"]·ID["di-bawah-kuk","kuk","kuk-kami"]·IT["Baal","[עלנו]","giogo","nostro-giogo","su","yoke","yoke-di"]·jav["kita","pasangan","pasangan-ipun","pasangan-kawula-sedaya","wonten-ing-pasangan-ipun"]·KO["(접)-멍에를","먍에-를","멍에","멍에-가","멍에-를","멍에-안에","멍에가","멍에를","우리-먍에","우리의-멍에를"]·PT["Jugo-de-","jugo","jugo-de","jugo-de-","no-jugo-de-","nosso-jugo"]·RU["в-ярмо","иго","иго-наше","ярмо"]·ES["Yugo-de","el-yugo","el-yugo-de","en-yugo-de","nuestro-yugo","yugo","yugo-de","yugo-de-nosotros"]·SW["chini-ya-nira-ya","nira","nira-hiyo","nira-ya","nira-yetu"]·TR["boyundurugunu","boyunduruk","boyunduruğu","boyunduruğumuzu","boyunduruğuna","boyunduruğunu"]·urd["جوا","جُوا","میں-جوئے","ہمارا-جوا"]
Gen 27:40, Lev 26:13, Num 19:2, Deut 21:3, Deut 28:48, 1 Sam 6:7, 1 Kgs 12:4, 1 Kgs 12:4, 1 Kgs 12:9, 1 Kgs 12:10, 1 Kgs 12:11, 1 Kgs 12:11 (+28 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† עֹל39 n.m. 1 K 12:4 yoke;—ע׳ abs. Ho 11:4 +; cstr. Is 9:3 +; sf. עֻלֵּךְ Je 2:20 Is 47:6, עֻלּוֹ Gn 27:40 +, עֻלְּכֶם 1 K 12:11, etc.;—yoke, for cattle, עָלָה עֲלֵיהֶם ע׳ 1 S 6:7, cf. Nu 19:2 (P), מָֽשְׁכָה בְּע׳ Dt 21:3; usually fig. of servitude 1 K 12:4, 10, 11(×2), 14(×2) = 2 Ch 10:4, 10, 11(×2), 14; נָתַן ע׳ עַל 1 K 12:4, 9 = 2 Ch 10:4, 9; וְנָתַן ע׳ בַּרְזֶל עַל־צַוָּארֶ֑ךָ Dt 28:48, so…