slackness
re.miy.yah denotes a lack of diligent action, associated with poverty, forced labor, unfinished work, hunger, and deceitful performance.
The attested use chiefly describes a lack of diligent action in work and livelihood: it is set against diligence and linked with poverty, forced labor, unprepared food, and hunger. In Jeremiah 48:10, the same noun describes doing the LORD’s work deceitfully.
Senses in use
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Lack of diligence in work and provision · dominant
In Proverbs 10:4, the feminine singular absolute noun occurs in the clause the APB renders “A slack palm makes one poor,” contrasted with a diligent hand. Proverbs 12:24, Proverbs 12:27, and Proverbs 19:15 connect the noun with forced labor, failure to prepare game, and deep sleep followed by hunger.
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Deceitful performance of assigned work · rare
In Jeremiah 48:10, the feminine singular absolute noun occurs in the warning against doing the work of the LORD deceitfully; the APB renders the clause “does the work of the LORD deceitfully.”
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB uses “slack,” “slackness,” and “sluggishness” in the Proverbs clauses, while Jeremiah 48:10 renders the relevant clause with “deceitfully.” These renderings show the verse-level presentation rather than fixed equivalents.