[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/biblical-hebrew/%D7%9E%D7%A2%D7%9C-2/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [Biblical Hebrew](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/biblical-hebrew/) / [מ](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/biblical-hebrew/mem/)‎ / מָעַל‎

# מָעַל

Biblical Hebrew · Strong's H4603

**act unfaithfully** — used 35 times in the Hebrew Bible. Below: its meanings with their sources, MACULA's glosses, and 2 verses word for word and in JPS 1917.

## Meaning

### OpenScriptures lexical index

act unfaithfully [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4603/#m1)

### Brown–Driver–Briggs 1906

מָעַל: vb. act unfaithfully, treacherously [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4603/#m2)

**The whole BDB entry:** vb. act unfaithfully, treacherously, a priestly word (P Ez. Ch.), chiefly late (NH id., act unfaithfully; Arabic مَغَلَ whisper, backbite, مَغَالَةٌ perfidy, fraud);— Pf. 3 ms. מָעַל Jos 22:20 + 4 times; 3 fs. מָֽעֲלָה Lv 5:21 Nu 5:12 + 13 times Pf.; Impf. יִמְעַל Pr 16:10 2 Ch 26:16; 3 fs. תִּמְעֹל Lv 5:15 Nu 5:27; 3 mpl. יִמְעֲלוּ Jos 7:1, וַיִּמְעֲלוּ 1 Ch 5:25; 2 mpl. תִּמְעָ֑לוּ Ne 1:8; Inf. cstr. לִמְעֹל, so read for ℌ למסר Nu 31:16 Thes Di;—act unfaithfully, treacherously, usually מָעַל מַ֫עַל: abs. בַּחֵרֶם in the matter of the devoted thing (the sin of Achan) Jos 7:1 (JE), 22:20 (P), cf. Lv 5:15 (P), 2 Ch 36:14 Ez 14:13; 15:8; 18:24. wife against (בְּ) husband Nu 5:12, 27 (P; marital infidelity). elsewhere ag. (בְּ) God, Lv 26:40 (H), 5:21 Nu 5:6; 31:16 (?) Jos 22:16, 31 (all P), 1 Ch 10:13 2 Ch 28:19 Ez 17:20; 20:27; 39:26 Dn 9:7. usage without מַעַל (only late): במשׁפט לא ימעל פיו Pr 16:10 let not his (the king’s) mouth act treacherously against justice (RV in judgment). elsewhere against God, c. בְּ, Dt 32:51 (P), 1 Ch 5:25 2 Ch 12:3; 26:16; 28:22; 30:7 Ezr 10:2 Ne 13:27 Ez 39:23; without בְּ, 2 Ch 26:18; 29:6 Ezr 10:10 Ne 1:8; בַּהֵרֶם 1 Ch 2:7.

Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 34 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (9 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 2 with the glosses (5 candidates)

## Glosses

MACULA's English glosses of the word in the text, with how often each is used: they acted unfaithfully (7); you have acted unfaithfully (4); act unfaithfully (3).

## In the verses

[Proverbs 16:10](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.16.10/) · [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.16.10/#tree)

קֶ֤סֶם ׀ עַֽל־שִׂפְתֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ בְּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט לֹ֣א יִמְעַל־פִּֽיו׃

*Word for word:* divination \[is\].on \[the\].lips of.a.king in judgment not it.will.act.unfaithfully mouth his

*JPS 1917:* A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; his mouth trespasseth not in judgment.

[1 Chronicles 2:7](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/1CH.2.7/) · [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/1CH.2.7/#tree)

וּבְנֵ֖י כַּרְמִ֑י עָכָר֙ עוֹכֵ֣ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר מָעַ֖ל בַּחֵֽרֶם׃ס

*Word for word:* and the.sons of.Carmi \[were\].Achar \[who\].troubled Israel who he.acted.unfaithfully in the.devoted thing\[s\]

*JPS 1917:* And the sons of Carmi: Achar, the troubler of Israel, who committed a trespass concerning the devoted thing.

## On Mova

- [This word in the Tanakh dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/4603.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of its meanings](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4603/): every English meaning parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.

Sources. The words, their counts, glosses and the word-for-word renderings: MACULA Hebrew (the Westminster Leningrad Codex; Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0). Meanings: the OpenScriptures lexical index (CC BY 4.0), Brown–Driver–Briggs 1906 and Jastrow 1903 (public domain, via Sefaria); Targum Onkelos from Sefaria (public domain). Translation: JPS 1917 (public domain, from eBible.org).