H0926 H0926
To be terrified or dismayed; to terrify or alarm someone; to hasten, hurry, or act precipitately.
Bahal is a verb of two semantic worlds that share an undercurrent of agitation. In one world it means to be terrified, shaken to the core — the reaction of Joseph's brothers when he reveals his identity (Gen 45:3), or of Belshazzar at the handwriting on the wall. In the other, it means to hasten or hurry, often with a sense of rashness, as in Ecclesiastes' warnings against hasty speech and quick anger (Eccl 5:2; 7:9). The Syriac cognate actually means 'to be quiet' — the opposite — which highlights how the root's core is inner disturbance that manifests as either panic or reckless haste.
Senses
1. be terrified, dismayed (Nifal) — The Nifal reflexive-passive sense of being terrified, dismayed, or deeply shaken — twenty-two of thirty-nine occurrences, making this the dominant meaning. Joseph's brothers 'were dismayed at his presence' (Gen 45:3); the mighty men of Moab are seized with trembling (Exod 15:15); Saul's medium at En-dor 'was terrified' at the apparition (1 Sam 28:21). Spanish aterrorizado/aterrado and German erschreckt converge on the terror-fear axis. The Nifal form marks the subject as the experiencer of overwhelming dread, often paired with verbs of trembling (charad) or sinking hands (rafu yadav), as in 2 Sam 4:1 and Ezek 7:27. 22×
AR["أَرْتَعِبُ","ارْتَاعُوا","ارْتَعَبوا","ارْتَعَبُوا","ارْتَعَبْنَا","ارْتَعَدَتْ","اِرْتَعَبْتُ","تَرتَعِب","تَرْتَعِدُ","فَ-ارْتَعَبَ","مُرتَعِدٌ","مُرْتَعِبًا","مُرْتَعِدَةٌ","مُرْعِبًا","وَ-ارْتَعَبْتُ","وَ-يَرْتَعِبُونَ","وَ-يَرْتَعِدُ","وَتَرْتَاعُ"]·ben["আকস্মিক","আমরা-ভীত-হয়েছি","আমি-ভয়-পাই","আর-ভয়-পাবে","এবং-আমি-ভীত-হই","এবং-ভীত-হল","এবং-ভীত-হোক","ও-তারা-ভীত-হবে","তারা-বিচলিত-হয়","বিচলিত","ভয়-পাবে","ভীত-হয়েছিল","ভীত-হয়েছে","ভীত-হল","ভীত-হলাম","ভীত-হলেন","হতভম্ব-হয়েছিল-তারা"]·DE["[ונבהלו]","[נבהלו]","[נבהלתי]","[תבהלנה]","dismayed","eilt","ist-greatly-beunruhigt","sie-erschraken","sie-sind-terrified","sie-waren-dismayed","sind-beunruhigt","terrified","und-eilt","und-greatly-beunruhigt","und-war-erschreckt","waren-dismayed","waren-terrified","wir-sind-dismayed"]·EN["I-am-dismayed","I-am-terrified","a-terrifying-one","and-am-terrified","and-greatly-troubled","and-shall-be-dismayed","and-they-are-terrified","and-was-terrified","are-terrified","are-troubled","dismayed","is-greatly-troubled","shall-be-terrified","terrified","they-are-terrified","they-were-dismayed","they-were-terrified","we-are-dismayed","were-dismayed","were-terrified"]·FR["[ונבהלו]","[נבהלו]","[נבהלתי]","et-ils-furent-effrayés","et-se-hâter","et-était-terrified","et-être-troublé","furent-terrifié","ils-sont-effrayés","ils-étaient-terrified","se-hâter","terrifié","étaient-dismayed","être-effrayé","être-troublé"]·heb["אבהל","ו-יבהלו","ו-נבהל","ו-נבהלו","ו-נבהלתי","ייבהלון","נבהל","נבהלה","נבהלו","נבהלנו","נבהלתי","תיבהלנה"]·HI["और-घबरा-गया","और-मैं-घबराया","और-वे-घबराएंगे","और-व्याकुल-हों","घबरा-गए","घबरा-गए-थे","घबरा-गया-मैं","घबराए","घब्र-गय","भयानक","मैं-घबराता-हूँ","वे-घबराएंगे","वे-घबराते-हैं","व्याकुल","व्याकुल-है","व्याकुल-हैं","हम-घबरा-गए"]·ID["Dan-mereka-terkejut","akan-gemetar","aku-takut","aku-terkejut","dan-aku-takut","dan-sangat-gemetar","dan-terkejut","dan-terkejutlah","gemetar","kami-gentar","mengejutkan","menjadi-panik","mereka-ketakutan","sangat-gemetar","terkejut","terkejut-mereka"]·IT["[ונבהלו]","[נבהלה]","[נבהלו]","[נבהלתי]","[תבהלנה]","atterrito","e-essere-spaventato","e-fu-terrified","e-fu-turbato","erano-atterrito","essere-spaventato","essi-furono-terrified","fu-turbato","furono-dismayed"]·jav["Lan-gègèr","badhé-geter","gemeter","girap","giris","kagegeran","kaget","kang-nggegirisi","kawula-ajrih","kawula-kaget","kita-kajrihaken","lan-giris","lan-kawula-kaget","lan-sami-kagegeran","saha-giris","sami-gigap","sami-kagèt","sareng-sareng"]·KO["그들-이-두려워하리라","그리고-놀랄-것이다","그리고-두려운데","그리고-두려워했다","그리고-떨리로다","놀란것을","놀랐나이다","놀랐다","놓라고","놓랐다","놓랐으니","당황했다","두려운","두려워하고","두려워하였다","두려워하였도다","떨리나이다","떨리라"]·PT["E-aterrorizar-se-ão","apressado","aterrorizado","e-aterrou-se","e-ficarão-aterrorizadas","e-fico-perturbado","e-perturbados","está-perturbada","ficam-perturbados","ficaram-aterrorizados","ficaram-perturbados","fui-perturbado","me-perturbo;","perturbado","perturbados","perturbou-se","se-espantaram","somos-perturbados","tremerão"]·RU["был-в-смятении","в-смятении","внезапную","встревожен","и-испугался","и-ужасаюсь","и-ужаснутся","потрясена","потрясены","смутились","смутились-они","ужасаюсь","ужасаются","ужаснулся-я","ужаснутся","устрашены","устрашены-мы"]·ES["Y-se-aterrorizarán","apresurada","estaba-aterrado","está-turbada","están-aterrados","están-turbados","fui-espantado","me-espanto","me-espanto;","se-turban","se-turbaron","se-turbarán","somos-turbados","turbado","y-se-aterró","y-se-turbarán"]·SW["alifadhaika","imefadhaika","itatetemeka","na-kufadhaika","na-nafadhaika","na-vitashangaa","na-wakashtushwa","na-watashindwa","nimeogopa","nimeshtushwa","ninatetemeka","tumefadhaika","wa-kutisha","waboga","wakafadhaika","walishtuka","wameshtushwa","wanafadhaika","zinatetemeka"]·TR["dehşete-düşmüş","dehşetli","korkmuştu","korktu","korku-dolduk","korkuya-kapıldılar","korkuyorum","paniğe-kapıldılar","sarsılacak","sarsıldı","sarsıldılar","sasirdim","ve-korkacaklar","ve-korktular","ve-paniğe-kapıldı","ve-sarsılsınlar","ve-şaşırırım","ürkerler","şaşırdılar"]·urd["اور-خوفزدہ-ہوں-گے","اور-دہل-اٹھیں-گے","اور-گھبرائیں","اور-گھبراتا ہوں","اور-گھبرایا","بہت-گھبرائی-ہوئی-ہے","دہل-گئے-ہم","میں گھبراتا ہوں","وہ-گھبراتے-ہیں","پریشان","کانپیں-گے","گھبرا-گئے","گھبرائی-ہوئی-ہیں","گھبرائے","گھبرایا-گیا","گھبرایا-ہوا","گھبرایا۔","ہیبت-ناک"]
Gen 45:3, Exod 15:15, Judg 20:41, 1 Sam 28:21, 2 Sam 4:1, Job 4:5, Job 21:6, Job 23:15, Ps 6:2, Ps 6:3, Ps 6:10, Ps 30:7 (+10 more)
2. terrify, alarm someone (Piel) — The Piel causative-terror sense: to terrify, alarm, or frighten another person — seven occurrences. Sennacherib's messengers speak to terrify Jerusalem's defenders (2 Chr 32:18); adversaries conspire 'to terrify them' from building the temple (Ezra 4:4); God's terrors 'are arrayed against' Job (Job 6:4). The Piel morphology signals the subject as agent inflicting terror on another, the active counterpart of sense 1's passive experience. Spanish aterrorizar and French troubler/effrayer mark this transitive causation distinctly from the intransitive Nifal. 7×
AR["أَرْعَبَنِي","أَرْعِبْهُمْ","تُفْزِعُهُ","وَ-لِيُرْعِبُوهُمْ","وَ-يُرْعِبُكَ","وَ-يُرْعِبُونَهُم","يُرْعِبُهُمْ"]·ben["আমাকে-ভীত-করেছেন","আর-ভয়-দেখাচ্ছিল","এবং-ভীত-করে-তোমাকে","ও-ত্রস্ত-করতে-তাদের","তাকে-বিচলিত-করবে","তাদেরকে-ভীত-কর","তিনি-তাদের-ভয়-দেবেন"]·DE["[ולבהלם]","[יבהלהו]","eilt","er-terrifies-ihnen","terrify-ihnen","und-eilt"]·EN["and-frightening","and-terrifies-you","and-to-terrify-them","has-terrified-me","he-terrifies-them","shall-alarm-him","terrify-them"]·FR["et-se-hâter-toi","et-être-troublé","se-hâter-moi","être-effrayé","être-troublé"]·heb["הבהילני","ו-(ומבהלים)","ו-יבהלך","ו-ל-בהלם-ם","יבהלוהו","יבהלם","תבהלם"]·HI["उन्हें-व्याकुल-करता-है","उन्होंने-डराया","और-घबराने-उन्हें","और-तुझे-घबराता-है","घबरा-दे-उन्हें","घबराएंगी-उसे","मुझे-घबरा-दिया"]·ID["Ia-mengejutkan-mereka","akan-mengejutkannya","dan-membuatmu-takut","dan-menakut-nakuti","dan-untuk-mengacaukan-mereka","kacaukanlah-mereka","membuatku-takut"]·IT["[יבהלהו]","e-essere-spaventato-tuo","e-essere-turbato","essere-spaventato-mio","fu-turbato"]·jav["ajrihna","badhé-nggusaraken-piyambak-ipun","lan-kanggé-nggrisaken-piyambakipun","lan-ngagetaken-panjenengan","ndamel-ajrih","ngagetaken-kawula","piyambakipun"]·KO["(그리고-두렵게하는자들)","그리고-두렵게-하나니","그리고-을-당황하게-하려고-그들을","놓라게-하리라-그를","두렵게-하셨나니","두렵게-하소서-그들-을","두렵게하시니-그들-을"]·PT["(e-aterrorizando)","apavora-os","e-para-perturbarem-nos","e-te-aterroriza","me-aterrorizou.","o-perturbarão","os-perturbará"]·RU["встревожат-его","и-ужаснуть-их","и-устрашает-тебя","и-устрашающим","ужаснёт-их","устрашай-их","устрашил-меня"]·ES["(y-aterrorizándolos)","aterrorízalos","lo-turbarán","los-turbará","me-ha-turbado.","y-para-turbarlos","y-te-espanta"]·SW["amenitia-hofu","na-inakutia-hofu","na-katika-ghadhabu","na-kuwatisha","wafadhaike","wּlbahalam","zitamshtua"]·TR["korkut","korkutacak-onu","korkuttu-beni","korkutur-onları","ve-korkutur-seni","ve-korkutuyorlardi","ve-yıldırmak-için-onları"]·urd["(اور-ڈراتی)","اور-گھبراتا ہے-تجھے","اور-گھبرانے-کو-اُنہیں","دہلا-دے-اُنہیں","گھبرا-دے-گا-اُنہیں","گھبرائیں-گی-اُسے","گھبرایا-مجھے"]
3. be hasty, act in haste (Nifal) — The Nifal sense of being hasty or acting precipitately — four occurrences, all in Wisdom Literature. Proverbs 28:22 warns that a person with an 'evil eye' hastens after wealth; Ecclesiastes cautions against being 'hasty in spirit to be angry' (7:9) or letting your heart 'be hasty to utter a word before God' (5:2). The semantic shift from terror to haste is natural: both involve agitation and loss of measured composure. Spanish apresurarse ('to hurry oneself') and German eilen ('to hurry') confirm that translators read these as genuine haste rather than fear. Ecclesiastes 8:3 similarly counsels against impulsive departure from the king's presence. 4×
AR["الحُلْمَ","تَكُنْ","مُتَسَرِّعٌ"]·ben["তাড়াহুড়া-করো","তাড়াহুড়ো-করে"]·DE["eilt"]·EN["be-alarmed","be-hasty","be-quick","hastens"]·FR["se-hâter"]·heb["נבהל","תבהל","תיבהל"]·HI["घबरा","जल्दबाज़","जल्दी-कर"]·ID["Tergesa-gesa","terburu-buru","tergesa-gesa"]·IT["essere-spaventato"]·jav["kesusu"]·KO["서두르라","조급하는-자는"]·PT["Apressando-se","te-apresses"]·RU["спешит","торопись"]·ES["Se-apresura","te-apresures"]·SW["aharakiye","kuharakisha","kuondoka"]·TR["acele-eden","aceleci-olma"]·urd["جلدی-کر","جلدی-کرنے-والا"]
4. be hastened (Pual) — The Pual passive sense of being hastened or gotten in haste — two occurrences. In Esth 8:14 the royal couriers 'were hastened' by the king's urgent command; in Prov 20:21 an inheritance 'gotten hastily' will not be blessed in the end. Spanish apresuradamente ('hurriedly') and the English 'hastened/hastily' both mark the passive voice: the subject is not choosing to hurry but is being hurried along by external force or circumstance. 2×
AR["(مُتَسَرِّعٌ)","مُسْتَعْجَلِينَ"]·ben["তাড়াতাড়ি","তাড়াহুড়ো-করা"]·DE["eilt"]·EN["(gotten-hastily)","hastened"]·FR["se-hâter","être-troublé"]·heb["(מבוהלת)","מבהלים"]·HI["(जल्दी-से)"]·ID["(dipercepat)","terburu-buru"]·IT["essere-spaventato","essere-turbato"]·jav["dipun-enggalaken","kang-dipunenggalaken"]·KO["(서두른)","서둘러"]·PT["(adquirida-rapidamente)","apressados"]·RU["поспешное","спешащие"]·ES["(adquirida-apresuradamente)","apresurados"]·SW["uliopatikana-kwa-haraka","wakihimizwa"]·TR["(aceleyle-kazanılmış)","aceleyle"]·urd["جلدی-سے","جلدی-سے-حاصل-کی-گئی"]
5. hasten, hurry someone (Piel) — The Piel causative-haste sense: to hasten or hurry someone along — two occurrences. In 2 Chr 35:21 Pharaoh Neco tells Josiah that God has commanded him 'to hurry' his campaign; in Esth 2:9 the king's eunuch 'hastened' to provide Esther with cosmetics and attendants. This parallels sense 2's Piel structure but with haste rather than terror as the caused state. Spanish apresurar ('to hurry someone') and the transitive construction confirm the causative semantics. 2×
AR["فَ-بَادَرَ","لِيُعَجِّلَنِي"]·ben["ও-তাড়াতাড়ি-করলেন","তাড়াতাড়ি-করতে-আমার"]·DE["[לבהלני]","und-eilt"]·EN["and-he-hastened","to-hurry-me"]·FR["et-être-troublé","être-troublé"]·heb["ו-יבהל","ל-בהלני-י"]·HI["जल्दी-करने-को-मुझे","तो-तुरन्त"]·ID["dan-dia-bersegera","untuk-mempercepat-aku"]·IT["e-essere-turbato","essere-turbato"]·jav["kanggé-ngénggalaken-kula","lan-enggal"]·KO["그리고-서둘렀다","을-서두르게-하려고-나를"]·PT["e-apressou","para-apressar-me"]·RU["и-поспешил","спешить-мне"]·ES["que-me-apresure","y-se-apresuró"]·SW["lbahaleniy","na-akaharakisha"]·TR["acele-ettirmeme","ve-acele-etti"]·urd["اور-جلدی-کی","مجھے-جلدی-کرنے-کو"]
6. cause to hasten (Hifil) — The Hifil intensive-causative sense: to cause someone to hurry or to rush someone out — two occurrences. In 2 Chr 26:20 the priests 'hurried' the leprous King Uzziah out of the temple; in Esth 6:14 the king's eunuchs 'hastened to bring' Haman to the banquet. The Hifil stem adds urgency and external compulsion beyond the Piel's simpler causation. Spanish sacar apresuradamente ('to take out hurriedly') captures the force, and the contexts both involve physical removal under pressure, distinguishing this from sense 5's more neutral hastening. 2×
AR["فَـ-أَسْرَعُوا-بِهِ","وَ-أَسْرَعُوا"]·ben["ও-তাড়াতাড়ি-করল","ও-তাড়িয়ে-দিলেন"]·DE["[ויבהלוהו]","und-eilt"]·EN["and-they-hastened","and-they-hurried-him"]·FR["et-être-troublé"]·heb["ו-יבהלו","ו-יבהלוהו-ו"]·HI["और-जल्दी-की","और-जल्दी-से-निकाला-उसे"]·ID["dan-bersegera","dan-mereka-mengusirnya"]·IT["e-essere-turbato"]·jav["lan-enggal","lan-sami-ngusir-piyambakipun"]·KO["그리고-내보냈다-그를","그리고-서둘러"]·PT["e-apressaram","e-apressaram-no"]·RU["и-вывели-его-спешно","и-поспешили"]·ES["y-apresuraron","y-lo-sacaron-apresuradamente"]·SW["na-wakamharakisha","walifika"]·TR["ve-acele-ettiler","ve-acele-ettirdiler"]·urd["اور-جلدی-سے-نکالا-اُسے","اور-جلدی-کی"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [בָּהַל] vb. (NH id. Pt. pass. בהול disquieted; Pi. disquiet; 𝔗 Pa. בַּהֵיל hasten, be precipitate, also dismay: but ܒܗܶܠ is be quiet)— Niph. Pf. נִבְהַל 1 S 28:21; נִבְהֲלָה ψ 6:4; נִבְהַלְתִּי Is 21:3; וְנִבְהָ֑לְתִּי consec. Jb 21:6; נִבְהֲלוּ Gn 45:3 +, etc.; Impf. וַיִּבָּהֵל Ju 20:41; 2 ms. תִּבָּהֵל Ec 8:3; יִבָּהֵלוּ֑ן ψ 104:29, etc.; Pt. נִבְהָל ψ 30:8; נִֽבֳהָל Pr 28:22; f. נִבְהָלָה…