H1351 H1351
To defile, pollute, or desecrate; to be ritually or morally contaminated; to stain with blood.
A root of contamination that moves across every stem of the Hebrew verbal system, each one adding a distinct shade of defilement. Priests with uncertain genealogies were 'desecrated out of the priesthood' (Ezra 2:62); Jerusalem herself is called 'the defiled one' (Zeph 3:1). Daniel resolved not to 'defile himself' with the king's food, and the Suffering Warrior declares 'I stained all my garments' with the blood of judgment (Isa 63:3). Spanish consistently renders with 'contaminar' forms, showing how naturally this concept maps across languages.
Senses
1. Nifal/Pual: be defiled, become polluted — Niphal and Pual passive: to be defiled, become polluted, or be declared ritually unclean. Priests whose genealogies could not be verified were 'desecrated from the priesthood' (Ezra 2:62; Neh 7:64), a pregnant construction meaning expelled as polluted. In Isaiah 59:3 and Lamentations 4:14, hands and garments are stained with blood. Zephaniah 3:1 personifies Jerusalem as 'the defiled one.' Spanish 'contaminada/contaminado' and French 'profaner' consistently capture this passive defilement. 7×
AR["تَلَوَّثَتْ", "تَلَوَّثُوا", "فَ-اعْتُبِرُوا-نَجِسِينَ", "فَرُفِضوا", "نَجِسًا", "نَجِسَةٌ", "وَالْمُتَنَجِّسَةِ"]·ben["অশুচি", "আর-অশুচি-হল", "আর-তাদের-অশুচি-সাব্যস্ত-করা-হল", "এবং-অশুচি-", "কলুষিত-হয়েছে", "কলুষিত-হয়েছে-তারা"]·DE["[ויגאלו]", "[ונגאלה]", "[נגאלו]", "von-Loeser"]·EN["and-the-defiled", "and-they-were-excluded", "and-were-polluted", "are-defiled", "defiled", "they-were-defiled"]·FR["[ויגאלו]", "[נגאלו]", "et-profaner", "profaner"]·heb["ו-יגאלו", "ו-נגאלה", "מגואל", "נגואלו", "ניגואלו"]·HI["अशुद्ध", "अशुद्ध-हैं", "इसलिए-अशुद्ध-ठहराए-गए", "इसलिए-अशुद्ध-ठहरे", "और-अशुद्ध", "वे-अशुद्ध-हो-गए"]·ID["dan-dikeluarkan", "dan-mereka-dikeluarkan", "dan-tercemar", "mereka-tercemar", "najis", "tercemar", "yang-najis"]·IT["[ויגאלו]", "[נגאלו]", "contaminato", "e-contaminare"]·jav["kang-najis", "lajeng-kasingkiraken", "lan-kang-najis", "lan-kasingkiraken", "najis", "sami-karegetan", "sampun-reged"]·KO["그들-이-더럽혀졌네", "그리고-더러운", "그리고-제외되었다", "그리하여-제외되었다", "더럽혀졌는데", "더럽혀진"]·PT["contaminada", "contaminado", "e-contaminada", "e-foram-excluídos", "manchadas-de", "poluídos"]·RU["и-были-исключены", "и-осквернённому", "осквернены", "осквернённые", "осквернённый"]·ES["contaminada-(es)", "contaminado", "están-contaminadas", "se-contaminaban", "y-contaminada", "y-fueron-excluidos"]·SW["imechafuliwa", "imenajisiwa", "na-ulionajisiwa", "na-wakaondolewa", "ulionajisiwa", "wakiwa-wamechafuliwa"]·TR["kirlendi", "kirlendiler", "kirli", "ve-kirlenmiş", "ve-kirli-sayıldılar", "ve-murdar-sayildilar"]·urd["آلودہ", "آلودہ-ہیں", "اور-ناپاک-ٹھہرے", "اور-ناپاک-ٹہرائے-گئے", "اور-نجس", "ناپاک"]
2. Hitpael: defile oneself — Hitpael reflexive: to defile oneself deliberately or to resolve against self-defilement. Daniel 'purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself' with the king's food or wine (Dan 1:8). Spanish 'se contaminara/se contaminaría' preserves the reflexive middle voice perfectly, emphasizing the subject's agency in guarding or violating personal purity boundaries. 2×
AR["يَتَنَجَّسُ"]·ben["অশুচি-হবেন"]·DE["[יתגאל]"]·EN["he-would-defile-himself"]·FR["profaner"]·heb["יתגאל"]·HI["अशुद्ध-होगा"]·ID["ia-akan-menajiskan-diri", "ia-menajiskan-diri"]·IT["contaminare"]·jav["badhe-najisaken-awakipun", "najisaken-awakipun"]·KO["더럽혀지지-않도록", "더럽히지-않겠다고"]·PT["se-contaminaria", "se-contaminasse"]·RU["осквернится"]·ES["se-contaminara", "se-contaminaría"]·SW["asijitie-unajisi"]·TR["kirlenecek", "kirlenmesini"]·urd["ناپاک-ہو"]
3. Piel: defile (someone/something) — Piel active: to profane or desecrate someone or something through one's actions. In Malachi 1:7 the priests are challenged: 'How have we defiled you?' -- addressing YHWH directly, as their polluted offerings desecrate His altar and, by extension, His name. Spanish 'te contaminamos' retains the direct-object relationship, showing that defilement can be inflicted upon the holy. 1×
AR["نَجَّسْنَاكَ"]·ben["আমরা-অশুচি-করেছি-তোমাকে"]·DE["[גאלנוך]"]·EN["have-we-defiled-You"]·FR["profaner"]·heb["גאלנוך"]·HI["हमने-अशुद्ध-किया-तुझे"]·ID["kami-menajiskan-Engkau"]·IT["contaminare"]·jav["kita-najisaken-Paduka"]·KO["더럽혔나요-너를"]·PT["te-contaminamos"]·RU["осквернили-мы-Тебя"]·ES["te-contaminamos?"]·SW["tumekutweza"]·TR["kirlettik-seni"]·urd["ہم-نے-تجھے-ناپاک-کیا"]
4. Hifil: stain, soil — Hifil causative: to stain or soil something, used metaphorically of garments drenched in the blood of divine judgment. In Isaiah 63:3, the divine warrior treads the winepress alone and declares 'I stained all my garments.' This sense moves beyond ritual defilement into vivid physical imagery of blood spattering cloth, a metaphor for the violence of eschatological judgment. Spanish 'manché' ('I stained') captures the concrete, visceral quality. 1×
AR["لَوَّثْتُ"]·ben["আমি-কলঙ্কিত-করেছি"]·DE["[אגאלתי]"]·EN["I-stained"]·FR["[אגאלתי]"]·heb["אגאלתי"]·HI["अशुद्ध-किया-मैंने"]·ID["Aku-kotori"]·IT["[אגאלתי]"]·jav["Kawula-reged"]·KO["내가-더럽혔다"]·PT["manchei"]·RU["запачкал-Я"]·ES["manché"]·SW["nimezitiia"]·TR["kirlettim"]·urd["میں-نے-داغدار-کیے"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. [גָּאַל] vb. defile, late (cf. גָּעַל)— Niph. Pf. 3 mpl. נְגֹאֲלוּ Is 59:3 La 4:14, on form v. Ges§ 51 h, Köi 265; Pt. נִגְאָלָה Zp 3:1;—be defiled, hands with blood בַּדָּם, Is 59:3 cf. La 4:14; pt. as subst. defiled, polluted one Zp 3:1 of Jerusalem (‖ מֹֽרְאָה; appos. הָעִיר הַיּוֹנָה). Pi. Pf. 1 pl. sf. גֵּאַלְנוּךָ Mal 1:7 pollute, desecrate, obj. י׳ (desecrated in his altar). Pu.…