H4603 H4603
To act unfaithfully, commit treachery — covenant breach against God through sacrilege or disloyalty
A verb from the priestly and Chronicler's vocabulary describing serious breach of faith against God. It almost always appears in the emphatic construction māʿal maʿal ('committed a trespass'), underscoring the gravity of the offense. The sin of Achan taking devoted spoil (Josh 7:1), Israel's intermarriage with foreign nations (Ezra 10:2), and Uzziah's presumptuous entry into the temple to burn incense (2 Chr 26:16) all exemplify this word's range. Unlike general terms for sin, māʿal specifically denotes violation of what is sacred or covenanted — a betrayal of trust with God. French 'agir infidèlement' and Spanish 'cometer infidelidad' both capture the relational treachery inherent in the term.
Senses
1. act unfaithfully, commit treachery — To act unfaithfully or commit sacrilege against God — the verbal sense describing the act of covenant breach, used of individuals (Achan at Jericho, Josh 7:1; Uzziah in the temple, 2 Chr 26:16) and collectively of Israel (Lev 26:40; Ezra 10:2). The characteristic construction māʿal maʿal ('trespassed a trespass') intensifies the gravity. Spanish 'cometer infidelidad' and French 'agir infidèlement' both convey the relational dimension — this is not mere rule-breaking but betrayal of a covenant partner. The term is concentrated in Leviticus, Numbers, Ezekiel, and Chronicles, marking it as distinctly priestly language. 34×
AR["تَخُونُ","تَخُونُوا","خانوا","خَانَ","خَانَ-","خَانُوا","خَانُوا-","خُنَّا","خُنْتُمْ","لِ-يَخُونَ","لِتَخُونُوا","لِـ-يَخُونَ","مِنَ-الْخِيَانَةِ-","وَ-خَانَ","وَ-خَانَتْ"]·ben["-বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা-করতে","অবিশ্বস্ত-ছিলেন","অবিশ্বস্ত-হয়েছিল-","অবিশ্বস্ত-হয়েছে","অবিশ্বস্ততা-করতে","অবিশ্বাসতা-করেছ","অবিশ্বাসতা-করেছি","এবং-করেছে","এবং-তারা-অবিশ্বস্ত-হল","বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা-করতে","বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা-করে","বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা-করেছিল","বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা-করেছিল-","বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা-করেছে-","সীমালঙ্ঘন-করেছ"]·DE["[למעל]","[מעלנו]","[מעלתם]","du-haben-handelte-treacherously","es-acts-unfaithfully","sie-handelte-unfaithfully-","treulos-handeln","und-handelte-unfaithfully","und-sie-handelte-treulos","von-ueber","zu-handeln-unfaithfully"]·EN["acted-unfaithfully","and-acted-unfaithfully","and-she-acted-unfaithfully","have-acted-treacherously","he-trespassed","he-trespassed-","it-acts-unfaithfully","they-acted-unfaithfully-","to-act-treacherously","to-act-unfaithfully","to-act-unfaithfully-","you-have-acted-treacherously"]·FR["agir-infidèlement","cela-acts-unfaithfully","de-montez!","de-sur","et-agit-unfaithfully","et-elle-agit-unfaithfully","ils-agit-unfaithfully-","tu-avoir-agit-traîtreusement","à-agir-unfaithfully"]·heb["ו-מעלה","ו-מעלו","ל-מעול","ל-מעל","ל-מעלה","מעל","מעל-","מעלה","מעלו","מעלו-","מעלנו","מעלתם","תמעול"]·HI["अपराध-करने-के-लिए","अपराध-किया-है","और-विश्वासघात-किया","किया-अपराध","किया-विश्वासघात-उसने","किया-विश्वासघात-उसने-","तुमने-किया","विश्वासघात","विश्वासघात किया-","विश्वासघात-करके","विश्वासघात-करने-को","विश्वासघात-करे","विश्वासघात-किया","विश्वासघात-किया-","विश्वासघात-किया-उन्होंने-"]·ID["berkhianat-","berlaku-tidak-setia","dan-dia-berkhianat","ia-berkhianat","ia-langgar","ia-melanggar","kamu-langgar","kamu-melanggar","mereka-berbuat-tidak-setia","mereka-berkhianat-","mereka-lakukan-tidak-setia-","telah-berdosa","tetapi-berkhianat","tidak-setia","untuk-berkhianat","untuk-tidak-setia"]·IT["a-agire-unfaithfully","agire-infedelmente","agire-slealmente","da-su","e-acted-unfaithfully","e-ella-agi-unfaithfully","essi-agi-unfaithfully-","esso-acts-unfaithfully","tu-avere-acted-treacherously"]·jav["kangge-nerak","kanggé-cidra","kanggé-nindakaken-piawon","kanggé-tumindak-boten-setya-","lan-nindakaken-boten-setya","lan-piyambakipun-nerak","mboten-setya","nglanggar","piyambakipun-mbrontak","piyambakipun-nglanggar","piyambakipun-nglanggar-","sami-tumindak-boten-setya","sampun-dosa","sampun-nerak","sampun-sami-duraka-"]·KO["그리고-배신했다","그리고-범하였다","로-범죄하기","반역하다","반역하였느냐","반역하였다","반역한","반역한-","반역했다","배반했다","배신하기-위하여","배신했나이다-","배신했다","범하기를-","범하면","범했다"]·PT["cometer-infidelidade","e-transgrediu","foram-infiéis","foram-infiéis-","fostes-infiéis","para-trair","para-transgredir","transgredimos","transgredir-","transgrediram","transgredistes","transgrediu","transgrediu-","traíram-","§ E-transgrediram"]·RU["И-согрешили","были-неверны-","вероломство-","вероломствовал","вероломствовал-","вероломствовали-","вероломствовать","для-вероломства","и-совершила","изменили","поступили-вероломно","преступили-","преступляя","совершит-преступление"]·ES["Y-cometieron-infidelidad","a-prevaricar","cometer-infidelidad-","cometiere","cometisteis","cometió-infidelidad","fueron-infieles","fueron-infieles-","habéis-sido-infieles","hemos-sido-infieles","para-cometer-infidelidad","para-prevaricar","prevaricaron","se-rebelaron","traicionaron-","y-cometió-infidelidad"]·SW["Lmal","Utmal","aliasi","itakosa-uaminifu","kosa","kuasi","kufanya-dhambi","limawl","maalwּ","mia","mmekosa","na-wakafanya-dhambi","tumefanya-uasi","walifanya-uasi","walikosa-uaminifu","walikosea-"]·TR["Ve-ihanet-ettiler","aşağı","hainlik-etmeye","hainlik-ettiler","ihanet-ederse","ihanet-etmek","ihanet-etmek-için-","ihanet-etmeyi-","ihanet-ettik","ihanet-ettiler","ihanet-ettiler-","ihanet-ettiniz","ve-günahında","ve-ihanet-ettiyse"]·urd["اور-خیانت-کی","اُس-نے-خیانت-کی-","اُنہوں-نے-خیانت-کی","بے-ایمانی-کرنے-کو","بے-وفائی-کرنے-کو-","بے-وفائی-کو","بے-وفائی-کی","بے-وفائی-کی-انہوں-نے","بے-وفائی-کی-اُنہوں-نے","خیانت-کرنے-میں","خیانت-کرے","خیانت-کی","خیانت-کی-اُنہوں-نے","خیانت-کی-تم-نے","خیانت-کی-ہم-نے"]
Lev 5:15, Lev 6:2, Lev 26:40, Num 5:6, Num 5:12, Num 5:27, Deut 32:51, Josh 7:1, Josh 22:16, Josh 22:20, Josh 22:31, 1 Chr 2:7 (+22 more)
2. unfaithfulness, treachery (nominal) — Unfaithfulness or treachery as a nominal or infinitive absolute — the abstract state of covenant breach rather than the act itself (2 Chr 28:19, where Ahaz 'caused Judah to act wildly and was exceedingly unfaithful'; 2 Chr 36:14, where priests and people 'multiplied unfaithfulness'). Here the emphasis falls on the accumulated, intensified condition of disloyalty. English 'unfaithfulness,' Spanish 'infidelidad,' and German 'treulos handeln' all shift from action to state, naming the quality of betrayal that characterizes a relationship gone wrong. 2×
AR["خِيَانَةً","وَ-خِيَانَةً"]·ben["-বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা","ও-অবিশ্বস্ত"]·DE["treulos-handeln","und-von-Unrecht"]·EN["and-acting-unfaithfully","unfaithfulness"]·FR["agir-infidèlement","et-agir-infidèlement"]·heb["ו-מעול","מעל"]·HI["अपराध","और-विश्वासघात"]·ID["dan-tidak-setia","pengkhianatan"]·IT["agire-infedelmente","e-agire-infedelmente"]·jav["boten-setya","lan-piawon-"]·KO["그리고-반역하기를","범죄"]·PT["e-traindo","transgressão"]·RU["вероломством","и-вероломством"]·ES["infidelidad","y-prevaricar"]·SW["maal","na-kufanya-dhambi-"]·TR["ihanet","ve-hainlikle"]·urd["اور-بے-وفائی","بے-وفائی"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)H6664 1. righteousness, justice (116×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)G1343 1. (92×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מָעַל vb. act unfaithfully, treacherously, a priestly word (P Ez. Ch.), chiefly late (NH id., act unfaithfully; Arabic مَغَلَ whisper, backbite, مَغَالَةٌ perfidy, fraud);— Qal 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…