H4604 H4604
Unfaithfulness, sacral trespass; a treacherous act of covenant violation against God, often in cultic contexts.
This noun denotes a serious breach of faith directed specifically against God or the sacred realm. It most often appears in the fixed expression ma'al ma'al ('to commit a trespass'), emphasizing the gravity of the offense. The Levitical legislation uses it for misappropriating holy things (Lev 5:15; 6:2), while the Chronicler applies it broadly to explain national disasters as consequences of Israel's collective unfaithfulness (1 Chr 9:1; 2 Chr 29:19; 33:19; Ezra 9:2, 4). The word carries a stronger religious charge than ordinary sin vocabulary, pointing to betrayal of the covenant bond itself.
Senses
1. unfaithfulness, sacral trespass — An act of faithlessness or sacrilegious violation against God or the covenant, carrying a stronger religious charge than general sin vocabulary. In Leviticus, it describes misuse of sanctified property or false oaths regarding a neighbor's goods (Lev 5:15; 6:2; Num 5:6, 12). The Chronicler uses it to explain the exile as the consequence of corporate unfaithfulness (1 Chr 9:1; 2 Chr 29:19; Ezra 9:2). Spanish 'infidelidad,' German 'Treulosigkeit,' and French 'treachery' all converge on the note of broken trust and covenant betrayal. 28×
AR["الْخِيَانَةَ", "الْخِيَانَةُ", "بِخِيَانَةٍ", "خِيانَة", "خِيانَةً", "خِيَانَةً", "خِيَانَةِ", "خِيَانَتَهُ", "فِي-خِيَانَتِهِ", "مَعْصِيَةٍ", "وَ-خِيَانَتِهِ"]·ben["অবিশ্বস্ততা", "অবিশ্বস্ততার", "অবিশ্বাসতা", "ও-তাঁর-বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা", "তার-অবিশ্বস্ততা", "তার-অবিশ্বস্ততায়", "বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা", "বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা।", "সীমালঙ্ঘন", "সীমালঙ্ঘনে"]·DE["Treulosigkeit", "der-treachery", "ein-Vergehen", "ein-unfaithfulness", "in-treachery", "treachery", "und-Treulosigkeit", "unfaithfulness", "von-ueber"]·EN["a-trespass", "an-unfaithfulness", "and-his-unfaithfulness", "in-treachery", "in-trespass-his", "the-treachery", "the-trespass-of", "treachery", "trespass", "trespass-his", "unfaithfulness"]·FR["[ומעלו]", "[מעל]", "dans-treachery", "de-montez!", "de-sur", "infidélité", "le-treachery", "treachery", "un-infidélité", "un-transgresser", "unfaithfulness", "מעל"]·heb["ב-מעל", "ב-מעלו", "ה-מעל", "ו-מעלו-ו", "מעל", "מעלו"]·HI["अपराध", "अपराध-के", "अपराध-में", "और-उसके-अपराध", "कहता-है", "में-विश्वासघात-उसके", "विश्वासघात", "विश्वासघात-उसका"]·ID["-khianat,", "dalam-pelanggaran-nya", "dan-pengkhianatannya", "dengan-pelanggaran", "ketidaksetiaan", "khianat", "khianat,'", "melanggar", "pelanggaran", "pelanggaran-nya", "pengkhianatan"]·IT["[ומעלו]", "[מעל]", "da-su", "il-treachery", "in-treachery", "slealtà", "treachery", "un-trasgressione", "un-unfaithfulness", "unfaithfulness"]·jav["boten-setya", "dosanipun", "kanisthan", "kiyanat", "lan-pelanggaranipun", "mawi-pelanggaran", "nerak", "nglanggar", "pelanggaran", "pelanggaran-nipun", "prakawis-dosanipun", "wonten-ing-pelanggaranipun"]·KO["그-반역을", "그-반역이", "그-배신을", "그리고-그의-배신", "반역", "반역에서-", "반역을", "반역하면", "배신", "배신으로-", "배신을", "배신이", "범죄를", "범함"]·PT["a-infidelidade", "a-transgressão-de", "e-sua-infidelidade", "em-infidelidade", "em-sua-transgressão", "infidelidade", "sua-transgressão", "transgressão", "transgressão-de"]·RU["беззаконием", "беззакония", "в-вероломстве", "вероломство", "вероломство-его", "вероломством", "за-вероломство", "за-вероломство-своё", "и-вероломство-его", "преступление", "преступлением"]·ES["en-infidelidad", "infidelidad", "la-infidelidad", "la-infidelidad-de", "por-su-infidelidad", "su-infidelidad", "transgresión", "transgresión.", "y-su-infidelidad"]·SW["dhambi", "ha-kosa", "ha-ukosa", "kosa", "kutoka-juu-ya", "kwa-kosa", "kwa-uasi-wake", "uasi", "uasi-wake", "ukosefu-wa-uaminifu", "uongo", "waliasi", "wּmalwo"]·TR["aşağı", "hainlik-ederek", "ihanet", "ihanet-ettiler", "ihaneti", "ihanetinin", "ihanetle", "orada", "ve-hainliği"]·urd["اور-اُس-کی-خطا", "اُس-کی-خیانت", "اپنی-خیانت-میں", "بے-وفائی", "خیانت", "خیانت-میں", "خیانت-کرے"]
Lev 5:15, Lev 6:2, Lev 26:40, Num 5:6, Num 5:12, Num 5:27, Num 31:16, Josh 7:1, Josh 22:16, Josh 22:20, Josh 22:22, Josh 22:31 (+16 more)
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×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)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×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. מַ֫עַל n.m. Ezr 9:2 unfaithful, treacherous act (NH מְעִילָה);—מ׳ Lv 5:15 + 16 times; מָ֑עַל Nu 5:12 + 2 times; sf. מַעֲלוֹ Ez 17:20 + 4 times; מַעֲלָם Ez 39:26 + 3 times;— 1. ag. man: נשׁאר מעל Jb 21:34 faithlessness remains (cf. Nu 5:12, 27 Pr 16:10 under מָעַל). 2. elsewhere ag. God, c. בְּ, Jos 22:22 (P); without בְּ, 1 Ch 9:1 2 Ch 29:19; 33:19 Ezr 9:2, 4; 10:6.—מַעַל elsewhere only c. מָעַל q.v. (1; all cited).