H4820 H4820
Deceit, treachery, fraud — dishonesty in speech, commerce, or interpersonal dealings
A feminine noun from the root r-m-h ('to deceive'), denoting deliberate deception ranging from commercial fraud to interpersonal treachery. When paired with scales or weights (Amos 8:5; Mic 6:11; Prov 11:1), it targets dishonest trade practices; with lips, tongue, or mouth (Ps 17:1; 52:6; 109:2), it indicts deceitful speech. Jacob's stolen blessing is obtained 'b'mirmah' — 'by deceit' (Gen 27:35), and Jeremiah diagnoses Israel's heart as steeped in mirmah (Jer 9:5-7). The Suffering Servant, by contrast, had no mirmah in his mouth (Isa 53:9), marking sinless integrity.
Senses
1. deceit, treachery — Deceit, treachery, or fraud as a moral failing, encompassing dishonest commercial practices ('deceptive balances,' Amos 8:5; Prov 11:1), crafty speech (Ps 52:6; 109:2), and interpersonal betrayal (Gen 27:35; 2 Kgs 9:23). Cross-lingual glosses converge on a single concept — Spanish 'engaño,' French 'tromperie,' German 'Betrug' — confirming a unified semantic profile across all 39 occurrences. 39×
AR["الغِشّ", "الْغِشِّ", "الْمَكْرُ", "غَدْرًا", "غِشًّا", "غِشٌّ", "غِشٍّ", "غِشَّا", "مَكْرًا"]·ben["ছলনার", "প্রতারণা", "প্রতারণায়-", "প্রতারণার"]·DE["Betrug", "Trug", "[מרמה]", "von-Wurm"]·EN["are-deceit", "deceit", "is-deceit", "is-deceitful"]·FR["de-tromperie", "tromperie"]·heb["מרמה"]·HI["छल", "छल-का", "छल-की", "छल-के", "छल-से", "छल।", "धोखा", "धोखे-की", "धोखे-की।"]·ID["Tipu-daya", "adalah-tipu-daya", "penipuan", "tipu-daya", "yang-curang"]·IT["inganno"]·jav["apus", "cidra", "goroh", "kang-apus", "kanthi-tipu-daya", "pangapusan", "tipu-daya"]·KO["사기의", "속임", "속임-의", "속임-이", "속임-이다", "속임수-의", "속임수를", "속임수의", "속임으로", "속임을", "속임의", "속임이"]·PT["Engano", "com-engano", "de-engano", "engano", "o-engano"]·RU["коварство", "коварством", "лживых", "обман", "обмана", "обману"]·ES["de-engaño", "engaño"]·SW["ni-udanganyifu", "udanganyifu", "ya-udanganyifu"]·TR["aldatmaya", "aldatmayı", "hile", "hileden", "hiledir", "hileli", "hilen", "hilenin"]·urd["دھوکہ", "دھوکہ-ہے", "دھوکے-کی", "دھوکے-کے", "فریب", "فریب-سے", "فریب-کا", "فریب-کو", "فریب-کے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. מִרְמָה n.f. deceit, treachery;—abs. מ׳ Am 8:5 +; pl. abs. מִרְמוֹת ψ 10:7 +;—deceit, of balances, מֹאזְנֵי מ׳ i.e. deceptive balances Am 8:5 (‖ שֶׁקֶר), Ho 12:8; Pr 11:1 (opp. אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה), 20:23, אַבְנֵי מ׳ Mi 6:11 (v. [מאזן] p. 24); especially treachery, craftiness, 2 K 9:23, בְּמ׳ treacherously, Gn 27:35 (J), and (of crafty speech) 34:13 (P); שִׂפְתֵי מ׳ ψ 17:1 i.e. treacherous lips,…