H5036 H5036
Foolish, morally senseless; a person blind to ethical and divine claims, acting with shameful impiety.
Describes not mere intellectual limitation but a deep moral and spiritual insensibility, someone who fails to perceive God's claims and acts with disgraceful presumption. Moses rebukes Israel as a 'foolish and unwise people' who have forgotten their Redeemer (Deut 32:6), while the psalmist appeals to God against a nabal nation that blasphemes his name (Ps 74:18). When used as a noun, it denotes a person whose folly is willful and culpable, as when Abigail admits her husband's character matches his name (1 Sam 25:25). David's lament asks how Abner could have died 'as a fool dies' (2 Sam 3:33). Job's wife is rebuked for speaking 'as one of the foolish women' (Job 2:10). Isaiah contrasts the nabal with the noble (Isa 32:5-6). Spanish 'necio' and German 'Narr' both capture the moral weight of this term.
Senses
1. foolish, senseless person — A person characterized by willful moral and spiritual blindness rather than mere ignorance. The term carries connotations of shameful impiety and base presumption. In Deuteronomy 32:6 it describes Israel's ingratitude toward God; in Psalm 74:18 it labels those who blaspheme the divine name. Used substantively for the culpably foolish person (2 Sam 3:33; Isa 32:5-6; Job 2:10), it stands in sharp contrast to the wise and noble. Multilingual evidence confirms the moral weight: Spanish 'necio,' German 'Narr,' and English 'fool' all carry ethical rather than purely intellectual connotations. 18×
AR["أَحْمَقَ", "الأَحمَقِ", "الأَحْمَقَ", "الأَحْمَقُ", "الأَحْمَقِ", "الجاهِلاتِ", "الجَاهِلُ", "السَّفيهِ", "السُّفَهاءِ", "الْحَمْقَى", "بِنَذيلٍ", "سَفيهٌ", "سَفِيهٌ", "سَفِيهٍ", "سَفِيهَةٍ", "نَذيلٍ", "وَ-أَحْمَقٍ"]·ben["-মূর্খদের", "এবং-মূর্খ", "নির্বোধদের", "নির্বোধের", "নীচের", "মূর্খ", "মূর্খকে", "মূর্খদের", "মূর্খের"]·DE["Narr", "[הנבלות]", "[הנבלים]", "[לנבל]", "[נבל]", "der-fool", "der-foolish", "der-fools", "ein-fool", "foolish", "toericht", "und-Narr", "zu-Narr"]·EN["a-fool", "and-a-fool", "fool", "foolish", "for-fool", "the-fool", "the-foolish", "the-foolish-women", "the-fools"]·FR["[לנבל]", "[נבל]", "et-ונבל", "insensé", "le-fools", "le-הנבלות", "un-fool", "à-לנבל", "נבל"]·heb["ה-נבלות", "ה-נבלים", "ו-נבל", "ל-נבל", "נבל"]·HI["और-मूर्ख", "मूर्ख", "मूर्ख-का", "मूर्ख-की", "मूर्ख-के", "मूर्ख-को", "मूर्ख-ने", "मूर्खों-की", "मूर्खों-में-से"]·ID["-bebal", "bodoh", "dan-orang-bebal", "orang bodoh", "orang-bebal", "orang-bodoh", "orang-jahat", "perempuan-bodoh", "untuk-orang-bodoh"]·IT["[הנבלים]", "arpa", "e-insensato", "il-fools", "il-insensato", "insensato", "per-insensato", "stolto", "un-fool"]·jav["bodho", "dhateng-tiyang-bodho", "ingkang-bodho", "kanggé-tiyang-bodho", "lan-tiyang-gemblung", "tiyang-bodho", "tiyang-bodho.", "tiyang-gemblung", "tiyang-èstri-bodho"]·KO["그-어리석은", "그-어리석은-여자들의", "그-어리석은-자들", "그리고-어리석은-자가", "미련한-자-에게", "미련한-자-의", "어리석은", "어리석은-자", "어리석은-자-가", "어리석은-자-의", "어리석은-자가", "어리석은-자는", "어리석은-자의", "에게-어리석은-자가"]·PT["a-tolo", "ao-insensato", "as-tolas", "e-tolo", "insensata", "insensato", "o-insensato", "os-tolos", "tolo", "tolo."]·RU["-безумцев", "безумец", "безумного", "безумный", "глупец", "глупого", "глупца", "глупцом", "глупый", "глупым", "глупых", "для-глупца", "и-глупца", "из-безумных"]·ES["al-necio", "el-necio", "las-necias", "los-insensatos", "los-necios", "necia", "necio", "para-necio", "y-necio"]·SW["kwa-mpumbavu", "la-kijinga", "mpumbavu", "na-mpumbavu", "wa-wapumbavu", "wapumbavu"]·TR["ahmaga", "ahmak", "ahmakların", "aklısızın", "akılsız", "akılsız-kadınların", "akılsıza", "akılsızın", "aptal", "aptalların", "aptalın", "ve-aptalın"]·urd["احمق", "احمق-نے", "احمق-کو", "احمق-کی", "اور-بے-وقوف", "اَحمَق", "بھی", "بیوقوف-کا", "بے-وقوف", "بے-وقوف-نے", "بے-وقوف-کے", "بے-وقوفوں-میں-سے", "بےوقوف", "بےوقوف-عورتوں-کا", "بےوقوف-کو", "سے"]
Deut 32:6, Deut 32:21, 2 Sam 3:33, 2 Sam 13:13, Job 2:10, Job 30:8, Ps 14:1, Ps 39:8, Ps 53:1, Ps 74:18, Ps 74:22, Prov 17:7 (+6 more)
Related Senses
H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)H3820a 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (572×)H4672 1. Qal: find, discover (289×)G1492 1. know facts or truths (285×)H3824 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (250×)H1245 1. seek, search for (200×)G1097 1. know, be acquainted with (196×)H2142 1. Qal: remember, recall (173×)G2588 1. heart (inner self, mind, will) (158×)H0977 1. choose, select (Qal active) (145×)G2147 1. find, discover (144×)G5590 1. soul, inner self (100×)H4672 2. Niphal: be found, be discovered (99×)H1875 1. seek, search for (96×)H5315 2. life, vitality (94×)H1847 1. knowledge, discernment (90×)H2450 1. wise, prudent (84×)H7911 1. Qal: to forget (83×)H3684 1. fool, dullard (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. נָבָל adj. foolish, senseless, especially of the man who has no perception of ethical and religious claims, and with collat. idea of ignoble, disgraceful;—abs. נ׳ 2 S 3:33 + 14 times; mpl. נְבָלִים 13:13 Ez 13:3 (𝔊 Co מִלִּבָּם); fpl. נְבָלוֹת Jb 2:10;—senseless, especially of religious and moral insensibility: עַם נ׳ Dt 32:6 (of Isr., unappreciative of J.’s benefits; opp. חָכָם), so of…