H5243a H5243a
malal — to wither, fade, languish; decline and waste away
This verb, a secondary root apparently derived from umal, means to wither, fade, or languish—describing the wilting of plants or the decline of people. The imagery consistently draws from botanical withering applied to human mortality or judgment. Grass withering in heat becomes a metaphor for the wicked's swift demise or human frailty. Job uses it to describe both life's brevity and the withering of the wicked's prosperity. The Polel stem intensifies to emphasize the process of withering. Most modern scholars read these forms as Qal rather than Niphal.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To wither, fade, or languish, describing plant-like decline. Psalm 37:2 promises the wicked 'will soon wither like grass (yimmallu),' parallel to 'fade like the green herb'—swift divine judgment. Job 14:2 laments human frailty: man 'comes out like a flower and withers (vayyimmal)'—life's brevity illustrated by a wilting blossom. Job 18:16 describes the wicked's fate: 'his roots dry up beneath, and his branch withers (yimmal) above'—total systemic failure. Job 24:24 observes the wicked 'are exalted a little while, then gone; they wither (yimmalu) like heads of grain'—cut down suddenly. Psalm 90:6 uses the Polel: grass 'withers (yemolel) and dries up' by evening. The verb captures progressive deterioration unto death. 4×
AR["وَ-يُقْطَعُ", "يَذْبُلُ", "يَيْبَسونَ", "يُقْطَعُونَ"]·ben["এবং-কাটা-যায়", "ছেদন-হবে", "তারা-কাটা-হয়", "শুকিয়ে-যাবে"]·DE["[וימל]", "[ימל]", "[ימלו]", "sie-welken"]·EN["and-withers", "they-are-cut-off", "they-wither", "withers"]·FR["circoncire", "et-וימל", "ימל", "ימלו"]·heb["ו-יימל", "יימל", "יימלו"]·HI["और-मुरझा-जाता-है", "कट-जाएँगे", "कटेगी", "वे-काटे-जाते-हैं"]·ID["dan-layu", "layu", "mereka-dipotong"]·IT["[ימלו]", "e-e-withers", "essi-sono-cut-off", "withers"]·jav["badhe-alum", "dipuntigas", "lan-layu", "piyambakipun-dipunpedhot"]·KO["꺾이고", "시들리라", "시들리이다", "잘려나니"]·PT["e-é-cortada", "murchará", "murcharão", "são-cortados."]·RU["засохнут", "и-вянет", "опадут", "срезаются"]·ES["se-marchita", "serán-cortados", "son-cortados.", "y-es-cortada"]·SW["na-anakatwa", "wanakatwa", "watakauka", "yatakatwa"]·TR["kesilirler", "solar", "solarlar", "ve-solar"]·urd["اور-کٹ-جاتا-ہے", "مرجھائے", "کاٹے جاتے ہیں", "کاٹے-جائیں-گے"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† III. [מָלַל] vb. languish, wither, fade (apparently secondary √ of אמל q.v.);— Qal Impf. 3 ms. יִמַּל Jb 18:16; וַיִּמָּ֑ל Jb 14:2; 3 mpl. יִמָּ֑לוּ Jb 24:24 ψ 37:2 (so Hup De and most; > Niph. from IV. מלל Thes);—hang down, wither, fig. of man Jb 14:2 (כְּצִיץ); of wicked מִתַּחַת שָֽׁרָשָׁיו יִבָ֑שׁוּ וּמִ֫מַּעַל יִמַּל קְצִירוֹ 18:16; כְּרֹאשׁ שִׁבֹּ֫לֶת יִמָּ֑לוּ 24:24 (‖ יִקָּפְצוּן,…