H5372 H5372
to murmur, whisper, backbite; used of rebellious complaining or malicious gossip
This verb carries two related senses: murmuring in rebellion (as Israel murmured against God in the wilderness) and whispering maliciously as a slanderer or gossip. In Deuteronomy 1:27 and Psalm 106:25, it describes the Israelites' rebellious murmuring in their tents. In Proverbs (16:28, 18:8, 26:20, 22), the participial form denotes a "whisperer" or slanderer who stirs up conflict through secretive, malicious speech.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Describes the act of murmuring rebelliously or whispering maliciously. The Proverbs passages focus on the "whisperer" (נִרְגָּן), a figure who spreads strife through gossip and slander. Cross-linguistic glosses reflect both aspects: Spanish "chismoso/murmurador" (gossip/murmurer), French "calomniateur" (slanderer), English "whisperer." German translations bracket forms like [ונרגן] and [נרגן], possibly indicating rare or morphologically interesting attestations. The term captures both open complaint and covert slander. 4×
AR["النَّمَّامِ", "نَمَّامٍ", "واشٍ", "وَ-واشٍ"]·ben["অপবাদকারীর", "এবং-অপবাদকারী", "নিন্দুক", "নিন্দুকের"]·DE["[ונרגן]", "[נרגן]"]·EN["a-whisperer", "and-whisperer", "whisperer"]·FR["calomniateur", "et-calomniateur"]·heb["ו-נרגן", "נרגן"]·HI["और-चुगलखोर", "कानाफूसी-करने-वाले", "कानाफूसी-करने-वाले-के", "चुगलखोर-के"]·ID["dan-pengumpat", "pengumpat"]·IT["e-e-whisperer", "un-whisperer", "whisperer"]·jav["lan-tiyang-kang-ngrasani", "tiyang-caturan"]·KO["그리고-수군거리는-자는", "수군거리는-자-의", "수군거리는-자가"]·PT["e-murmurador", "murmurador"]·RU["и-клеветник", "клеветника", "сплетника"]·ES["chismoso", "murmurador", "y-el-murmurador"]·SW["mchongezi", "na-mchongezi"]·TR["dedikocunun", "dedikodu", "ve-dedikoducu"]·urd["اور-چغلی-کھور", "چغل-خور-کی", "چغل-خور-کے"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רָגַן vb. murmur, whisper (NH id.; 𝔗 Ithpe. backbite, slander);— 1. murmur (rebelliously): Qal Pt. pl. רוֹגְנִים Is 29:24 murmurers; Niph. Impf. 3 mpl. וַיֵּרָֽגְנוּ ψ 106:25 and they murmured in their tents, so 2 mpl. וַיֵרָֽגְנוּ Dt 1:27. 2. whisper (maliciously), backbite, slander: Niph. Pt. נִרְגָּן backbiter Pr 16:28; 18:8; 26:20, 22.