H7270 H7270
To spy out, reconnoiter a land; also to slander, go about as a talebearer
Derived denominatively from regel ('foot'), this verb captures two ways of 'going about on foot': scouting enemy territory and spreading malicious talk. The overwhelming majority of occurrences describe military espionage -- Joseph's accusation that his brothers are spies (Gen 42:9), the reconnaissance of Jericho (Josh 2:1), and Moses' scouts at Jazer (Num 21:32). Spanish espias and German Kundschafter consistently render the spy sense. The rare slander meaning (2 Sam 19:27; Ps 15:3) preserves the etymological link between footwork and gossip, much as English 'going around telling tales' does.
Senses
1. spy out, reconnoiter — To explore or investigate a place secretly as a military scout or spy (Piel stem). The Piel participle meraggelim ('spies') dominates, especially in the Joseph narrative (Gen 42:9, 11, 14, 16, 30) and the conquest accounts (Josh 2:1; 6:22-25; 7:2). Spanish espias, French espions, and German Kundschafter all confirm the espionage sense. Also attested as infinitive construct (leraggel, Num 21:32) and imperative (raglu, Josh 7:2). 23×
AR["المُتَجَسِّسونَ", "المُتَجَسِّسينَ", "جواسيسَ", "جَواسيسَ", "جَواسِيسَ", "جَوَاسِيسَ", "جَوَاسِيسُ", "لِ-يَتَجَسَّسوا", "لِ-يَتَجَسَّسَ", "لِ-يَتَجَسَّسُوا", "لِيَتَجَسَّسَ", "وَ-تَجَسَّسوا", "وَ-تَجَسَّسوها", "وَلِتَجَسُّسِها"]·ben["এবং-গুপ্তচর-করল", "এবং-গুপ্তচর-পাঠাতে-তাকে", "এবং-গুপ্তচর-পাঠাল", "গুপ্তচর", "গুপ্তচর-করতে", "গুপ্তচর-দিতে", "গুপ্তচরদের", "গুপ্তচরদেরকে", "গুপ্তচরেরা-(সেই)"]·DE["Kundschafter", "der-Kundschafter", "spies", "und-sie-spied-heraus", "und-spied-heraus", "und-zu-spy-es-heraus", "zu-kundschaften-heraus"]·EN["and-spied-out", "and-they-spied-out", "and-to-spy-it-out", "spies", "the-spies", "to-spy-out"]·FR["espions", "et-espionna-dehors", "et-ils-spied-dehors", "et-à-spy-cela-dehors", "le-espions", "spies", "à-espion-dehors", "à-spy-dehors"]·heb["ה-מרגלים", "ו-ירגלו", "ו-ל-רגל-ה", "ו-ריגלו", "ל-רגל", "מרגלים"]·HI["और-जासूसी-की", "और-भेद-लिया", "और-भेद-लेने-को", "गुप्तचरों-को", "जासूस", "जासूसी-करने", "जासूसी-करने-को", "जासूसों", "भेदियों", "भेदी"]·ID["dan-memata-matainya", "dan-mengintailah", "dan-mereka-mengintai", "mata-mata", "pengintai", "untuk-memata-matai", "untuk-mengintai"]·IT["a-esplorare-fuori", "a-spy-fuori", "e-a-spy-esso-fuori", "e-essi-spied-fuori", "e-spied-fuori", "il-spies", "spies"]·jav["kangge-mata-mata", "kangge-niti-priksa", "kanggé-ngintip", "kanggé-ngémat", "lan-dados-telik-piyambakipun", "lan-niti-priksa", "lan-nitipriksa", "telik-sandi"]·KO["그-정탐꾼들인", "그리고-그들이-정탐하였다", "그리고-염탐하려고-그것을", "그리고-정탐하였다", "에게-정탐하려고", "정탐꾼들", "정탐꾼들로", "정탐꾼들을", "정탐꾼들이", "정탐꾼들이다", "정탐하는-것-에", "정탐하려고"]·PT["e-espiaram", "e-para-espiá-la", "espias", "espiões", "os-espias", "para-espiar"]·RU["высматривать", "и-разведали", "и-разведки-его", "разведать", "разведчикам", "разведчики", "разведчиков", "разведывать", "соглядатаев", "соглядатаи", "соглядатаями", "чтобы-разведать"]·ES["a-espiar", "espías", "los-espías", "los-espías-de", "para-espiar", "y-espiaron", "y-para-espiarla"]·SW["kumweka", "kupeleleza", "na-kuipeleleza", "na-wakapeleleza", "wabuzi", "wapelelezi"]·TR["casuslar", "casusluk-etmek-için", "casusluk-için", "için-casusluk", "ve-araştırdılar", "ve-casusluk-etmek-için-onu", "ve-casusluk-yaptılar"]·urd["اور-اُس-کی-جاسوسی", "اور-جاسوسی-کی", "جاسوس", "جاسوسوں", "جاسوسی-کرنے"]
2. slander, go about as talebearer — To slander or spread malicious reports about someone, preserving the etymological sense of 'going about on foot' with evil intent. Attested in the Qal (Ps 15:3, 'he does not take slander upon his tongue') and Piel (2 Sam 19:27, Mephibosheth's complaint that Ziba slandered him). Spanish calumnio and the broader Semitic parallels (Arabic musha, 'slanderer,' from a walking root) confirm this semantic extension from physical movement to social harm. 2×
AR["وَوَشَى", "يَمْشِي-بِالنَّمِيمَةِ"]·ben["এবং-সে-অপবাদ-দিয়েছে", "সে-পরচর্চা-করে"]·DE["slandering", "und-er-slandered"]·EN["and-he-slandered", "slandering"]·FR["et-il-slandered", "pied"]·heb["ו-ירגל", "רגל"]·HI["और-चुगली-खाई", "वह-जो-चुगली-करता-है"]·ID["dan-dia-memfitnah", "memfitnah"]·IT["e-egli-slandered", "piede"]·jav["Lan-fitnah", "nggosip"]·KO["그리고-모함하니라-그가", "비방하지"]·PT["E-caluniou", "calunia"]·RU["и-оклеветал", "клеветал"]·ES["Y-calumnió", "calumnió"]·SW["amesengenya", "na-alisingizia"]·TR["iftira-etti", "ve-iftira-attı"]·urd["اور-اُس-نے-بہتان-لگایا", "بہتان-لگایا"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רָגַל vb.denom. foot it, go about;— Qal go about (maliciously, as slanderer; cf. Arabic مُشَاةٌ and سَاعٍ slanderer, from √√ مَشَى walk along, سَعَى walk quickly), slander, Pf. 3 ms. לאֹ־ר׳ עַל־לְשֹׁנוֹ ψ 15:3 he takes no slander upon his tongue (‖ דֹּבֵר אֱמֶת v 2). Pi. Impf. 3 ms. וַיְרַגֵּל 2 S 19:28, 3 mpl. וַיְרַגְּלוּ Dt 1:24 Jos 7:2; Imv. mpl. רַגְּלוּ Jos 7:2; Inf. cstr. לְרַגֵּל Nu…