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.
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"]
▼ 1 more sense below
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"]
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…