H7400 H7400
Slander, tale-bearing; also the person who practices it -- a slanderer, gossip, informer
A word encompassing both the activity of malicious gossip and the person who engages in it. Leviticus 19:16 prohibits 'going about as a tale-bearer' among one's people, using rakil in its agent sense. Proverbs 11:13 and 20:19 warn that a gossip reveals secrets. In Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the focus shifts to the abstract practice: Jer 6:28 calls rebellious Israelites 'goers of slander,' and Ezek 22:9 denounces 'men of slander' within Jerusalem. Spanish distinguishes the two senses neatly -- 'calumnia' for the abstract act and 'calumniador/chismoso' for the agent -- while Hindi 'chugli' (gossip, backbiting) captures the social poison at the heart of this word.
Senses
1. slander, tale-bearing (abstract act) — The abstract activity or practice of spreading malicious gossip and slander. In Jer 6:28, the people are characterized as 'goers of slander,' and Ezek 22:9 condemns 'men of slander' -- informers who shed blood. Spanish 'calumnia' (slander, defamation) renders the abstract quality, while the Hebrew construction with 'men of' or 'goers of' keeps the focus on the practice rather than the individual practitioner. 3×
AR["بِـ-الـ-نَّمِيمَةِ","نَمَّامٌ","وِشَايَةٍ"]·ben["নিন্দুকের","পরনিন্দা","পরনিন্দায়"]·DE["[רכיל]"]·EN["as-a-slanderer","slander"]·FR["[רכיל]","dispute"]·heb["רכיל"]·HI["चुगलखोरी","चुगली-करता-है","चुगली-की"]·ID["fitnah","memfitnah"]·IT["[רכיל]"]·jav["fitnah","mawi-fitnah","ngrasani"]·KO["중상의","중상하는-자로","참소의"]·PT["caluniador","calúnia"]·RU["клеветой","клеветы"]·ES["calumnia"]·SW["kusengenya","kwa-usingiziaji","masengenyo"]·TR["dedikodu","dedikodunun"]·urd["غیبت-کے","چغل-خوری-سے","چغل-خوری-کے"]
2. slanderer, tale-bearer (agent) — A slanderer or tale-bearer -- the human agent who spreads gossip. The Holiness Code (Lev 19:16) forbids going about 'as a rakil' among one's people, and Proverbs twice warns against the gossip who cannot keep secrets (11:13, 20:19). Spanish 'calumniador' and 'como-chismoso' (like a gossiper) highlight the personal moral failure, while the proverbial usage makes this a paradigmatic character flaw to avoid. 3×
AR["بِنَميمَةٍ","نَمَّامًا"]·ben["গোযেন্দা","চোখলকারী","পরচর্চাকারী"]·DE["[רכיל]","slanderer"]·EN["as-a-slanderer","slanderer"]·FR["slanderer","רכיל"]·heb["רכיל"]·HI["चुगलखोर","चुगली-खोर"]·ID["bergunjing","pemfitnah","sebagai-pengumpat"]·IT["as-un-slanderer","slanderer"]·jav["ngarah-ala","nyebar-pitenah","tukang-caturan"]·KO["수군거리는","수군거리며","중상모략하는-자"]·PT["caluniador","como-difamador"]·RU["сплетником"]·ES["calumniador","como-calumniador","como-chismoso"]·SW["kama-mchongezi","msengenyi"]·TR["dedikocucu-olarak","dedikocuyla","dedikoducu"]·urd["چغل-خور","چغل-خوری-سے","چغلی-کھور"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רָכִיל n.[m.] slander, > tale-bearer, informer;—always ר׳ abs.;—ר׳ יַהֲלֹךְ Je 9:3, תֵּלֵךְ ר׳ Lv 19:16 (H), הוֹלֵךְ ר׳ Pr 11:13; 20:19, all of going about in slander, as slanderer (Ges§ 118 q); הֹלְכֵי ר׳ Je 6:28 goers of slander (slanderous persons) (cf. הָלַךְ, p. 231 f.); אַנְשֵׁי ר׳ Ez 22:9 men of slander, informers.