נָבָ֖ל
𐤍𐤁𐤋
naval
foolish
from נָבֵל; stupid; wicked (especially impious); fool(-ish, -ish man, -ish woman), vile person.
Deuteronomy 32:21 · Word #12
Lexicon H5036
| Lemma | נָבָל |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤍𐤁𐤋 |
| Transliteration | nâbâl |
| Strong's | H5036 |
| In-context | foolish |
Morphology HAamsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | A — Adjective — Describes a noun |
| Subtype | a — Adjective — Adjective |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
SIBI-P1 H5037-03
a withered, senseless man
| Root | נבל (n-b-l) |
| Core Meanings | to wither, fade, decay, become senseless, act disgracefully |
| Semantic Range | fool, senseless person, morally corrupt man, disgraceful person, one who rejects covenantal faithfulness |
| Conceptual Significance | In biblical thought, the נבל is not merely intellectually foolish but morally decayed—one who has withered in covenant loyalty and reverence for God (e.g., Psalm 14:1). The term expresses ethical and spiritual corruption rather than simple lack of intelligence. |
| Morphological Notes | Adjective masculine singular absolute (HAamsa); also attested as a proper masculine singular noun (HNp) used as a personal name (Nabal). |
| Rendering Rationale | The adjective form is masculine singular absolute, so the rendering preserves masculine singular sense with "man." The root נבל conveys withering or moral decay, which metaphorically extends to senselessness and disgrace; "withered, senseless" reflects both the physical and moral dimensions inherent in the root. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root נבל (to wither, fade, decay, become senseless, act disgracefully)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
H5035-01 |
benevel | with a skin-bag lyre |
H5038-01 |
benivelat | in the decayed carcass of |
H5038-02 |
benivelatah | in her decayed carcass |
Word Usage (18 occurrences of H5036)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deuteronomy 32:6 | נָבָ֖ל | naval | foolish |
| Deuteronomy 32:21 | נָבָ֖ל | naval | foolish |
| 2 Samuel 3:33 | נָבָ֖ל | naval | a fool |