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מַעַל

𐤌𐤏𐤋

maʻal

H4604 noun

SILEX Entry

Root מעל to act unfaithfully, to deal treacherously, to break trust

Definition

A deliberate act of breach of faith, treachery, or deceit, particularly in the context of violating a covenant, trust, or obligation—often toward the deity, but also applicable in social or cultic relationships. The term denotes a serious breach, characteristically intentional rather than accidental, with an emphasis on infidelity or disloyalty to a person or to God. Its semantic range extends to acts of trespass, unfaithfulness, and grave violations of expected trust, both in religious and interpersonal contexts.

Semantic Range

breach of faith, act of treachery, covenant violation, sacrilege, religious or social infidelity, deliberate trespass, serious transgression

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root מעל (מ-ע-ל), meaning 'to act unfaithfully, to commit a breach of trust or covenant.' The noun connotes the result or state of having broken faith or committed an act of treachery. The verb מָעַל refers to an act in which trust is broken, often with a focus on violation against God or sacred obligations.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מַעַל appears primarily in contexts involving deliberate and conscious violation of trust, such as in Levitical laws concerning sacred things, vows, or items devoted to the deity (e.g., Leviticus 5:15-16, Numbers 5:6). It commonly designates religious infidelity (especially regarding the 'trespass offering' or אָשָׁם), but can also be used for social or communal breaches of trust (e.g., Joshua 7:1 describes Achan's act against the divine command as a 'מַעַל'). In post-exilic and Second Temple texts (cf. Ezra 9:2, 2 Chronicles 29:19), מַעַל is used to describe communal or intermarriage violations. It differs from חָטָא (to sin, err), which often implies missing a mark or unintentional wrongdoing, by emphasizing willful infidelity; and from פֶּשַׁע (rebellion, transgression), which often implies revolt or defiance. English translations often use 'trespass,' 'unfaithfulness,' or 'trespass offering,' but these can obscure the explicit covenantal and trust-related nuances of the term.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from מָעַל; treachery, i.e. sin; falsehood, grievously, sore, transgression, trespass, [idiom] very.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

מעל (m-ʿ-l) — act unfaithfully, deal treacherously, break trust

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4598 מְעִיל in an outer robe of
H4603 מָעַל in their breach-of-trust

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4604-06 מַ֔עַל maal HNcmsa trespass breach of faith 15
H4604-04 בְּ/מַעֲל֧/וֹ bemaalo HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms because of his treachery in his breach-of-faith 3
H4604-03 בְּ/מַעֲלָ֖/ם bemaalam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp because of their trespass in their breach of faith 3
H4604-05 הַ/מַּ֤עַל hamaal HTd/Ncmsa the treachery the breach of faith 2
H4604-02 בְּ/מַ֨עַל֙ bemaal HR/Ncmsa in-trespass in breach-of-faith 1
H4604-09 וּ/מַעְל/וֹ֒ umaelo HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and his unfaithfulness and his breach-of-faith 1
H4604-01 בַּ/מַּ֥עַל bamaal HRd/R in-the-trespass in the breach-of-faith 1
H4604-08 מַעֲל֖/וֹ maalo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his-trespass his breach-of-faith 1
H4604-07 מַעֲלָ֖/ם maalam HNcmsc/Sp3mp their-treacheries their breach-of-faith 1

Occurrences in Scripture

28 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4604-06 Leviticus 5:15 מַ֔עַל maal HNcmsa trespass breach of faith
H4604-06 Leviticus 5:21 מַ֖עַל maal HNcmsa trespass breach of faith
H4604-03 Leviticus 26:40 בְּ/מַעֲלָ֖/ם bemaalam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp in their treachery in their breach of faith
H4604-06 Numbers 5:6 מַ֖עַל maal HNcmsa trespass breach of faith
H4604-06 Numbers 5:12 מָֽעַל maal HNcmsa trespass breach of faith
H4604-06 Numbers 5:27 מַ֣עַל maal HNcmsa unfaithfulness breach of faith
H4604-06 Numbers 31:16 מַ֥עַל maal HNcmsa trespass breach of faith
H4604-06 Joshua 7:1 מַ֖עַל maal HNcmsa trespass breach of faith
H4604-05 Joshua 22:16 הַ/מַּ֤עַל hamaal HTd/Ncmsa the-trespass the breach of faith
H4604-06 Joshua 22:20 מַ֨עַל֙ maal-2 HNcmsa trespass breach of faith
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