נָכַל
𐤍𐤊𐤋
nâkal
H5230 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To act deceitfully or treacherously, with intent to gain advantage or cause harm by deception; to conspire or strategize maliciously against another. The term focuses on the deliberate nature of deception, emphasizing planning, cunning, and betrayal.
Semantic Range
to deceive deliberately, to conspire treacherously, to plot harm, to act with cunning betrayal, to defraud, to employ strategic trickery
Root / Etymology
Root: נכל (nun-kaf-lamed). The core meaning of the root relates to employing trickery or treacherous cunning. The verb נָכַל (nâkal) is a denominative form, meaning it derives directly from the root, indicating an action characterized by deception or deceit. The noun forms (e.g., מַכְלָה, תַּכְלִית) are rarely attested, emphasizing that the verbal usage is primary.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, נָכַל occurs in relatively limited but significant contexts. It most notably appears in passages where one party acts with intentional deceit or conspiracy against another, often with legal or social implications (e.g., Genesis 37:18, where Joseph's brothers conspire against him). The term carries a stronger sense of planned or premeditated betrayal than related roots such as רְמָה (to deceive) or מרמה (guile), which can denote more generalized or less organized deception. In later biblical and post-biblical Hebrew, the root is rare, preserved mainly as an archaic or literary term. Translation into English as 'deal subtilly' (KJV) or 'act treacherously' only partially reflects the word's emphasis on conniving intent. The word is not tied to a specific group or period but appears consistently where the text wishes to stress the deliberate nature of the plot or deceit rather than mere dishonesty. Over time, the semantic emphasis on premeditated and harmful scheming remains constant.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to defraud, i.e. act treacherously; beguile, conspire, deceiver, deal subtilly.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נכל (n-k-l) — deception, scheming, treachery
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5231 | נֵכֶל | in their treacheries |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5230-03 |
נוֹכֵ֗ל | nokhel | HVqrmsa |
deceiver | we will scheme treacherously | 1 |
H5230-01 |
לְ֝/הִתְנַכֵּ֗ל | lehitenakel | HR/Vtc |
to deal craftily | to scheme treacherously | 1 |
H5230-02 |
נִכְּל֥וּ | nikelu | HVpp3cp |
they have deceived | they schemed treacherously | 1 |
H5230-04 |
וַ/יִּֽתְנַכְּל֥וּ | vayitenakelu | HC/Vtw3mp |
they plotted | they conspired treacherously | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5230-04 |
Genesis 37:18 | וַ/יִּֽתְנַכְּל֥וּ | vayitenakelu | HC/Vtw3mp |
they plotted | they conspired treacherously |
H5230-02 |
Numbers 25:18 | נִכְּל֥וּ | nikelu | HVpp3cp |
they have deceived | they schemed treacherously |
H5230-03 |
Malachi 1:14 | נוֹכֵ֗ל | nokhel | HVqrmsa |
deceiver | we will scheme treacherously |
H5230-01 |
Psalms 105:25 | לְ֝/הִתְנַכֵּ֗ל | lehitenakel | HR/Vtc |
to deal craftily | to scheme treacherously |