עֶוֶל (H5766) — Hebrew Lexicon

עֶוֶל

𐤏𐤅𐤋

ʻevel

H5766 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An act, state, or condition of injustice, wrongdoing, or moral irregularity; refers to conduct that is unjust, corrupt, or not in alignment with social or divine norms. In some contexts, designates the result or effect of unjust action (an injustice or wrong committed). May describe both specific wrongful acts and a general pattern or state of moral defect or corruption.

Semantic Range

injustice, wrong, corruption, moral perversion, act of wickedness, violation of social or covenantal order, unjust gain, arbitrary or prejudiced action, pattern of corrupt behavior

Root / Etymology

Derived from the Hebrew root עול, typically conveying the idea of deviation from what is just or right, especially in social or legal contexts. The noun עֶוֶל reflects the abstraction of moral or ethical deviation, extending from concrete wrongful acts to general injustice or corruption. Related forms (e.g., עַוְלָה, עָוֶל) share this sense.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עֶוֶל and its forms (such as עַוְלָה and עָוֶל) predominantly appear in legal or societal contexts, denoting violations of justice or established norms. The word is contrasted with צֶדֶק (ṣedeq, 'justice' or 'righteousness'), serving as its moral and judicial opposite. While English translations often use 'iniquity' or 'wickedness,' עֶוֶל has a primary focus on injustice (social, legal, ethical) rather than abstract 'evil.' In prophetic literature and wisdom texts, its use underscores societal corruption or the perversion of justice, particularly in the context of Israelite law and covenantal norms. Over time, the term expanded in poetry and later writings to encompass a wider moral sense, but it fundamentally retains a focus on behavior that subverts fairness or law, not merely internal disposition. Feminine forms such as עַוְלָה may indicate abstract quality ('injustice') or personification in poetic contexts. Later Hellenistic and post-biblical Hebrew use aligns with notions of wrongdoing, though direct equivalence to 'sin' (חֵטְא) should be avoided. English 'unjust' or 'injustice' best captures the base meaning; 'wickedness' can be misleadingly broad or moralized.

Translation Consistency

primary "injustice" 51 occurrences

Most occurrences and the SILEX semantic range align with 'injustice' (acts or state of wrong, corruption, or violation). 'Injustice' is natural English and covers both specific wrongful acts and a general condition, and is preferable to the more archaic 'iniquity' or the narrower 'wrongdoing.'

Alternatives (3 occurrences):

"iniquity" (3x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or עָוֶל; and (feminine) עַוְלָה; or עוֹלָה; or עֹלָה; from עֲוַל; (moral) evil; iniquity, perverseness, unjust(-ly), unrighteousness(-ly); wicked(-ness).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

עול (ʿ-w-l) — to act unjustly, to be perverse, to deal unfairly

Root עול to act unjustly, to be perverse, to deal unfairly

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H5759	עֲוִיל	their nursing infants
H5760	עֲוִיל	unjust man
H5763	עוּל	to suckle
H5764	עוּל	nursing infant of
H5765	עֲוַל	from injustice
H5767	עַוָּל	unjust one
H5768	עוֹלֵל	like nursing infants
H59	אָבֵל	unjust
H5923	עֹל	in a yoke
H5925	עֻלָּא	Ulla
H5932	עַלְוָה	moral wrongness
H62	אָבֵל בֵּית־מֲעַכָה	injustice
H64	אָבֵל כְּרָמִים	unjust
H65	אָבֵל מְחוֹלָה	unjust
H66	אַבֵל מַיִם	unjust

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H5766-02`	עַוְלָ֖ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice	21
`H5766-01`	עָ֨וֶל֙	avel	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice	16
`H5766-03`	עַוְלָ֖תָ/ה	avelatah	`HNcbsa/Sh`	iniquity	her injustice	her injustice	3
`H5766-04`	בְּ/עַוְלָֽה	beavelah	`HR/Ncbsa`	by iniquity	in injustice	with iniquity	2
`H5766-10`	עוֹלֹ֪ת	olot	`HNcbpa`	iniquities	ascending-offerings	injustices	2
`H5766-09`	מֵ/עָ֖וֶל	meavel	`HR/Ncbsa`	from iniquity	from injustice	from injustice	2
`H5766-12`	וְ/עַוְלָ֖ה	veavelah	`HC/Ncbsa`	and unjust	and injustice	and injustice	2
`H5766-07`	בְּ/עֶ֨וֶל֙	beevel	`HR/Ncbsc`	in the iniquity of	in injustice	in injustice	1
`H5766-13`	וְ֝/עֹלָ֗תָ/ה	veolatah	`HC/Ncbsa/Sh`	and-injustice	injustice	and injustice	1
`H5766-11`	וּ/בְ/עַוְל֥/וֹ	uveavelo	`HC/R/Ncbsc/Sp3ms`	and in his iniquity	and in his injustice	and in his injustice	1
`H5766-06`	בְּ/עַוְל֥/וֹ	beavelo	`HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms`	for his iniquity	in his injustice	for his injustice	1
`H5766-05`	בְּ/עַוְלָ֬תָ/ה	beavelatah	`HR/Ncbsa/Sh`	their hands in iniquity	in her injustice	in her injustice	1
`H5766-08`	עלת/ה	lth	`HNcbsa/Sh`	injustice	injustice	injustice	1

Occurrences in Scripture

54 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H5766-01`	Leviticus 19:15	עָ֨וֶל֙	avel	`HNcbsa`	injustice	injustice	injustice
`H5766-01`	Leviticus 19:35	עָ֖וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	injustice	injustice	injustice
`H5766-01`	Deuteronomy 25:16	עָֽוֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	injustice	injustice	injustice
`H5766-01`	Deuteronomy 32:4	עָ֔וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	injustice	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	2 Samuel 3:34	עַוְלָ֖ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	wickedness	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	2 Samuel 7:10	עַוְלָה֙	avelah	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Isaiah 59:3	עַוְלָ֥ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	injustice	injustice	injustice
`H5766-01`	Jeremiah 2:5	עָ֔וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-01`	Ezekiel 3:20	עָ֔וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-09`	Ezekiel 18:8	מֵ/עָ֖וֶל	meavel	`HR/Ncbsa`	from injustice	from injustice	from injustice
`H5766-01`	Ezekiel 18:24	עָ֔וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-01`	Ezekiel 18:26	עָ֖וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-06`	Ezekiel 18:26	בְּ/עַוְל֥/וֹ	beavelo	`HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms`	for his iniquity	in his injustice	for his injustice
`H5766-03`	Ezekiel 28:15	עַוְלָ֖תָ/ה	avelatah	`HNcbsa/Sh`	iniquity	her injustice	iniquity
`H5766-07`	Ezekiel 28:18	בְּ/עֶ֨וֶל֙	beevel	`HR/Ncbsc`	in the iniquity of	in injustice	in injustice
`H5766-01`	Ezekiel 33:13	עָ֑וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-11`	Ezekiel 33:13	וּ/בְ/עַוְל֥/וֹ	uveavelo	`HC/R/Ncbsc/Sp3ms`	and in his iniquity	and in his injustice	and in his injustice
`H5766-01`	Ezekiel 33:15	עָ֑וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-01`	Ezekiel 33:18	עָ֑וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-03`	Hosea 10:13	עַוְלָ֥תָ/ה	avelatah	`HNcbsc/Sd`	injustice	her injustice	her injustice
`H5766-04`	Micah 3:10	בְּ/עַוְלָֽה	beavelah	`HR/Ncbsa`	with iniquity	in injustice	with iniquity
`H5766-04`	Habakkuk 2:12	בְּ/עַוְלָֽה	beavelah	`HR/Ncbsa`	by iniquity	in injustice	with iniquity
`H5766-02`	Zephaniah 3:5	עַוְלָ֑ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	wrong	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Zephaniah 3:13	עַוְלָה֙	avelah	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-12`	Malachi 2:6	וְ/עַוְלָ֖ה	veavelah	`HC/Ncbsa`	and unrighteousness	and injustice	and injustice
`H5766-01`	Psalms 7:4	עָ֥וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	injustice	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Psalms 37:1	עַוְלָֽה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	of iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-12`	Psalms 43:1	וְ/עַוְלָ֣ה	veavelah	`HC/Ncbsa`	and unjust	and injustice	and injustice
`H5766-01`	Psalms 53:2	עָ֝֗וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-10`	Psalms 58:3	עוֹלֹ֪ת	olot	`HNcbpa`	wicked ones	ascending-offerings	injustices
`H5766-10`	Psalms 64:7	עוֹלֹ֗ת	olot	`HNcbpa`	iniquities	ascending-offerings	injustices
`H5766-01`	Psalms 82:2	עָ֑וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	unjustly	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Psalms 89:23	עַ֝וְלָ֗ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	of-wickedness	injustice	injustice
`H5766-08`	Psalms 92:16	עלת/ה	lth	`HNcbsa/Sh`	injustice	injustice	injustice
`H5766-03`	Psalms 92:16	עַוְלָ֥תָ/ה	avelatah	`HNcbsc/Sh`	wrong	her injustice	her injustice
`H5766-02`	Psalms 107:42	עַ֝וְלָ֗ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Psalms 119:3	עַוְלָ֑ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	unrighteousness	injustice	injustice
`H5766-05`	Psalms 125:3	בְּ/עַוְלָ֬תָ/ה	beavelatah	`HR/Ncbsa/Sh`	their hands in iniquity	in her injustice	in her injustice
`H5766-02`	Proverbs 22:8	עַ֭וְלָה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-01`	Proverbs 29:27	עָ֑וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	unjust	injustice	of injustice
`H5766-13`	Job 5:16	וְ֝/עֹלָ֗תָ/ה	veolatah	`HC/Ncbsa/Sh`	and-injustice	injustice	and injustice
`H5766-02`	Job 6:29	עַוְלָ֑ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	injustice	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Job 6:30	עַוְלָ֑ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Job 11:14	עַוְלָֽה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	injustice	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Job 13:7	עַוְלָ֑ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	injustice	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Job 15:16	עַוְלָֽה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Job 22:23	עַ֝וְלָ֗ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Job 24:20	עַוְלָֽה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	injustice	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Job 27:4	עַוְלָ֑ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	injustice	injustice	injustice
`H5766-09`	Job 34:10	מֵ/עָֽוֶל	meavel	`HR/Ncbsa`	from iniquity	from injustice	from injustice
`H5766-01`	Job 34:32	עָ֥וֶל	avel	`HNcbsa`	iniquity	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	Job 36:23	עַוְלָֽה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	wrong	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	1 Chronicles 17:9	עַוְלָה֙	avelah	`HNcbsa`	wickedness	injustice	injustice
`H5766-02`	2 Chronicles 19:7	עַוְלָ֛ה	avelah	`HNcbsa`	injustice	injustice	injustice

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