עַוְעֶה
𐤏𐤅𐤏𐤄
ʻavʻeh
H5773 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Perversity; a condition or act of moral distortion or crookedness, especially in ethical or judicial contexts. The term denotes an active turning aside from what is right or just, and can describe both a state of being and specific acts that embody distortion or deviation from uprightness.
Semantic Range
perversity, moral crookedness, perversion, moral distortion, perverse thing, depravity
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root עוה (ayin-vav-heh), which fundamentally means 'to bend, twist, pervert.' The noun עַוְעֶה derives from this root, signifying the product or state of bending or distortion, particularly with a moral or legal connotation. The lexical meaning expresses more than mere physical bentness, extending figuratively to moral and ethical perversity.
Historical & Contextual Notes
עַוְעֶה occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible and is primarily found in highly poetic or prophetic literature (e.g., Isaiah 32:6). Its use is often parallel to other terms denoting iniquity or moral corruption, such as עָוֹן (avon, 'iniquity') or פֶּשַׁע (pesha‛, 'transgression'). Unlike broader terms for sin, עַוְעֶה emphasizes not just wrongdoing but a quality of internal crookedness or warped judgment. In later Hebrew, the root continued to denote distortion or perversity, but this specific noun is rare. English translations sometimes use 'perversity' or 'depravity,' but these may not fully capture the term's sense of fundamental moral distortion. During the monarchic period, terms like עַוְעֶה marked profound ethical breakdowns, especially among Israel's leadership, while later prophetic usage highlights the societal consequences of such moral bending.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from עָוָה; perversity; [idiom] perverse.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עוה (ʿ-w-h) — to twist, bend, pervert, distort
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4596 | מְעִי | ruin-heap of |
| H5753 | עָוָה | she acted crookedly |
| H5757 | עַוִּי | and the Avvites |
| H5758 | עִוְיָא | and your perversions |
| H5771 | עָוֺן | distortion-guilt |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5773-01 |
עִוְעִ֑ים | iveim | HNcmpa |
of-perverseness | moral distortions | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5773-01 |
Isaiah 19:14 | עִוְעִ֑ים | iveim | HNcmpa |
of-perverseness | moral distortions |