רָכִיל
𐤓𐤊𐤉𐤋
râkîyl
H7400 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person who circulates information—often disparaging, defamatory, or confidential—about others, commonly in the manner of spreading rumors or slander. The term refers specifically to one who traffics in gossip or damaging reports, usually with negative social consequences for those discussed. In most contexts, רָכִיל denotes malicious reporting or backbiting rather than neutral news-bearing.
Semantic Range
gossiper, talebearer, bearer of scandal or slander, rumor-monger, one who circulates (often malicious) information, betrayer of confidences
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root רכל (r-k-l), which fundamentally means 'to trade' or 'to go about as a merchant or peddler.' The substantive רָכִיל forms on analogy with the root meaning, describing not literal trading, but the metaphorical ‘peddling’ of words or tales from person to person.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, רָכִיל occurs chiefly in legal or moral warning contexts (e.g., Leviticus 19:16, Proverbs 11:13, Jeremiah 6:28, Ezekiel 22:9). It is regarded as a socially damaging activity, associated with sowing discord and undermining community trust. The metaphor connects the talebearer’s activity to the market practice of circulating goods: just as a peddler travels, so does the speaker of רָכִיל circulate information. Other Hebrew terms for harming others through speech (such as לָשׁוֹן הָרַע, 'evil tongue') focus more specifically on slander; רָכִיל emphasizes the act of carrying tales, whether true or false, and especially the role of interpersonal transmission. Later translations (e.g., KJV, 'talebearer') sometimes narrow the force to 'gossip' or 'slanderer,' but the original sense is broader, encompassing rumor-mongering, betrayal of confidential matters, and malicious report, especially those circulated actively between people. The concept remained important in later Israelite and post-exilic moral teaching and law.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רָכַל; a scandal-monger (as travelling about); slander, carry tales, talebearer.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רכל (r-k-l) — to trade, peddle, go about as a merchant
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4819 | מַרְכֹּלֶת | in your trade-goods |
| H7402 | רָכַל | the traveling traders |
| H7403 | רָכָל | in Merchant-Place |
| H7404 | רְכֻלָּה | in your traded goods |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7400-01 |
רָכִיל֙ | rakhil | HNcmsa |
slander | slander-peddler | 6 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7400-01 |
Leviticus 19:16 | רָכִיל֙ | rakhil | HNcmsa |
as-a-slanderer | slander-peddler |
H7400-01 |
Jeremiah 6:28 | רָכִ֖יל | rakhil | HNcmsa |
as talebearers | slander-peddler |
H7400-01 |
Jeremiah 9:3 | רָכִ֥יל | rakhil | HNcmsa |
slander | slander-peddler |
H7400-01 |
Ezekiel 22:9 | רָכִ֛יל | rakhil | HNcmsa |
slander | slander-peddler |
H7400-01 |
Proverbs 11:13 | רָ֭כִיל | rakhil | HNcmsa |
as a talebearer | slander-peddler |
H7400-01 |
Proverbs 20:19 | רָכִ֑יל | rakhil | HNcmsa |
as a slanderer | slander-peddler |