---
title: נְבָלָה — senselessness · The Tanakh dictionary
description: נְבָלָה (5039), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 13 times: senselessness. BDB 1906: n.f. senselessness disgrace. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# נְבָלָה

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«נְבָלָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **senselessness** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 13 times · **Key:** 5039 · **BDB:** נְבָלָה

### Glosses

disgraceful.folly (7); a.disgraceful.folly (3); folly (3)

### Meaning (OSHB)

senselessness [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5039/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. senselessness disgrace [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5039/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. senselessness (as shewn in disregard of moral and religious claims), especially of disgraceful sins; also disgrace;—always abs. נ׳;— disgraceful folly, especially of sins of unchastity Ju 19:23 (wanton deed GFM), so דְּבַר הַנּ׳ הַזֹּאת v 24, 2 S 13:12; often עָשָׂה נ׳ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל i.e. do a thing disgraceful according to Isr.’s standard: Gn 34:7 (J), Dt 22:21 (cf. Dr on meaning of wd.; only here of woman), Ju 20:6 (+ זִמָּה), v 10 Je 29:23 (cf. לֹא יֵעָשֶׂה כֵּן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל 2 S 13:12); also of inhospitable churlishness 1 S 25:25 (v. i, ii. נָבָל, and especially Is 32:6); of profane action Jos 7:15 (Achan; עָשָׂה נ׳ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל); of senseless and irreligious language Is 9:16 דֹּבֵר, 32:6 (יְדַבֵּר). contumely, disgrace עֲשׂוֹת עִמָּכֶם נ׳ Jb 42:8 (of י׳), i.e. deal out to you disgrace, expose you and punish you as נְכָלִים (cf. 2 S 3:33, sub נָבָל), because of your utterances about me.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 13 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «נְבָלָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5039/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Judges 20:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JDG.20.6/)

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וָֽאֹחֵ֤ז בְּפִֽילַגְשִׁי֙ וָֽאֲנַתְּחֶ֔הָ וָֽאֲשַׁלְּחֶ֔הָ בְּכָל־שְׂדֵ֖ה נַחֲלַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֥י עָשׂ֛וּ זִמָּ֥ה וּנְבָלָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

*Word for word:* and I.took.hold on concubine my and I cut.her.in.pieces and I sent.her.off in all the.land of.the.inheritance of.Israel (dm) they.have.done wickedness and disgraceful.folly in Israel

*JPS 1917:* And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and wantonness in Israel.

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[2 Samuel 13:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.13.12/)

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וַתֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ אַל־אָחִי֙ אַל־תְּעַנֵּ֔נִי כִּ֛י לֹא־יֵֽעָשֶׂ֥ה כֵ֖ן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אַֽל־תַּעֲשֵׂ֖ה אֶת־הַנְּבָלָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃

*Word for word:* and she.said to him no my.brother my do.not humble me (dm) not it.will.be.done thus in Israel do.not do (et) the.disgraceful folly (the) this

*JPS 1917:* And she answered him: 'Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel; do not thou this wanton deed.

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