---
title: נָבַל — be senseless · The Tanakh dictionary
description: נָבַל (lemma:נָבַל), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 5 times: be senseless. BDB 1906: vb. be senseless, foolish Qal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# נָבַל

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«נָבַל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **be senseless** — 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:** 5 times · **Key:** lemma:נָבַל · **BDB:** נָבַל

### Glosses

I (1); \[is\].treating.with.contempt (1); he.treated.with.contempt (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

be senseless [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/lemma_3a_5e0_5b8_5d1_5b7_5dc/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. be senseless, foolish Qal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/lemma_3a_5e0_5b8_5d1_5b7_5dc/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. be senseless, foolish (NH נְבָלָה, נַבְלוּת of immodesty; Arabic نَبُلَ = (per contra) be noble, distinguished, نَبَلَ also be gracious (Frey); Aramaic נְבַל Pa. reject, despise, v. 𝔗 Na 3:6; Je 14:21; in deriv. as NH);— Pf. 2 ms. נָבַלְתָּ Pr 30:32 if thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself (opp. וַמּוֹתָ). \[Qal = be foolish †Pr 30:32 is doubted by Frankenberg Toy (where see various renderings), al., who think text crpt.\] Pf. 1 s. sf. consec. וְנִבַּלְתִּיךְ Na 3:6; Impf. 3 ms. וַיְנַבֵּל Dt 32:15; 2 ms. תְּנַבֵּל Je 14:21; Pt. מִנַבֵּל Mi 7:6;—regard or treat as a נָבָל (q.v.), i.e. with contumely, c. acc.: בֵּן מְנַבֵּל אָב Mi 7:6 son treateth father as a fool (with contumely); וַיְנ׳ צוּר Dt 32:15 and he treated with contumely the Rock of his salvation (i.e. י׳; ‖ נטשׁ); י׳ subj., Na 3:6 I will treat thee (Nineveh) with contumely (‖ וְהִשְׁלַכְתִּ֫י עָלַיִךְ שִׁקֻּצִים); Je 14:21 do not treat with contumely the throne of thy glory (‖ נאץ).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 5 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses (7 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (6 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «נָבַל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/lemma_3a_5e0_5b8_5d1_5b7_5dc/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 30:32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.30.32/)

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אִם־נָבַ֥לְתָּ בְהִתְנַשֵּׂ֑א וְאִם־זַ֝מּ֗וֹתָ יָ֣ד לְפֶֽה׃

*Word for word:* if you.have.been.foolish by exalting.yourself and if you.have.planned hand to mouth

*JPS 1917:* If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast planned devices, lay thy hand upon thy mouth.

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[Nahum 3:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/NAM.3.6/)

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וְהִשְׁלַכְתִּ֥י עָלַ֛יִךְ שִׁקֻּצִ֖ים וְנִבַּלְתִּ֑יךְ וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְ כְּרֹֽאִי׃

*Word for word:* and I.will.throw on you detestable.things and I will.treat.you.with.contempt and I will.make.you like a.spectacle

*JPS 1917:* And I will cast detestable things upon thee, and make thee vile, and will make thee as dung.

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- ← previous: [נֵבֶל](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/lemma_3a_5e0_5b5_5d1_5b6_5dc.md)
- next →: [נְבֵלָה](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/5038.md)
- ↑ back to [נ](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1504.md)