What does מַעַל (maʿal) mean in the Bible?
מַעַל (maʿal): Treachery rooted in breaking covenant faith; sin as active unfaithfulness against God rather than passive wrongdoing
Hebrew · H4604
מַעַל
Treachery , i.e. sin
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מַעַל H4604
Pronunciation maʿal
What does מַעַל (maʿal) mean in the Bible?
מַעַל (maʿal): Treachery rooted in breaking covenant faith; sin as active unfaithfulness against God rather than passive wrongdoing
Full entry for מַעַל (H4604) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4604?
The BSB source-word alignment has 29 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (5), unfaithfully (5), the unfaithfulness (2), - (1), [full of] falsehood (1).
Where does מַעַל (maʿal) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 5:15. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (6), Joshua (5), 2 Chronicles (4), Numbers (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It . . . 5× Numbers 5:27, 2 Chronicles 28:19, 2 Chronicles 36:14, Ezekiel 14:13
unfaithfully 5× Leviticus 5:15, Leviticus 6:2, Numbers 5:6, Numbers 31:16
the unfaithfulness 2× Ezra 9:4, Ezra 10:6
- 1× Ezekiel 18:24
[full of] falsehood 1× Job 21:34
and unfaithfulness 1× 2 Chronicles 33:19
because of our unfaithfulness 1× Daniel 9:7
because of their unfaithfulness 1× 1 Chronicles 9:1
breach of faith 1× Joshua 22:31
by their unfaithfulness 1× Ezekiel 20:27
for his unfaithfulness 1× 1 Chronicles 10:13
he committed 1× Ezekiel 17:20
in his unfaithfulness 1× 2 Chronicles 29:19
in the unfaithfulness 1× Leviticus 26:40
or breach of faith 1× Joshua 22:22
regarding 1× Joshua 22:20
they committed 1× Ezekiel 39:26
unfaithfulness 1× Ezra 9:2
you have committed 1× Joshua 22:16
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 5:15 מַ֔עַל to unfaithfully Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 6:2 מַ֖עַל to unfaithfully Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 26:40 בְּמַעֲלָ֖ם to in the unfaithfulness Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Numbers 5:6 מַ֖עַל to unfaithfully Noun - masculine singular Numbers 5:12 מָֽעַל׃ to Noun - masculine singular Numbers 5:27 מַ֣עַל to . . . Noun - masculine singular Numbers 31:16 מַ֥עַל to unfaithfully Noun - masculine singular Joshua 7:1 מַ֖עַל to unfaithfully Noun - masculine singular Joshua 22:16 הַמַּ֤עַל to you have committed Article | Noun - masculine singular Joshua 22:20 מַ֙עַל֙ to regarding Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Leviticus 5:15
Aligned rows 29
Books represented 9
Leviticus 3 Numbers 4 Joshua 5 1 Chronicles 2 2 Chronicles 4 Ezra 3 Job 1 Ezekiel 6 Daniel 1
Source forms
מַ֖עַל 4x ma·‘al Leviticus 6:2, Numbers 5:6, Joshua 7:1, 2 Chronicles 28:19
מַ֔עַל 3x ma·‘al Leviticus 5:15, Ezekiel 14:13, Ezekiel 15:8
בְּמַעֲלָ֖ם 2x bə·ma·‘ă·lām Leviticus 26:40, Daniel 9:7
מַ֣עַל 2x ma·‘al Numbers 5:27, Ezra 9:4
מַ֥עַל 2x ma·‘al Numbers 31:16, Ezra 10:6
מָֽעַל׃ 2x mā·‘al Numbers 5:12, Ezekiel 20:27
בְּמַ֙עַל֙ 1x bə·ma·‘al Joshua 22:22
בַּמַּ֥עַל 1x bam·ma·‘al Ezra 9:2
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 14x Leviticus 5:15, Leviticus 6:2, Numbers 5:6, Numbers 5:12
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural 3x Leviticus 26:40, 1 Chronicles 9:1, Daniel 9:7
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 3x 1 Chronicles 10:13, 2 Chronicles 29:19, Ezekiel 18:24
Article | Noun - masculine singular 2x Joshua 22:16, Joshua 22:31
Noun - masculine singular construct 2x Ezra 9:4, Ezra 10:6
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x 2 Chronicles 33:19
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural 1x Ezekiel 39:26
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x Ezekiel 17:20
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Treachery rooted in breaking covenant faith; sin as active unfaithfulness against God rather than passive wrongdoing
Source Gloss
treachery , i.e. sin
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Treachery rooted in breaking covenant faith; sin as active unfaithfulness against God rather than passive wrongdoing
treachery, i.e. sin BDB: unfaithful Usage: falsehood, grievously, sore, transgression, trespass, × very.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Sin of unfaithfulness in holy things requiring guilt offering
Treacherous act against neighbor requiring restitution and atonement
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 28 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מַעַל is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain