What does נָבֵל (nābēl) mean in the Bible?
נָבֵל (nābēl): Progressive deterioration from physical wilting to moral corruption; failure and foolishness as inevitable decline
Hebrew · H5034
נָבֵל
To wilt ; generally, to fall away, fail , faint ; figuratively, to be foolish or (morally) wicked ; causatively, to despise , disgrace
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נָבֵל H5034
Pronunciation nābēl
What does נָבֵל (nābēl) mean in the Bible?
נָבֵל (nābēl): Progressive deterioration from physical wilting to moral corruption; failure and foolishness as inevitable decline
Full entry for נָבֵל (H5034) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5034?
The BSB source-word alignment has 25 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include wither (3), fall (2), lose heart (2), . . . (1), and crumbles (1).
Where does נָבֵל (nābēl) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 18:18. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (11), Psalms (3), Exodus (2), Jeremiah (2).
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 wither 3× Psalms 1:3, Isaiah 64:6, Ezekiel 47:12
fall 2× Isaiah 40:7, Isaiah 40:8
lose heart 2× 2 Samuel 22:46, Psalms 18:45
. . . 1× Exodus 18:18
and crumbles 1× Job 14:18
and fades 1× Isaiah 24:4
and scorned 1× Deuteronomy 32:15
and treat you with contempt 1× Nahum 3:6
and wilt 1× Psalms 37:2
and withers 1× Isaiah 24:4
are withered 1× Isaiah 1:30
disgrace 1× Jeremiah 14:21
dishonors 1× Micah 7:6
like foliage 1× Isaiah 34:4
like withered 1× Isaiah 34:4
The fading 1× Isaiah 28:4
to the fading 1× Isaiah 28:1
will fall 1× Isaiah 34:4
will wear yourselves out 1× Exodus 18:18
will wither 1× Jeremiah 8:13
you have foolishly 1× Proverbs 30:32
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 18:18 נָבֹ֣ל to will wear yourselves out Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute Exodus 18:18 תִּבֹּ֔ל to . . . Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Deuteronomy 32:15 וַיְנַבֵּ֖ל to and scorned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2 Samuel 22:46 יִבֹּ֑לוּ to lose heart Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Job 14:18 יִבּ֑וֹל to and crumbles Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Psalms 1:3 יִבּ֑וֹל to wither Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Psalms 18:45 יִבֹּ֑לוּ to lose heart Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Psalms 37:2 יִבּוֹלֽוּן׃ to and wilt Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun Proverbs 30:32 נָבַ֥לְתָּ to you have foolishly Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Isaiah 1:30 נֹבֶ֣לֶת to are withered Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 18:18
Aligned rows 25
Books represented 11
Exodus 2 Deuteronomy 1 2 Samuel 1 Job 1 Psalms 3 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 11 Jeremiah 2 Ezekiel 1 Micah 1 Nahum 1
Source forms
יִבּ֑וֹל 2x yib·bō·wl Job 14:18, Psalms 1:3
יִבֹּ֑לוּ 2x yib·bō·lū 2 Samuel 22:46, Psalms 18:45
נָ֣בֵֽל 2x nā·ḇêl Isaiah 40:7, Isaiah 40:8
וַיְנַבֵּ֖ל 1x way·nab·bêl Deuteronomy 32:15
וּכְנֹבֶ֖לֶת 1x ū·ḵə·nō·ḇe·leṯ Isaiah 34:4
וַנָּ֤בֶל 1x wan·nā·ḇel Isaiah 64:6
וְנִבַּלְתִּ֑יךְ 1x wə·nib·bal·tîḵ Nahum 3:6
יִבּ֔וֹל 1x yib·bō·wl Isaiah 34:4
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x Job 14:18, Psalms 1:3, Isaiah 34:4, Ezekiel 47:12
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 3x Isaiah 40:7, Isaiah 40:8, Jeremiah 8:13
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x 2 Samuel 22:46, Psalms 18:45
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 2x Isaiah 28:1, Isaiah 28:4
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular 2x Isaiah 24:4
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | second person feminine singular 1x Nahum 3:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 32:15
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common plural 1x Isaiah 64:6
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Progressive deterioration from physical wilting to moral corruption; failure and foolishness as inevitable decline
Source Gloss
to wilt ; generally, to fall away, fail , faint ; figuratively, to be foolish or (morally) wicked ; causatively, to despise , disgrace
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Progressive deterioration from physical wilting to moral corruption; failure and foolishness as inevitable decline
to wilt; generally, to fall away, fail, faint; figuratively, to be foolish or (morally) wicked; causatively, to despise, disgrace BDB: sink Usage: disgrace, dishounour, lightly esteem, fade (away, -ing), fall (down, -ling, off), do foolishly, come to nought, × surely, make vile, wither.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 19
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 17×
Imperfect Ezek 47:12 · Isa 34:4 · Job 14:18 · Ps 1:3 · 2Sam 22:46 · Ps 18:46 · Exod 18:18 7×
Perfect Isa 40:7 · Isa 40:8 · Jer 8:13 · Isa 24:4 · Prov 30:32 6×
Participle active Isa 1:30 · Isa 28:1 · Isa 28:4 3×
Infinitive absolute Exod 18:18 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 2×
Jussive Jer 14:21 1×
Participle active Mic 7:6 1×
Word Origins
נָבֵל is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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