What does עֶוֶל (‘āwel) mean in the Bible?
עֶוֶל (‘āwel): Moral corruption and legal injustice intertwined; structural perverseness rather than isolated wrongdoing
Hebrew · H5766
עֶוֶל
(Moral) evil
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עֶוֶל H5766
Pronunciation ‘āwel
What does עֶוֶל (‘āwel) mean in the Bible?
עֶוֶל (‘āwel): Moral corruption and legal injustice intertwined; structural perverseness rather than isolated wrongdoing
Full entry for עֶוֶל (H5766) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5766?
The BSB source-word alignment has 54 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include injustice (10), iniquity (9), wrong (5), because of the iniquity (2), of wickedness (2).
Where does עֶוֶל (‘āwel) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 19:15. Its strongest book concentrations include Job (12), Psalms (12), Ezekiel (11), 2 Samuel (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 injustice 10× Deuteronomy 32:4, 2 Chronicles 19:7, Job 11:14, Job 15:16
iniquity 9× Job 6:30, Psalms 107:42, Psalms 119:3, Ezekiel 3:20
wrong 5× Job 34:32, Job 36:23, Psalms 37:1, Zephaniah 3:5
because of the iniquity 2× Ezekiel 18:26, Ezekiel 33:13
of wickedness 2× 2 Samuel 7:10, 1 Chronicles 17:9
wickedness 2× Job 27:4, Ezekiel 28:15
. . . 1× Leviticus 19:15
An unjust 1× Proverbs 29:27
and iniquity 1× Isaiah 61:8
and injustice 1× Job 5:16
and the dishonesty 1× Ezekiel 28:18
and unjust 1× Psalms 43:1
are vile 1× Psalms 53:1
by iniquity 1× Habakkuk 2:12
dishonest 1× Leviticus 19:35
dishonestly 1× Deuteronomy 25:16
false 1× Malachi 2:6
fault 1× Jeremiah 2:5
from iniquity 1× Ezekiel 18:8
injustice [and say] 1× Psalms 64:6
So injustice 1× Job 24:20
the wicked 1× 2 Samuel 3:34
to act unjustly 1× Job 34:10
to injustice 1× Psalms 125:3
unjust 1× Job 6:29
unjustly 1× Psalms 82:2
unrighteousness 1× Psalms 92:15
wicked 1× Psalms 89:22
wickedly 1× Job 13:7
with iniquity 1× Micah 3:10
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 19:15 עָ֙וֶל֙ to . . . Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 19:35 עָ֖וֶל to dishonest Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 25:16 עָֽוֶל׃פ to dishonestly Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 32:4 עָ֔וֶל to injustice Noun - masculine singular 2 Samuel 3:34 עַוְלָ֖ה to the wicked Noun - feminine singular 2 Samuel 7:10 עַוְלָה֙ to of wickedness Noun - feminine singular 1 Chronicles 17:9 עַוְלָה֙ to of wickedness Noun - feminine singular 2 Chronicles 19:7 עַוְלָ֛ה to injustice Noun - feminine singular Job 5:16 וְ֝עֹלָ֗תָה to and injustice Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular Job 6:29 עַוְלָ֑ה to unjust Noun - feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Leviticus 19:15
Aligned rows 54
Books represented 16
Leviticus 2 Deuteronomy 2 2 Samuel 2 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 1 Job 12 Psalms 12 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 11 Hosea 1 Micah 1 Habakkuk 1 Zephaniah 2 Malachi 1
Source forms
עַוְלָ֑ה 6x ‘aw·lāh Job 6:29, Job 6:30, Job 13:7, Job 27:4
עָ֑וֶל 5x ‘ā·wel Psalms 82:2, Proverbs 29:27, Ezekiel 33:13, Ezekiel 33:15
עַוְלָֽה׃ 5x ‘aw·lāh Job 11:14, Job 15:16, Job 24:20, Job 36:23
עָ֔וֶל 4x ‘ā·wel Deuteronomy 32:4, Jeremiah 2:5, Ezekiel 3:20, Ezekiel 18:24
עַוְלָה֙ 3x ‘aw·lāh 2 Samuel 7:10, 1 Chronicles 17:9, Zephaniah 3:13
עַ֝וְלָ֗ה 3x ‘aw·lāh Job 22:23, Psalms 89:22, Psalms 107:42
בְּעַוְלָֽה׃ 2x bə·‘aw·lāh Micah 3:10, Habakkuk 2:12
עָ֖וֶל 2x ‘ā·wel Leviticus 19:35, Ezekiel 18:26
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular 24x 2 Samuel 3:34, 2 Samuel 7:10, 1 Chronicles 17:9, 2 Chronicles 19:7
Noun - masculine singular 16x Leviticus 19:15, Leviticus 19:35, Deuteronomy 25:16, Deuteronomy 32:4
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular 4x Psalms 125:3, Isaiah 61:8, Micah 3:10, Habakkuk 2:12
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular 2x Psalms 43:1, Malachi 2:6
Noun - feminine plural 2x Psalms 58:2, Psalms 64:6
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular 2x Job 34:10, Ezekiel 18:8
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular 1x Job 5:16
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x Ezekiel 33:13
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Moral corruption and legal injustice intertwined; structural perverseness rather than isolated wrongdoing
Source Gloss
(moral) evil
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Moral corruption and legal injustice intertwined; structural perverseness rather than isolated wrongdoing
(moral) evil BDB: injustice Usage: iniquity, perverseness, unjust(-ly), unrighteousness(-ly); wicked(-ness).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Injustice, wrong, or moral perversity
Showing 1 selected witness from 54 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
עֶוֶל is built from this root:
עֲוַל H5765
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