What does רָגַל (rāgal) mean in the Bible?
רָגַל (rāgal): Walking becomes surveillance or betrayal: reconnaissance, spying, or slandering through circulating rumors among others.
Hebrew · H7270
רָגַל
To walk along ; but only in specifically, applications, to reconnoiter , to be a tale-bearer (i.e. slander); to lead about
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רָגַלH7270
Pronunciationrāgal
What does רָגַל (rāgal) mean in the Bible?
רָגַל (rāgal): Walking becomes surveillance or betrayal: reconnaissance, spying, or slandering through circulating rumors among others.
Full entry for רָגַל (H7270) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7270?
The BSB source-word alignment has 25 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include spies (8), to spy out (5), are spies (3), spy it out (2), and accused us of spying (1).
Where does רָגַל (rāgal) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 42:9. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (7), Joshua (7), 2 Samuel (3), Judges (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itspies8×Genesis 42:11, Genesis 42:31, Genesis 42:34, Numbers 21:32
to spy out5×Joshua 6:25, Joshua 14:7, Judges 18:2, Judges 18:14
are spies3×Genesis 42:9, Genesis 42:14, Genesis 42:16
spy it out2×2 Samuel 10:3, 1 Chronicles 19:3
and accused us of spying1×Genesis 42:30
and he has slandered1×2 Samuel 19:27
and spied out1×Joshua 7:2
and spied out [the land]1×Deuteronomy 1:24
and spy out1×Joshua 7:2
slander1×Psalms 15:3
who had spied out1×Joshua 6:22
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 42:9מְרַגְּלִ֣יםtoare spiesVerb - Piel - Participle - masculine pluralGenesis 42:11מְרַגְּלִֽים׃tospiesVerb - Piel - Participle - masculine pluralGenesis 42:14מְרַגְּלִ֥יםtoare spiesVerb - Piel - Participle - masculine pluralGenesis 42:16מְרַגְּלִ֖יםtoare spiesVerb - Piel - Participle - masculine pluralGenesis 42:30כִּֽמְרַגְּלִ֖יםtoand accused us of spyingPreposition-k | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine pluralGenesis 42:31מְרַגְּלִֽים׃tospiesVerb - Piel - Participle - masculine pluralGenesis 42:34מְרַגְּלִים֙tospiesVerb - Piel - Participle - masculine pluralNumbers 21:32לְרַגֵּ֣לtospiesPreposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructDeuteronomy 1:24וַֽיְרַגְּל֖וּtoand spied out [the land]Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralJoshua 2:1מְרַגְּלִים֙tospiesVerb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 42:9
Aligned rows25
Books represented9
Genesis7Numbers1Deuteronomy1Joshua7Judges31 Samuel12 Samuel31 Chronicles1Psalms1
Source forms
לְרַגֵּ֣ל3xlə·rag·gêlNumbers 21:32, Joshua 14:7, Judges 18:17
וַֽיְרַגְּל֖וּ2xway·rag·gə·lūDeuteronomy 1:24, Joshua 7:2
מְרַגְּלִים֙2xmə·rag·gə·lîmGenesis 42:34, Joshua 2:1
מְרַגְּלִֽים׃2xmə·rag·gə·lîmGenesis 42:11, Genesis 42:31
הַֽמְרַגְּלִ֤ים1xham·rag·gə·lîmJoshua 6:22
הַֽמְרַגְּלִ֗ים1xham·rag·gə·lîmJoshua 6:23
וַיְרַגֵּ֣ל1xway·rag·gêl2 Samuel 19:27
וּלְרַגֵּל֙1xū·lə·rag·gêl1 Chronicles 19:3
Parsing patterns
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural9xGenesis 42:9, Genesis 42:11, Genesis 42:14, Genesis 42:16
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct6xNumbers 21:32, Joshua 6:25, Joshua 14:7, Judges 18:2
Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural2xJoshua 6:22, Joshua 6:23
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural2xDeuteronomy 1:24, Joshua 7:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular1x2 Samuel 19:27
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural1xJoshua 7:2
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct1x1 Chronicles 19:3
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular1x2 Samuel 10:3
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Walking becomes surveillance or betrayal: reconnaissance, spying, or slandering through circulating rumors among others.
Strong'sH7270
Lexical occurrences25 versesWord forms2 forms10 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkGenesis 42:1-17Source Gloss
to walk along ; but only in specifically, applications, to reconnoiter , to be a tale-bearer (i.e. slander); to lead about
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Walking becomes surveillance or betrayal: reconnaissance, spying, or slandering through circulating rumors among others.
to walk along; but only in specifically, applications, to reconnoiter, to be a tale-bearer (i.e. slander); to lead about BDB: foot it Usage: backbite, search, slander, (e-) spy (out), teach to go, view.
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 groups2Aligned forms10
Pielintensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action9×
Participle active1Sam 26:4 · 2Sam 15:10 · Gen 42:9 · Gen 42:11 · Gen 42:14 · Gen 42:16 · Gen 42:31 · Gen 42:34 · Josh 2:19×
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense1×
PerfectPs 15:31×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
to reconnoiter or scout out a land for intelligence gathering purposes
Showing 1 selected witness from 25 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
רָגַל is built from this root: