What does בָּהַל (niḇhălû) mean in the Bible?
בָּהַל (niḇhălû): Inward trembling that erupts into panic-driven haste; sudden alarm commanding urgent, anxious action.
Hebrew · H926
בָּהַל
To tremble inwardly (or palpitate ), i.e. (figuratively) be (causative, make ) (suddenly) alarmed or agitated ; by implication to hasten anxiously
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בָּהַל H926
Pronunciation niḇhălû
What does בָּהַל (niḇhălû) mean in the Bible?
בָּהַל (niḇhălû): Inward trembling that erupts into panic-driven haste; sudden alarm commanding urgent, anxious action.
Full entry for בָּהַל (H926) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H926?
The BSB source-word alignment has 37 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and terrified (2), and terrify them (2), terror (2), a sudden (1), and dismayed (1).
Where does בָּהַל (niḇhălû) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 45:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (10), Job (5), 2 Chronicles (3), Ecclesiastes (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 It and terrified 2× Psalms 83:17, Psalms 90:7
and terrify them 2× 2 Chronicles 32:18, Psalms 83:15
terror 2× Job 21:6, Isaiah 13:8
a sudden 1× Zephaniah 1:18
and dismayed 1× Psalms 6:10
and rushed 1× Esther 6:14
and terrifies them 1× Psalms 2:5
and you are dismayed 1× Job 4:5
are dismayed 1× Ezekiel 26:18
are in agony 1× Psalms 6:2
are terrified 1× Jeremiah 51:32
be quick 1× Ecclesiastes 5:2
be quickly 1× Ecclesiastes 7:9
dismayed 1× Psalms 30:7
distraught he was 1× 1 Samuel 28:21
has terrified me 1× Job 23:16
hasten 1× Ecclesiastes 8:3
hastens 1× Proverbs 28:22
I am dismayed 1× Isaiah 21:3
I am terrified 1× Job 23:15
in haste 1× Esther 8:14
in terror 1× Psalms 48:5
is deeply distressed 1× Psalms 6:3
so he quickly 1× Esther 2:9
terrifies you 1× Job 22:10
they are terrified 1× Psalms 104:29
they rushed him 1× 2 Chronicles 26:20
they were terrified 1× Genesis 45:3
to hurry 1× 2 Chronicles 35:21
was dismayed 1× 2 Samuel 4:1
were terrified 1× Judges 20:41
will alarm him 1× Daniel 11:44
will be dismayed 1× Exodus 15:15
will tremble 1× Ezekiel 7:27
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 45:3 נִבְהֲל֖וּ to they were terrified Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural Exodus 15:15 נִבְהֲלוּ֙ to will be dismayed Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural Judges 20:41 וַיִּבָּהֵ֖ל to were terrified Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 28:21 נִבְהַ֣ל to distraught he was Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 2 Samuel 4:1 נִבְהָֽלוּ׃ to was dismayed Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural 2 Chronicles 26:20 וַיַּבְהִל֖וּהוּ to they rushed him Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular 2 Chronicles 32:18 וּֽלְבַהֲלָ֑ם to and terrify them Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural 2 Chronicles 35:21 לְבַֽהֲלֵ֑נִי to to hurry Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | first person common singular Esther 2:9 וַ֠יְבַהֵל to so he quickly Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Esther 6:14 וַיַּבְהִ֙לוּ֙ to and rushed Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 45:3
Aligned rows 37
Books represented 16
Genesis 1 Exodus 1 Judges 1 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 1 2 Chronicles 3 Esther 3 Job 5 Psalms 10 Proverbs 1 Ecclesiastes 3 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 2 Daniel 1 Zephaniah 1
Source forms
אֶבָּהֵ֑ל 1x ’eb·bā·hêl Job 23:15
הִבְהִילָֽנִי׃ 1x hiḇ·hî·lā·nî Job 23:16
וַ֠יְבַהֵל 1x way·ḇa·hêl Esther 2:9
וַיִּבָּהֵ֖ל 1x way·yib·bā·hêl Judges 20:41
וְיִבָּהֲל֣וּ 1x wə·yib·bā·hă·lū Psalms 6:10
וְיִבָּהֲל֥וּ 1x wə·yib·bā·hă·lū Psalms 83:17
וַיַּבְהִ֙לוּ֙ 1x way·yaḇ·hi·lū Esther 6:14
וַיַּבְהִל֖וּהוּ 1x way·yaḇ·hi·lū·hū 2 Chronicles 26:20
Parsing patterns
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural 6x Genesis 45:3, Exodus 15:15, 2 Samuel 4:1, Psalms 6:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x Psalms 6:10, Psalms 83:17
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 2x Isaiah 13:8, Ezekiel 26:18
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular 2x Psalms 30:7, Proverbs 28:22
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 2x Ecclesiastes 5:2, Ecclesiastes 7:9
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Esther 6:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular 1x 2 Chronicles 26:20
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 1x Job 21:6
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Inward trembling that erupts into panic-driven haste; sudden alarm commanding urgent, anxious action.
Strong's H926
Lexical occurrences 39 verses Word forms 3 forms 20 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Psalm 6:1–3 Source Gloss
to tremble inwardly (or palpitate ), i.e. (figuratively) be (causative, make ) (suddenly) alarmed or agitated ; by implication to hasten anxiously
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Inward trembling that erupts into panic-driven haste; sudden alarm commanding urgent, anxious action.
to tremble inwardly (or palpitate), i.e. (figuratively) be (causative, make) (suddenly) alarmed or agitated; by implication to hasten anxiously BDB: be disturbed Usage: be (make) affrighted (afraid, amazed, dismayed, rash), (be, get, make) haste(-n, -y, -ily), (give) speedy(-ily), thrust out, trouble, vex.
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 3 Aligned forms 20
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 16×
Perfect 2Sam 4:1 · Exod 15:15 · Gen 45:3 · Jer 51:32 · Ps 6:3 · Ps 48:6 · 1Sam 28:21 · Isa 21:3 · Ps 6:4 · Ps 90:7 10×
Participle active Prov 28:22 · Ps 30:8 2×
Imperfect Ezek 7:27 · Job 23:15 2×
Jussive Eccl 8:3 1×
Participle passive Zeph 1:18 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 2×
Jussive Eccl 5:1 · Eccl 7:9 2×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 2×
Participle passive Esth 8:14 · Prov 20:21 2×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Are disturbed, terrified, or in sudden agony; denotes a state of shock or collapse
Showing 1 selected witness from 39 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
בָּהַל is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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