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נְבֵלָה

𐤍𐤁𐤋𐤄

nᵉbêlâh

H5038 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נבל to wither, fade, decay, become senseless, become disgraceful

Definition

A dead body, specifically the carcass of a human or animal that has died apart from ritual slaughter, with strong emphasis on the state of death and physical decay that ensues. In Israelite law, most often denotes the body of an animal that has died of natural causes or accident (i.e., not properly slaughtered); sometimes used for human corpses. The term can designate the physical remains irrespective of the cause of death, distinguishing the corpse from a ritually slaughtered animal. Occasionally, used figuratively to refer to something spiritually or morally defunct, such as an idol.

Semantic Range

dead body, carcass of animal or human, animal that died of itself, corpse (non-sacrificial), remains (esp. ritually impure), lifeless object (figurative, e.g., idol), decayed or disgraceful state

Root / Etymology

From the root נבל meaning 'to wither, fade, decay, lose vitality; to be senseless or disgraceful.' נְבֵלָה is a feminine noun form meaning 'something that is decayed, limp, or lifeless,' and specifically developed the specialized sense 'carcass, corpse.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In legal and ritual texts (especially Leviticus and Deuteronomy), נְבֵלָה refers to the corpse of an animal that died naturally, was killed by beasts, or otherwise died outside the requirements of proper slaughter. Eating such carcasses is forbidden to Israelites but allowed for resident aliens (gerim) or for export (Deut 14:21), which sets apart Israelite dietary laws from those of other groups in the region. The term is applied to human corpses in poetic and prophetic texts to evoke disgrace, pollution, or the consequences of violence (e.g., Jer 7:33). The figurative use (idol as 'lifeless thing') is rare and usually polemical, accompanying criticism of foreign cults or lifeless objects of worship. English 'carcass' sometimes fails to communicate the ritual and cultural boundaries implied; 'corpse' may fit where context is human. The term is distinguished from חָלָל (chalal, slain) which emphasizes violent or sacrificial death, and פֶּגֶר (peger, body), which can be a more neutral reference to a corpse. In the Second Temple and post-biblical period, נְבֵלָה continues to function within dietary regulations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from נָבֵל; a flabby thing, i.e. a carcase or carrion (human or bestial, often collectively); figuratively, an idol; (dead) body, (dead) carcase, dead of itself, which died, (beast) that (which) dieth of itself.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נבל (n-b-l) — to wither, fade, decay, become senseless, become disgraceful

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5034 נָבֵל like withering
H5035 נֶבֶל with a nebel-vessel
H5036 נָבָל the morally-withered ones
H5037 נָבָל like Nabal
H5039 נְבָלָה the disgraceful act

Word Forms

17 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5038-13 נִבְלָת֜/וֹ nivelato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his corpse his decayed carcass 6
H5038-11 נִבְלָתָ֖/ם nivelatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their carcasses their decayed carcass 6
H5038-07 נְבֵלָה֙ nevelah HNcfsa carcass decayed carcass 5
H5038-09 נִבְלַ֧ת nivelat HNcfsc carcass decayed carcass of 5
H5038-04 הַ/נְּבֵלָֽה hanevelah HTd/Ncfsa the carcass the decayed carcass 5
H5038-06 מִ/נִּבְלָתָ֑/ם minivelatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp from their carcass from their carcass 4
H5038-01 בְּ/נִבְלַת֙ benivelat HR/Ncfsc carcass of in the decayed carcass of 3
H5038-03 בְּ/נִבְלָתָ֖/ם benivelatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp their carcass in their carcass 3
H5038-12 נִבְלָֽתְ/ךָ֙ nivelatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your carcass your decayed carcass 2
H5038-15 וּ/בְ/נִבְלָתָ֖/ם uvenivelatam HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3mp and in their carcass and in their carcass 2

Occurrences in Scripture

48 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5038-16 Leviticus 5:2 בְ/נִבְלַ֨ת venivelat HR/Ncfsc carcass of in the decayed carcass of
H5038-01 Leviticus 5:2 בְּ/נִבְלַת֙ benivelat HR/Ncfsc carcass of in the decayed carcass of
H5038-01 Leviticus 5:2 בְּ/נִבְלַ֖ת benivelat-2 HR/Ncfsc carcass of in the decayed carcass of
H5038-07 Leviticus 7:24 נְבֵלָה֙ nevelah HNcfsa of the carcass decayed carcass
H5038-15 Leviticus 11:8 וּ/בְ/נִבְלָתָ֖/ם uvenivelatam HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3mp and in their carcass and in their carcass
H5038-11 Leviticus 11:11 נִבְלָתָ֖/ם nivelatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their carcasses their decayed carcass
H5038-03 Leviticus 11:24 בְּ/נִבְלָתָ֖/ם benivelatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp in their carcass in their carcass
H5038-06 Leviticus 11:25 מִ/נִּבְלָתָ֑/ם minivelatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp any of their carcasses from their carcass
H5038-03 Leviticus 11:27 בְּ/נִבְלָתָ֖/ם benivelatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp their carcass in their carcass
H5038-11 Leviticus 11:28 נִבְלָתָ֔/ם nivelatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their carcass their decayed carcass
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