נְוָלוּ
𐤍𐤅𐤋𐤅
nᵉvâlûw
H5122 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A place where refuse, excrement, or waste is dumped; a refuse heap, dung pile, or garbage dump. In Aramaic usage within the Hebrew Bible, it denotes the physical site where filth, refuse, or dung was disposed of, usually outside the city or communal area. Occasionally used figuratively to indicate the utmost abjectness, disgrace, or place of extreme degradation.
Semantic Range
refuse heap, dung pile, garbage dump, place for filth or excrement; figuratively, utter disgrace, state of abject humiliation
Root / Etymology
Root/Etymology: Root uncertain—possibly related to an unused Aramaic root נול, suggested to carry the sense 'to be foul, to become polluted, to become disgusting,' based on the semantic field and comparative cognates in related Semitic languages. The word itself, נְוָלוּ (nᵉvâlû), is an Aramaic noun signifying 'dung heap' or 'refuse dump.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Historical & Contextual Notes: This term occurs in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (notably Daniel 2:5 and 3:29), signifying a place for the disposal of refuse and filth; such sites were typically located outside the city walls and formed part of the necessary sanitary infrastructure for urban life in the Ancient Near East. The word's usage appears specifically in post-exilic texts composed in Aramaic, reflecting the lexicon of the Babylonian and Persian periods. In these contexts, being 'made as a dunghill' or having one's house reduced to a refuse heap is a metaphor for total destruction and abject humiliation—a vivid curse formula indicating the lowest possible degradation. The English rendering 'dunghill' captures the general meaning, but the term may also encompass broader ideas of filth and abjection, and is not limited strictly to modern concepts of manure collection. The Hebrew Bible otherwise uses terms like אַשְׁפָּה (ashpah) or גֶּפֶת (gephet) for refuse heaps or trash dumps in Hebrew contexts. Later English translations reflecting ecclesiastical tradition sometimes interpret 'dunghill' more narrowly than the broader ancient Near Eastern conception would require.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) or נְוָלִי; (Aramaic), from an unused root probably meaning to be foul; a sink; dunghill.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נול (n-w-l) — to be foul, to be polluted, to become abject
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5122-01 |
נְוָלִ֥י | nevali | ANcfsa |
dunghill | refuse heap | a dunghill | 2 |
H5122-02 |
נְוָל֥וּ | nevalu | ANcfsa |
dunghill | refuse heap | a dunghill | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5122-01 |
Daniel 2:5 | נְוָלִ֥י | nevali | ANcfsa |
dunghill-my | refuse heap | a refuse heap |
H5122-01 |
Daniel 3:29 | נְוָלִ֣י | nevali | ANcfsa |
dunghill | refuse heap | a dunghill |
H5122-02 |
Ezra 6:11 | נְוָל֥וּ | nevalu | ANcfsa |
dunghill | refuse heap | a dunghill |