בֹּגְדוֹת
𐤁𐤂𐤃𐤅𐤕
bôgᵉdôwth
H900 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Feminine plural participle form referring to women who act with treachery, betrayal, or faithlessness—those who are unfaithful or act deceitfully. More rarely, the plural can abstractly denote 'acts of treachery' or 'faithless deeds' when applied idiomatically. The primary sense is active participation in betrayal, particularly marital infidelity, but by extension, it may indicate broader forms of disloyalty.
Semantic Range
treacherous women, faithless wives, women acting with betrayal, those behaving deceitfully (fem.), acts of treachery (fem. pl., abstract)
Root / Etymology
From the root בגד, meaning 'to act treacherously' or 'to betray.' The form בֹּגְדוֹת is the feminine plural active participle, indicating 'those who are treacherous' (fem.), properly formed from the verb בָּגַד.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, this form commonly appears in prophetic or wisdom literature, notably in the book of Malachi (e.g. Mal 2:14), referring specifically to women who have committed marital infidelity or have acted with disloyalty against their partners. While בֹּגְדִים is the masculine participle (used much more frequently of men or groups of both genders), בֹּגְדוֹת is used explicitly to designate female actors in betrayal or faithlessness, especially in a marital context. In English translation, 'treacherous women' or 'faithless wives' best captures the sense, though some translations use generic phrasing (e.g., 'those acting treacherously') and lose the specific female reference. During the monarchic and early post-exilic periods, the charge of בָּגַד was a serious accusation, ranging from unfaithfulness in marriage to political betrayal. The participial form underscores repeated or characteristic behavior rather than an isolated act. The term's nuance depends on context: in prophetic rebuke, it often highlights ongoing personal or communal faithlessness, while in legal or narrative portions, it stresses breach of covenantal or marital trust. The English rendering 'treacherous' only partially captures the deep relational or covenantal breach implied by the Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine plural active participle of בָּגַד; treacheries; treacherous.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בגד (b-g-d) — to act treacherously, betray, deal unfaithfully
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H898 | בָּגַד | you have betrayed |
| H899 | בֶּגֶד | in the garment |
| H901 | בָּגוֹד | outer garment |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H900-01 |
בֹּֽגְד֑וֹת | bogedot | HNcfpa |
treacherous | betraying women | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H900-01 |
Zephaniah 3:4 | בֹּֽגְד֑וֹת | bogedot | HNcfpa |
treacherous | betraying women |