מַ֫עַל

Leviticus 5:15 מַ֔עַל unfaithfulness

“If someone acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s holy things, he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram from the flock, of proper value in silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel; it is a guilt offering.

Here: The noun from the same root, repeated for emphasis: literally "breaches a breach," roughly "actually commits a sacrilege." It names the offence as a recognised legal category.

Leviticus 6:2 מַ֖עַל unfaithfulness

“If someone sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in regard to a deposit or security entrusted to him or stolen, or if he extorts his neighbor

Here: The noun repeats the verb ('breaks faith a breach of faith'). Hebrew does this for emphasis, so the line stresses that a real act of betrayal has taken place.

Leviticus 26:40 בְּמַעֲלָ֖ם by unfaithfulness their

But if they will confess their iniquity and that of their fathers in the unfaithfulness that they practiced against Me, by which they have also walked in hostility toward Me—

Here: The preposition 'in' spells out what the iniquity consisted of: namely, their maʿal, a breach of faith against God, the kind of act that violates something holy or a sworn loyalty.

Numbers 5:6 מַ֖עַל unfaithfulness

“Tell the Israelites that when a man or woman acts unfaithfully against the LORD by committing any sin against another, that person is guilty

Numbers 5:12 מָֽעַל׃ unfaithfulness

“Speak to the Israelites and tell them that if any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him

Numbers 5:27 מַ֣עַל unfaithfulness

When he has made her drink the water, if she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, then the water that brings a curse will enter her and cause bitter suffering; her belly will swell, her thigh will shrivel, and she will become accursed among her people.

Numbers 31:16 מַ֥עַל unfaithfulness

“Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.

Here: A betrayal of what belongs to God: violating holy things, or breaking faith with the covenant. The same word describes a wife's unfaithfulness in Num 5:12. Here it names Israel's defection to Baal of Peor.

Joshua 7:1 מַ֖עַל unfaithfulness

The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.

Here: The noun comes from the same root as the verb, so the line reads "they broke faith a breach of faith." Hebrew repeats a root like this to make the act weighty and unmistakable.

Joshua 22:16 הַמַּ֤עַל [is] the unfaithfulness

“This is what the whole congregation of the LORD says: ‘What is this breach of faith you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the LORD and building for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel against the LORD this day?

Joshua 22:20 מַ֙עַל֙ unfaithfulness

Was not Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath upon the whole congregation of Israel? Yet it was not only Achan who perished because of his sin!’”

Here: The noun from the same root, repeated after its verb ('broke faith a breach of faith'). The repetition stresses the act and copies word for word the charge against Israel in Joshua 7:1.

Joshua 22:22 בְּמַ֙עַל֙ in unfaithfulness

“The LORD, the Mighty One, is God! The LORD, the Mighty One, is God! He knows, and may Israel also know. If this was in rebellion or breach of faith against the LORD, do not spare us today.

Here: Breach of faith, specifically a violation of what belongs to God. It is the word of the accusation in v. 16 and of Achan's sin in 7:1 and 22:20. The speakers repeat the exact charge so as to deny it on oath.

Joshua 22:31 הַמַּ֣עַל the unfaithfulness

Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, “Today we know that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this breach of faith against Him. Consequently, you have delivered the Israelites from the hand of the LORD.”

Here: The verb is followed by its own noun ('broken faith with this breach of faith'), which adds emphasis. 'The' and 'this' point back to the specific act they were suspected of: building a rival altar.

1 Chronicles 9:1 בְּמַעֲלָֽם׃ ס in unfaithfulness their

So all Israel was recorded in the genealogies written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. But Judah was exiled to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.

1 Chronicles 10:13 בְּמַֽעֲלוֹ֙ in unfaithfulness his

So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,

Here: "Because of his ma'al." The preposition be- here gives the cause: he died for it. Ma'al is not a general word for sin. It names a breach of faith against God, especially a violation of what is holy to him. It is the Chronicler's chosen word for the sin that loses land and kingdom.

2 Chronicles 29:19 בְּמַעֲל֖וֹ in unfaithfulness his

Moreover, we have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz in his unfaithfulness cast aside during his reign. They are now in front of the altar of the LORD.”

2 Chronicles 33:19 וּמַעְלוֹ֒ and unfaithfulness his

His prayer and how God received his plea, as well as all his sin and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself, they are indeed written in the Records of the Seers.

Here: His breach of trust against God: treachery and sacrilege, misuse of what belonged to God. In Chronicles this is the word for the sin that brings exile.

2 Chronicles 36:14 מַ֔עַל unfaithfulness

Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, following all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the house of the LORD, which He had consecrated in Jerusalem.

Here: The object of the verb from the same root: "to trespass a trespass." It means a betrayal of loyalty to God, especially by taking or violating what belongs to Him. This is the Chronicler's key word for why Judah went into exile.

Ezra 9:2 בַּמַּ֥עַל in the unfaithfulness

Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”

Here: 'In the breach of faith': the technical term for wronging God by misusing what belongs to him or breaking an oath sworn to him. Here the 'holy seed' is God's property and has been handed over to others.

Ezra 9:4 מַ֣עַל [the] unfaithfulness of

Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering.

Here: A technical word for betraying God's trust, often by taking or spoiling something that belongs to him. Here that something is the 'holy seed' (9:2) of Israel itself.

Ezra 10:6 מַ֥עַל [the] unfaithfulness of

Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. And while he stayed there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

Job 21:34 מָֽעַל׃ ס unfaithfulness

So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”

Ezekiel 14:13 מַ֔עַל unfaithfulness

“Son of man, if a land sins against Me by acting unfaithfully, and I stretch out My hand against it to cut off its supply of food, to send famine upon it, and to cut off from it both man and beast,

Here: The noun from the same root as the verb before it ("to break faith a breach of faith"). Hebrew pairs a verb with its own noun like this for emphasis: a real, flagrant betrayal. KJV's "trespassing grievously" tries to keep that force.

Ezekiel 15:8 מַ֔עַל unfaithfulness

Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

Ezekiel 17:20 מַעֲל֖וֹ unfaithfulness his

I will spread My net over him and catch him in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there for the treason he committed against Me.

Here: "His breach of faith": the charge sheet. In Israel's law this was the word for violating what belongs to God, including swearing a false oath by his name.

Ezekiel 18:24 בְּמַעֲל֧וֹ for unfaithfulness his

But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same abominations as the wicked, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness and sin he has committed, he will die.

Here: His breach of faith: a betrayal of loyalty owed to God, a priestly term for misusing what belongs to God. 'In/because of' marks the grounds of the verdict.

Ezekiel 20:27 מָֽעַל׃ unfaithfulness

Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: In this way also your fathers blasphemed Me by their unfaithfulness against Me.

Ezekiel 39:26 מַעֲלָ֖ם unfaithfulness their

They will forget their disgrace and all the treachery they committed against Me, when they dwell securely in their land, with no one to frighten them.

Here: 'Their treachery.' A deliberate breach of trust against someone they owed loyalty to. The word is used for taking what was holy to God, or for betraying a covenant (a binding agreement of loyalty).

Daniel 9:7 בְּמַעֲלָ֖ם in unfaithfulness their

To You, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, and all Israel near and far, in all the countries to which You have driven us because of our unfaithfulness to You.

Here: "Because of their breach of faith." Ma'al means betraying a sacred trust or covenant loyalty, close to sacrilege. The Hebrew says "their," in the third person.