Hebrew word · H5039

נְבָלָה

nevalah

folly

Outrageous, disgraceful conduct: a shameful act that breaks the basic order of community and covenant. It is related to nābāl, the 'fool' who acts as if God doesn't matter (Psalm 14:1), and to Nabal of 1 Samuel 25 ('Nabal is his name and folly is with him').

Appears 13 times in 13 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) senselessness, folly

1a) disgraceful folly

1a1) of immorality, profane actions

1b) disgrace, contumely disgrace

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Isaiah 9:17

Range of meaning

Outrageous, disgraceful conduct: a shameful act that breaks the basic order of community and covenant. It is related to nābāl, the 'fool' who acts as if God doesn't matter (Psalm 14:1), and to Nabal of 1 Samuel 25 ('Nabal is his name and folly is with him').

Against the English

KJV, WEB, YLT, BSB, ESV, NIV all say 'folly'. To a modern ear that sounds like silliness or poor judgment. NASB likewise says 'foolishness'.

How it drifted

'Folly' once carried a heavier moral sense in older English (lewdness, wickedness). That sense has faded, leaving only 'foolishness'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used of the rape of Dinah (Genesis 34:7, 'an outrage in Israel'), Achan's sacrilege (Joshua 7:15), the Gibeah atrocity (Judges 19:23–24; 20:6), Amnon's rape of Tamar (2 Samuel 13:12). In Isaiah 32:6 the fool 'speaks nəbālāh' and plans godlessness and lies about the LORD.

From the study of Deuteronomy 22:21

Range of meaning

A disgraceful, outrageous act that breaks the basic obligations holding a community together. Usually sexual violation or sacrilege. It comes from the same root as navel, the 'fool' who is morally and socially base, someone who ignores obligations (compare Nabal in 1 Sam 25:25), not someone who is unintelligent.

Against the English

KJV and WEB 'folly' suggests foolishness or silliness. BSB 'outrage', NIV and ESV 'outrageous thing' and NLT 'disgraceful crime' are much closer.

How it drifted

Early English 'folly' could mean wickedness or lewdness, and that fit the Latin and older English tradition. Modern 'folly' has weakened to 'foolish behaviour'.

Used elsewhere in the period

The set phrase 'to do nevalah in Israel' appears in Gen 34:7 (Dinah), Josh 7:15 (Achan), Judg 20:6, 10 (Gibeah), Jer 29:23 (adultery and false prophecy), and close to it in 2 Sam 13:12 (Tamar: 'do not do this nevalah'). The Septuagint here uses aphrosynē ('senselessness'), and the Vulgate uses nefas ('an impious crime').

From the study of Jeremiah 29:23

Range of meaning

A serious, shameful act that breaks the basic order of the community: a sacrilege or moral outrage. It is linked to naval, the 'fool' who acts as if there is no God or social restraint (Ps 14:1; 1 Sam 25:25). The phrase 'to do nevalah in Israel' is a fixed formula, used mainly for sexual crimes: the rape of Dinah (Gen 34:7), a bride found not to be a virgin (Deut 22:21), the outrage at Gibeah (Judg 19:23–24; 20:6, 10), Amnon's rape of Tamar (2 Sam 13:12). It is also used for Achan's sacrilege (Josh 7:15).

Against the English

KJV 'villany' (in older English, base and shameful conduct) and BSB 'outrage' come close. YLT 'folly' and WEB 'foolish things' sound like poor judgment or silliness to a modern reader, which badly understates the word. Several modern versions use 'outrageous' or 'disgraceful' wording, which is better.

How it drifted

English 'folly' once carried moral weight ('lewdness, wickedness'). Today it means harmless foolishness, so literal renderings now mislead.

Used elsewhere in the period

The formula occurs in the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges and Samuel, almost always for acts that called for communal punishment. The LXX often renders it aphrosynē ('senselessness'). In this verse it seems to use anomia ('lawlessness'). Anthony Phillips (Vetus Testamentum 1975) argued it means 'serious disorderly and unruly conduct' that ends a relationship.

Similar words

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 34:7 נְבָלָ֞ה a disgraceful folly

    When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.

    Here: A serious, shameful breach of the basic order that holds a community together, often sexual. It does not mean a foolish mistake. It is the same word used of the crime at Gibeah and of Amnon's rape of Tamar.

Deuteronomy · 1

  1. Deuteronomy 22:21 נְבָלָה֙ folly

    she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house, and there the men of her city will stone her to death. For she has committed an outrage in Israel by being promiscuous in her father’s house. So you must purge the evil from among you.

    Here: Not mere 'folly'. It is a shocking act that tears the moral and social fabric of the community, used elsewhere of the rape of Dinah, the Gibeah atrocity, Amnon's rape of Tamar and Achan's theft of devoted things.

Joshua · 1

  1. Joshua 7:15 נְבָלָ֖ה disgraceful folly

    The one who is caught with the things devoted to destruction must be burned, along with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and committed an outrage in Israel.’”

    Here: Not silliness. It means an act so shameless and destructive that it breaks the moral order holding the community together, a scandal that brings disgrace on all Israel.

Judges · 4

  1. Judges 19:23 הַנְּבָלָ֥ה the disgraceful folly

    The owner of the house went out and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Do not commit this outrage.

  2. Judges 19:24 הַנְּבָלָ֥ה <the> disgraceful folly

    Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.”

  3. Judges 20:6 וּנְבָלָ֖ה and disgraceful folly

    Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.

  4. Judges 20:10 הַ֨נְּבָלָ֔ה the disgraceful folly

    We will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to supply provisions for the army when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.”

1 Samuel · 1

  1. 1 Samuel 25:25 וּנְבָלָ֖ה and disgraceful folly

    My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.

2 Samuel · 1

  1. 2 Samuel 13:12 הַנְּבָלָ֥ה the disgraceful folly

    “No, my brother!” she cried. “Do not violate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!

Job · 1

  1. Job 42:8 נְבָלָ֔ה punishment for folly

    So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.”

    Here: Not ordinary silliness. Nevalah is a shameful, outrageous act that deserves disgrace. God would treat them as their disgraceful speech deserved, or bring public disgrace on them.

Isaiah · 2

  1. Isaiah 9:17 נְבָלָ֑ה disgraceful folly

    Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men; He has no compassion on their fatherless and widows. For every one of them is godless and wicked, and every mouth speaks folly. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

    Here: Shameful, outrageous wrongdoing: a gross breach of moral and covenant order, not silliness. The noun is used for rape and sacrilege elsewhere.

  2. Isaiah 32:6 נְבָלָ֣ה folly

    For a fool speaks foolishness; his mind plots iniquity. He practices ungodliness and speaks falsely about the LORD; he leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink.

    Here: Comes from the same root as nabal, so the sound repeats: 'the nabal speaks nebalah.' Elsewhere the word names shocking crimes against the community, so this is shameful talk, not silly talk.

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 29:23 נְבָלָ֜ה folly

    For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He who knows, and I am a witness, declares the LORD.”

    Here: Not a silly mistake. It is a shocking act that tears the moral and social fabric of the community, used again and again for sexual crimes. This is the umbrella charge, and the adultery and false prophecy that follow fill it out.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.