Hebrew word · H926

בָּהַל

nivhalu

to dismay

The root bahal in earlier Hebrew means to be disturbed, alarmed or terrified (for example Exodus 15:15; Psalm 6:2–3). In later biblical Hebrew it increasingly means to hurry, act rashly or be hasty (Ecclesiastes 5:2; 8:3; Esther 6:14; 2 Chronicles 26:20).

Appears 39 times in 39 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to disturb, alarm, terrify, hurry, be disturbed, be anxious, be afraid, be hurried, be nervous

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to be disturbed, dismayed, terrified, anxious

1a2) to be in haste, be hasty

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to make haste, act hastily, be hurried, be hastened

1b2) to dismay, terrify

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to hasten

1c2) hastened, hastily gained (part.)

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to hasten, hurry, make haste

1d2) to dismay, terrify

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 Proverbs 28:22

Range of meaning

The root bahal in earlier Hebrew means to be disturbed, alarmed or terrified (for example Exodus 15:15; Psalm 6:2–3). In later biblical Hebrew it increasingly means to hurry, act rashly or be hasty (Ecclesiastes 5:2; 8:3; Esther 6:14; 2 Chronicles 26:20). In this form it describes someone hurried and agitated at once. HALOT and BDB list both 'be dismayed' and 'hasten' for this stem.

Against the English

Most versions say 'hastens' or 'hurries' (BSB, KJV, WEB, ESV, NASB). NIV has 'eager'. YLT keeps the older sense: 'Troubled for wealth'. NLT's 'get rich quick' brings out the haste but makes it sound like a scheme rather than a state of agitation.

Used elsewhere in the period

Proverbs 20:21 (written text): an inheritance 'gotten hastily' (from bahal) at the start will not be blessed at the end. Proverbs 28:20, two verses earlier: 'one who hurries (ats) to be rich will not go unpunished'. Proverbs 21:5: 'everyone who is hasty comes only to want (machsor)'. In later Hebrew bahal regularly means 'hasten'.

From the study of Proverbs 20:21

Range of meaning

In older texts: be disturbed, terrified, dismayed (Exod 15:15; Ps 6:2–3). In some forms and in later Hebrew: to hurry, act in haste or rashly (Esth 2:9; 6:14; 8:14 'hastened and pressed'; 2 Chr 35:21; Eccl 5:2 'do not be rash with your mouth'). The ideas of panic and haste overlap: agitated, hurried action.

Against the English

'Gained quickly' (BSB) and 'gotten hastily' (KJV) catch the speed but lose the agitation in the word. The NIV and NLT ('too soon', 'too early') make it about timing. YLT's 'wrongly' reads in a moral judgment that the word itself does not state.

Used elsewhere in the period

Proverbs uses the same root for grasping after money: 'A man with an evil eye hurries (nivhāl) after wealth, and does not know that poverty will come upon him' (Prov 28:22). Compare 28:20, 'one who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished,' and 13:11.

From the study of Psalm 6:2

Range of meaning

In this form (Niphal, a passive or reflexive form): to be dismayed, terrified, thrown into panic, to tremble. It describes Joseph's brothers when he reveals himself (Gen 45:3), Saul before the battle at Gilboa (1 Sam 28:21), and nations overwhelmed by sudden disaster (Exod 15:15). It often carries urgency or alarm.

Against the English

Renderings include "vexed" (KJV), "troubled" (WEB, YLT, ESV), "dismayed" (NASB) and "in agony" (BSB, NIV, NLT). "In agony" makes it a word about physical pain. The Hebrew is about terror and trembling, the whole body gripped by dread. Illness may be part of it, but the word names the fear and shaking, not the ache.

How it drifted

KJV's "vexed" meant "severely troubled, afflicted" in 1611. Today it suggests mild irritation, which badly understates the line.

Used elsewhere in the period

The LXX uses etarachthē ("were stirred up, thrown into turmoil"). That verb returns in Ps 6:3 LXX, "my soul is greatly troubled," a line Jesus echoes in John 12:27 ("Now my soul is troubled").

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 45:3 נִבְהֲל֖וּ they were terrified

    Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence.

Exodus · 1

  1. Exodus 15:15 נִבְהֲלוּ֙ they are terrified

    Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; those who dwell in Canaan will melt away,

    Here: The form describes something that happens to the subject: the chiefs are thrown into panic, unsettled and shaken. The verb is in the completed form, so it reads 'were/are terrified', either looking back or describing the future as if already done.

Judges · 1

  1. Judges 20:41 וַיִּבָּהֵ֖ל and he was terrified

    Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them.

1 Samuel · 1

  1. 1 Samuel 28:21 נִבְהַ֣ל he was terrified

    When the woman came to Saul and saw how distraught he was, she said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice. I took my life in my hands and did as you told me.

2 Samuel · 1

  1. 2 Samuel 4:1 נִבְהָֽלוּ׃ they were terrified

    Now when Ish-bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was dismayed.

2 Chronicles · 3

  1. 2 Chronicles 26:20 וַיַּבְהִל֖וּהוּ and they hastened him

    When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw his leprous forehead, they rushed him out. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because the LORD had afflicted him.

  2. 2 Chronicles 32:18 וּֽלְבַהֲלָ֑ם and to terrify them

    Then the Assyrians called out loudly in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them in order to capture the city.

    Here: 'And to throw them into panic.' The word adds alarm and confusion to the fear: the goal was to unsettle people until they could not think straight.

  3. 2 Chronicles 35:21 לְבַֽהֲלֵ֑נִי to hurry I

    But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What is the issue between you and me, O king of Judah? I have not come against you today, but I am fighting another dynasty, and God has told me to hurry. So stop opposing God, who is with me, or He will destroy you!”

Ezra · 1

  1. Ezra 4:4 וּֽמְבַהֲלִ֥ים and [were] terrifying

    Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.

Esther · 3

  1. Esther 2:9 וַ֠יְבַהֵל and he hastened

    And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.

  2. Esther 6:14 וַיַּבְהִ֙לוּ֙ and they made haste

    While they were still speaking with Haman, the king’s eunuchs arrived and rushed him to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

  3. Esther 8:14 מְבֹהָלִ֥ים hastened

    The couriers rode out in haste on their royal horses, pressed on by the command of the king. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa.

Job · 5

  1. Job 4:5 וַתִּבָּהֵֽל׃ and you have become dismayed

    But now trouble has come upon you, and you are weary. It strikes you, and you are dismayed.

  2. Job 21:6 וְנִבְהָ֑לְתִּי and I am disturbed

    When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror.

  3. Job 22:10 וִֽ֝יבַהֶלְךָ and it terrifies you

    Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;

  4. Job 23:15 אֶבָּהֵ֑ל I am terrified

    Therefore I am terrified in His presence; when I consider this, I fear Him.

  5. Job 23:16 הִבְהִילָֽנִי׃ he has terrified me

    God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me.

Psalms · 10

  1. Psalm 2:5 יְבַהֲלֵֽמוֹ׃ he terrifies them

    Then He rebukes them in His anger, and terrifies them in His fury:

    Here: 'He throws them into panic.' The verb describes sudden alarm and confusion, the shaking terror of enemies before the divine warrior. It also ends in the -mô sound, and that echo closes the line.

  2. Psalm 6:2 נִבְהֲל֣וּ they are disturbed

    Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am frail; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are in agony.

    Here: "Are shaken with terror." The word mixes alarm, panic and trembling. It is less about pain than about the whole frame being thrown into fear. The same verb comes back in verse 3 for his soul and in verse 10 for his enemies.

  3. Psalm 6:3 נִבְהֲלָ֣ה it is disturbed

    My soul is deeply distressed. How long, O LORD, how long?

  4. Psalm 6:10 וְיִבָּהֲל֣וּ and they may be disturbed

    All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.

    Here: "And let them be shaken with terror." This is the same verb the psalmist used for his own bones and soul in verses 2–3. The panic that gripped him now falls on his enemies.

  5. Psalm 30:7 נִבְהָֽל׃ disturbed

    O LORD, You favored me; You made my mountain stand strong. When You hid Your face, I was dismayed.

    Here: 'Terrified, thrown into panic.' The same word describes creatures when God hides his face in Ps 104:29, just before they die. In a psalm about being pulled back from the grave (v. 3), it carries mortal dread.

  6. Psalm 48:5 נִבְהֲל֥וּ they were terrified

    They saw and were astounded; they fled in terror.

  7. Psalm 83:15 תְבַהֲלֵֽם׃ you will terrify them

    so pursue them with Your tempest, and terrify them with Your storm.

    Here: 'You will terrify them.' The verb points to sudden panic and confusion, a terror that scatters people, not a quiet fear. It is the same verb used of God's anger against rebellious nations in Psalm 2:5.

  8. Psalm 83:17 וְיִבָּהֲל֥וּ and they may be dismayed

    May they be ever ashamed and terrified; may they perish in disgrace.

  9. Psalm 90:7 נִבְהָֽלְנוּ׃ we are terrified

    For we are consumed by Your anger and terrified by Your wrath.

    Here: "We are terrified / thrown into panic." This is the sudden alarm that makes bones shake and leaves people speechless. It is much stronger than modern "troubled". The verb's -nu ("we") ending matches the first verb, so the line opens and closes with what happens to "us".

  10. Psalm 104:29 יִֽבָּהֵ֫ל֥וּן they are terrified !

    When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to dust.

    Here: 'They are terrified'. The word means sudden panic and disarray, the kind of shock that makes a creature come apart, not mild unease. The longer -un ending is an old, solemn verb form. It appears on all three verbs that describe the creatures' collapse, and it gives the line a heavy, tolling rhythm.

Proverbs · 2

  1. Proverbs 20:21 מְבֹהֶ֣לֶת hastily gained

    An inheritance gained quickly will not be blessed in the end.

    Here: 'Hurried, rushed.' The root also carries panic and agitation, so the picture is a frantic, grasping rush to get the property, not just speed. This is the margin reading (Qere); the written consonants point to a rarer word (see textual notes).

  2. Proverbs 28:22 נִֽבֳהָ֥ל [is] hastening

    A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty awaits him.

    Here: A passive-reflexive participle: someone in a frantic, agitated rush. It describes his ongoing state, not a single act. The word carries both haste and inner disturbance: he is driven, not calmly working toward a goal.

Ecclesiastes · 3

  1. Ecclesiastes 5:2 תְּבַהֵ֨ל you be hasty

    Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.

    Here: In the later Hebrew of Ecclesiastes this verb means 'to rush, act hastily' (compare 7:9, 'do not be quick in spirit to anger'). An undertone of agitation, flustered speed, may still be present: the picture is a mouth running ahead in nervous haste.

  2. Ecclesiastes 7:9 תְּבַהֵ֥ל you be hasty

    Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.

    Here: In this intensive form, later Hebrew (Qoheleth, Esther, Chronicles) uses the verb for rushing or acting rashly. Here: 'don't rush,' 'don't be hasty.' Qoheleth uses the same warning about rash words before God in 5:2 (5:1 in Hebrew) and about a hasty exit from the king's presence in 8:3.

  3. Ecclesiastes 8:3 תִּבָּהֵ֤ל you be hasty

    Do not hasten to leave his presence, and do not persist in a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.

Isaiah · 2

  1. Isaiah 13:8 וְֽנִבְהָ֓לוּ׀ and they will be terrified

    Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.

    Here: 'And they will be thrown into panic.' The verb describes sudden alarm that knocks a person off balance. A pause mark sets it apart in the Hebrew, so it works like a headline for everything that follows.

  2. Isaiah 21:3 נִבְהַ֖לְתִּי I am terrified

    Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see.

    Here: 'I am terrified': sudden, unnerving panic that throws a person into confusion. It is much stronger than modern 'dismayed'.

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 51:32 נִבְהָֽלוּ׃ ס they are terrified

    The fords have been seized, the marshes set on fire, and the soldiers are terrified.”

Ezekiel · 2

  1. Ezekiel 7:27 תִּבָּהַ֑לְנָה they will be terrified

    The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and I will judge them by their own standards. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”

  2. Ezekiel 26:18 וְנִבְהֲל֛וּ and they will be terrified

    Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your downfall; the islands in the sea are dismayed by your demise.”’

    Here: Sudden alarm that throws people into confusion. It is stronger than polite 'dismay'. It parallels 'tremble' and adds the sense of being shaken up inside.

Daniel · 1

  1. Daniel 11:44 יְבַהֲלֻ֔הוּ they will dismay him

    But news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will go out with great fury to destroy many and devote them to destruction.

Zephaniah · 1

  1. Zephaniah 1:18 נִבְהָלָה֙ a terrible [thing]

    Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.

    Here: A participle (a verb used as an adjective) describing the end. It is either "terrifying" (the older meaning) or "hurried, sudden" (a later meaning). That is why translations split between "terrible end" and "speedy/sudden end."

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