נָבָל

I. נָבָל adjective foolish, senseless, especially of the man who has no perception of ethical and religious claims, and with collateral idea of ignoble, disgraceful; — absolute ׳נ 2Sam 3:33 + 14 t.; masculine plural נְבָלִים 2Sam 13:13; Ezek 13:3 (ᵐ5 Co מִלִּבָּם); feminine plural נְבָלוֺת Job 2:10 — senseless, especially of religious and moral insensibility: ׳עַם נ Deut 32:6 (of Israel, unappreciative of J.'s benefits; opposed to חָכָם), so of heathen nation Ps 74:18 (blaspheming name of ׳י), ׳גּוֺי נ Deut 32:21 (|| לֹא עָם); ׳הַנְּבִאִים הַנּ Ezek 13:3 (si vera lectio, see above); elsewhere as substantive (impious and presumptuous) fool, Isa 32:5 (opposed to נָדִיב noble-minded), characterized as at once irreligious and churlish, vIsa 32:6 denying God Ps 14:1 = Ps 53:2 insulting God Ps 74:22, and God's servant Ps 39:9; Prov 17:7 arrogant speech becometh not the (impious and presumptuous) fool (whose faults it only makes the more conspicuous), much less do lying lips him that this is noble (נדיב), vProv 17:21 (|| כְּסִיל), Prov 30:22 ונבל כי ישׂבע לחם (one of the things under which the earth trembles), בְּנֵי נָבָל Job 30:8 i.e. ignoble men (|| בְּנֵי בְלִישֵֿׁם); as one who might be expected to have a contumelious end, ימות אבנר ׳הַכְּמוֺת נ 2Sam 3:33 was Abner (destined) to die, as a ׳נ dieth ? of the man who amasses riches unjustly ובאחריתו יהיה נבל Jer 17:11 i.e. will prove himself to be a ׳נ; as acting immorally (with collateral idea of disgracefully) 2Sam 13:13 ואתה תהיה כְּאַחַד הַנְּבָלִים בישׂראל (compare נְבָלָה); feminine only in כְּדַבֵּר אַחַת הַנְּבָלוֺת Job 2:10 (of Job's wife). compare Dr^{Deut 22:21. 32, 6. 15.21}; Psalt. 457.