English · KJV
H5036

נָבָל

nâbâl /naw-bawl'/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom נָבֵל
Meaningstupid; wicked (especially impious)
KJV usagefool(-ish, -ish man, -ish woman), vile person.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nâbâl — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word nâbâl, represented by H5036, describes one who is stupid or wicked. It appears 18 times in 18 unique verses, consistently carrying a strong negative connotation of moral and spiritual foolishness. The term is translated as fool, foolish, or vile person, pointing to a character that is impious and corrupt.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H5036 characterizes a deep-seated rebellion against God. The most direct example is in the Psalms, where the fool H5036 says in his heart that there is no God, leading to corrupt and abominable works (Psalms 14:1, Psalms 53:1). The term also describes a collective entity, as when God warns He will provoke Israel with a foolish H5036 nation Deuteronomy 32:21. The character of the vile person H5036 is detailed as one whose heart works iniquity and whose speech is error against the LORD Isaiah 32:6. In a social context, it is a term of profound shame and disgrace 2 Samuel 13:13.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of H5036:

  • H5039 nᵉbâlâh (folly, vile, villany): The direct feminine counterpart to H5036, representing the wicked actions and speech that stem from a foolish heart. A vile person H5036 is defined by speaking villany H5039 Isaiah 32:6.
  • H3684 kᵉçîyl (fool, foolish): Another word for a fool, often used in Proverbs to describe one who brings sorrow and lacks wisdom. The father of a fool H5036 has no joy, a grief echoed in the sorrow caused by a foolish H3684 son Proverbs 17:21.
  • H2781 cherpâh (rebuke, reproach(-fully), shame): This highlights the social consequence of being a H5036. The psalmist prays not to be made the reproach H2781 of the foolish H5036 Psalms 39:8.
  • H5006 nâʼats (to scorn; abhor, (give occasion to) blaspheme, contemn, despise): This word connects foolishness with the act of blasphemy. The psalmist calls on God to remember how the foolish H5036 people have blasphemed H5006 His name Psalms 74:18.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5036 is significant, defining a specific type of godlessness.

  • Practical Atheism: The core of this foolishness is the denial of God's existence and authority, which is the root of moral corruption Psalms 14:1.
  • Active Wickedness: A nâbâl is not merely ignorant but actively works iniquity H205 and practices hypocrisy H2612. Their foolishness manifests in destructive speech and actions against God and man Isaiah 32:6.
  • Object of Divine Anger: This foolishness provokes God to jealousy and anger Deuteronomy 32:21. Those who are called foolish H5036, such as the prophets who follow their own spirit, face divine woe Ezekiel 13:3.
  • Source of Blasphemy: The actions and words of the foolish man H5036 are a direct reproach against God's name and character (Psalms 74:18, Psalms 74:22).

Summary

In summary, H5036 nâbâl denotes much more than a lack of intelligence. It describes a wilful, wicked, and impious state of being that is rooted in the rejection of God. This spiritual rebellion manifests as corrupt behavior, villainous speech, and blasphemy, ultimately resulting in shame and divine judgment. The term serves as a stark biblical warning against the practical atheism that corrupts the heart and leads to destruction.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as an adjective across 18 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • נָבָל
  • נְּבָלִים
  • נְּבָלוֹת

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H5039 נְבָלָה feminine of נָבָל; foolishness, i.e. (morally) wickedness; concretely, a crime; by extension, punishment; folly, vile, v H3684 כְּסִיל from כָּסַל; properly, fat, i.e. (figuratively) stupid or silly; fool(-ish). H2781 חֶרְפָּה from חָרַף; contumely, disgrace, the pudenda; rebuke, reproach(-fully), shame. H5006 נָאַץ a primitive root; in Ecclesiastes 12:5, by interchange for נוּץ, to bloom; to scorn; abhor, (give occasion to) blaspheme H205 אָוֶן from an unused root perhaps meaning properly, to pant (hence, to exert oneself, usually in vain; to come to naught); str H2612 חֹנֶף from חָנֵף; moral filth, i.e. wickedness; hypocrisy.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 18 verses across 8 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (5 verses); never once in the other 31.

2
Deuteronomy
2
2 Samuel
2
Job
5
Psalms
3
Proverbs
2
Isaiah
1
Jeremiah
1
Ezekiel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.