Dictionary:נבל/0

נבל

This page is a stub.
Please contact us if you would like to assist in its development.

נבל

Part of Speech	Verb
Occurrences	25
Possible Meanings	Drop or wither
Related Words	נְבֵלָה

Possible Meanings

1. Drop or wither

• Biblical verses – 
• The root נבל is related to נפל‎.¹ For other examples of interchangeability of the ב and פ, see here.
• Forms of the verb נבל or the noun נבלה appear in Tanakh in reference to humans, animals, and plants:
  • Humans – נבלה (e.g. Devarim 21:23).
  • Animals – נבלה (e.g. Vayikra 5:2).
  • Plants – נבלת עליה (Yeshayahu 1:30). All examples are in Neviim Acharonim (Later Prophets) and Ketuvim.

Disputed Cases

Shemot 18:18 – נָבֹל תִּבֹּל

Exegetes disagree as to the identity of the root and the resulting meaning of the verse:²

• נבל (wither, become exhausted) – OnkelosShemot 18:18About Targum Onkelos, Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)Shemot 18:18About Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), R. SaadiaCommentary Shemot 18:18About R. Saadia, RashiShemot 18:18About Rashi, Ibn EzraShemot 18:18About Ibn Ezra, 1st opinion in R. Yosef Bekhor ShorShemot 18:18About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor.
• בלל (become confused) – RashbamShemot 18:18About Rashbam, 2nd opinion in R. Yosef Bekhor ShorShemot 18:18About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, R. Binyamin in R. Yosef KimchiSefer HaGalui s.v. לבלה (p.12-13)About R. Yosef Kimchi.

• –
• –

Idioms

• –
• –

Relationship to Synonyms

• –
• –

Semantic Evolution

Intra-Biblical

Rabbinic Hebrew

Modern Hebrew

¹ See U. CassutoShemot 18:18About Prof. U. Cassuto, and see "ונפלה נבלת האדם" in Yirmeyahu 9:21. See also "מַפֶּלֶת הָאַרְיֵה" in Shofetim 14:8 which refers to the carcass (נבלה) of the lion (Ibn Janach).

² See R. SaadiaCommentary Shemot 18:18About R. Saadia who lists fourteen possible meanings of the letters of the root.