נָבָל

adj. foolish, senseless, especially of the man who has no perception of ethical and religious claims, and with collat. idea of ignoble, disgraceful;—abs. נ׳ 2 S 3:33 + 14 times; mpl. נְבָלִים 13:13 Ez 13:3 (𝔊 Co מִלִּבָּם); fpl. נְבָלוֹת Jb 2:10;—senseless, especially of religious and moral insensibility: עַם נ׳ Dt 32:6 (of Isr., unappreciative of J.’s benefits; opp. חָכָם), so of heathen nation ψ 74:18 (blaspheming name of י׳), גּוֹי נ׳ Dt 32:21 (‖ לֹא עָם); הַנְּבִאִים הַנּ׳ Ez 13:3 (si vera l., v. supr.); elsewhere as subst. (impious and presumptuous) fool, Is 32:5 (opp. נָדִיב noble-minded), characterized as at once irreligious and churlish, v 6; denying God ψ 14:1 = 53:2; insulting God 74:22, and God’s servant 39:9; Pr 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 is noble (נדיב), v 21 (‖ כְּסִיל), 30:22 ונבל כי ישׂבע לחם (one of the things under which the earth trembles), בְּנֵי נָבָל Jb 30:8 i.e. ignoble men (‖ בְּנֵי בְלִי־שֵׁם); as one who might be expected to have a contumelious end, הַכְּמוֹת נ׳ ימות אבנר 2 S 3:33 was Abner (destined) to die, as a נ׳ dieth? of the man who amasses riches unjustly ובאחריתו יהיה נבל Je 17:11 i.e. will prove himself to be a נ׳; as acting immorally (with collat. idea of disgracefully) 2 S 13:13 ואתה תהיה כְּאַחַד הַנְּבָלִים בישׂראל (cf. נְבָלָה); f. only in כְּדַבֵּר אַחַת הַנְּבָלוֹת Jb 2:10 (of Job’s wife). Cf. Dr Dt 22:21, 32:6, 15, 21; Psalt. 457.