WG: Unfaithfulness — Covenant Treachery Vocabulary
Overview
Hebrew Scripture distinguishes several types of unfaithfulness/treachery, each with a distinct semantic emphasis. Where the sin triad (pesha/chattah/avon) covers the broad range of moral failure, this group addresses the specific dimension of covenant betrayal — acting covertly against one to whom loyalty is owed. The two core verbs (maʻal and bagad) share an etymological connection to covering/concealment, while the related terms extend the concept into sexual metaphor (zanah), legal guilt (asham), and open revolt (pasha).
Word Group Members
| Strong's |
Word |
Transliteration |
POS |
Occurrences |
Role in Concept |
Library Entry |
| H4603 |
מָעַל |
maʻal |
verb |
35 |
The act — to act treacherously against sacred obligation |
H4603 |
| H4604 |
מַעַל |
maʻal |
noun |
29 |
The offense — treachery, trespass, unfaithfulness |
H4604 |
| H898 |
בָּגַד |
bagad |
verb |
39 |
The betrayal — to deal treacherously, act unfaithfully |
H898-bagad.md |
| H2181 |
זָנָה |
zanah |
verb |
81 |
The metaphor — to commit harlotry (unfaithfulness as sexual betrayal) |
H2181 |
| H816 |
אָשַׁם |
asham |
verb |
32 |
The liability — to be guilty, become culpable |
H816 |
| H6586 |
פָּשַׁע |
pasha |
verb |
37 |
The revolt — to rebel, break away from authority |
H6586 |
Relationships
Shared Roots
- H4603 (maʻal, verb) and H4604 (maʻal, noun) share the same root — the noun is the cognate accusative of the verb
- H4603 maʻal and H898 bagad share an etymological connection: both derive from roots meaning "to cover" — maʻal "cover up," bagad "cover with a garment"
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)
| Word A |
Word B |
Shared Verses |
Typical Context |
| H4603 maʻal (v) |
H4604 maʻal (n) |
20 |
cognate accusative: "commit a trespass" (57% of verb occurrences) |
| H4603 maʻal (v) |
H2181 zanah |
1 |
1 Chr 5:25 — "they transgressed... and went a whoring after the gods" |
| H4603 maʻal (v) |
H816 asham |
1 |
Num 5:6 — "commit any sin... to do a trespass... and that person be guilty" |
| H898 bagad |
H2181 zanah |
1 |
Jer 3:8 — "backsliding Israel committed adultery... her treacherous sister Judah" |
| H898 bagad |
H6586 pasha |
1 |
Isa 48:8 — "thou heardest not... from that time thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor" |
| H2181 zanah |
H816 asham |
1 |
Hos 4:15 — "Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend" |
LXX Overlaps
| Hebrew Words |
Shared Greek |
Notes |
| maʻal (H4603) + bagad (H898) + pasha (H6586) |
all → ἀθετέω (G114) "set aside, nullify" |
Greek conflates three distinct Hebrew treachery terms; G114 is the highest-PMI bridge for both maʻal and bagad |
| maʻal (H4603) + pasha (H6586) |
both → ἀφίστημι (G868) "depart, withdraw" |
Apostasy sense shared across both Hebrew terms |
| maʻal (H4603) + asham (H816) |
both → ἁμαρτάνω (G264) "to sin" |
LXX generalizes both to generic sin |
Roles in the Concept
- Covert sacrilege: maʻal (H4603/H4604) — violation of sacred trust, particularly against YHWH's holy things or covenant. Predominantly cultic-legal and Chronicler vocabulary. Always implies something owed to God has been withheld or misappropriated.
- Personal betrayal: bagad (H898) — treacherous dealing in relationships. Broader range: marital unfaithfulness (Mal 2:14-16, Jer 3), treaty violations, personal betrayal. More relational and prophetic in distribution.
- Sexual metaphor: zanah (H2181) — unfaithfulness depicted as harlotry/prostitution. The dominant prophetic metaphor for Israel's idolatry. Hosea, Jeremiah, Ezekiel.
- Resulting guilt: asham (H816) — the state of culpability that unfaithfulness produces. Legal/ritual dimension — triggers the obligation for a guilt offering (H817).
- Open revolt: pasha (H6586) — breaking away from just authority. More confrontational than maʻal or bagad. Prophetic term for rebellion.
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together
- Num 5:6 — [H4603 + H4604 + H816] "When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty" — the Levitical trespass formula combining the act of treachery with resulting guilt
- 1 Chr 5:25 — [H4603 + H2181] "they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land" — covenant treachery paired with the harlotry metaphor
- Isa 48:8 — [H898 + H6586] "thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb" — personal betrayal paired with open revolt
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_relationships.py
Last updated: 2026-05-03