Original Word: נָבָל
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: nabal
Pronunciation: naw-BAHL
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-bawl')
KJV: fool(-ish, -ish man, -ish woman), vile person
NASB: fool, foolish, foolish man, foolish women, fools
Word Origin: [from H5034 (נָבֵל - To fade)]

1. stupid
2. wicked (especially impious)

foolish, vile person

From nabel; stupid; wicked (especially impious) -- fool(-ish, -ish man, -ish woman), vile person.

see HEBREW nabel

Word Origin
from nabal
Definition
foolish, senseless
NASB Translation
fool (9), foolish (5), foolish man (1), foolish women (1), fools (1), fools* (1).

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 2 Samuel 3:33 14t.; masculine plural נְבָלִים 2 Samuel 13:13; Ezekiel 13:3 (ᵐ5 Co מִלִּבָּם); feminine plural נְבָלוֺת Job 2:10; — senseless, especially of religious and moral insensibility: ׳עַם נ Deuteronomy 32:6 (of Israel, unappreciative of J.'s benefits; opposed to חָכָם), so of heathen nation Psalm 74:18 (blaspheming name of ׳י), ׳גּוֺי נ Deuteronomy 32:21 ("" לֹא עָם); ׳הַנְּבִאִים הַנּ Ezekiel 13:3 (si vera lectio, see above); elsewhere as substantive (impious and presumptuous) fool, Isaiah 32:5 (opposed to נָדִיב noble-minded), characterized as at once irreligious and churlish, Isaiah 32:6; denying God Psalm 14:1 = Psalm 53:2; insulting God Psalm 74:22, and God's servant Psalm 39:9; Proverbs 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), Proverbs 17:21 ("" כְּסִיל), Proverbs 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 2 Samuel 3:33 was Abner (destined) to die, as a ׳נ dieth ? of the man who amasses riches unjustly ובאחריתו יהיה נבל Jeremiah 17:11 i.e. will prove himself to be a ׳נ; as acting immorally (with collateral idea of disgracefully) 2 Samuel 13:13 ואתה תהיה כְּאַחַד הַנְּבָלִים בישׂראל (compare נְבָלָה); feminine only in כְּדַבֵּר אַחַת הַנְּבָלוֺת Job 2:10 (of Job's wife). compare Dr^{Deuteronomy 22:21. 32, 6. 15.21}; Psalt. 457.

Definition and Core Concepts

נָבָל (nabal) designates a person who is morally bankrupt, spiritually insensible, and thus “foolish.” The word points less to intellectual deficiency and more to willful godlessness, coarse insolence, and ethical degeneracy. The נבל repudiates covenant loyalty, trifles with holiness, and lives as though God were irrelevant.

Canonical Distribution

The noun occurs eighteen times, spanning Torah (Deuteronomy 32:6, 32:21), Former Prophets (2 Samuel 3:33; 2 Samuel 13:13), Wisdom and Poetry (Job 2:10; Job 30:8; Psalms 14:1; 39:8; 53:1; 74:18, 74:22; Proverbs 17:7, 17:21; 30:22), and Prophets (Isaiah 32:5-6; Jeremiah 17:11; Ezekiel 13:3). This breadth shows that “folly” is a perennial human condition confronted throughout redemptive history.

Covenant Rebellion in the Torah

Deuteronomy employs נָבָל to expose Israel’s ingratitude: “Is this how you repay the LORD, O foolish and senseless people?” (Deuteronomy 32:6). The context is Moses’ song, where folly equals covenant treachery. Verse 21 intensifies the charge by labeling idols “worthless” (lit. nabal), underscoring that rebellion always trades the living God for emptiness.

Historical Narrative Illustrations

David laments Abner’s unjust death: “Should Abner have died the death of a fool?” (2 Samuel 3:33). Here נָבָל depicts an ignoble end unworthy of a commander, spotlighting how injustice brands perpetrators—not victims—with folly. Tamar pleads with Amnon, “You would be like one of the fools in Israel” (2 Samuel 13:13). Sexual violence, therefore, epitomizes נָבָל, revealing lust unchecked by reverence for God or neighbor.

Wisdom Literature Portrait

1. God-denial: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). Intellectual atheism is less in view than practical atheism—a lifestyle mute to God’s sovereignty.
2. Corruption: “All have turned away; all have become corrupt” (Psalm 14:3). Folly spreads socially.
3. Perilous speech: “Excellent speech is unbecoming to a fool” (Proverbs 17:7). Deceit and rash words betray inner decay.
4. Familial grief: “He who fathers a fool brings sorrow” (Proverbs 17:21). Foolishness fractures households.
5. Inverted order: “A servant when he becomes king… and a fool when he is filled with food” (Proverbs 30:22). Folly distorts societal structures.

Prophetic Rebuke

Isaiah promises that in Messiah’s reign “No longer will a fool be called noble” (Isaiah 32:5). The prophet’s contrast between נָבָל and righteousness anticipates eschatological restoration. Ezekiel excoriates religious leaders: “Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit” (Ezekiel 13:3). False prophecy is branded folly because it disregards divine revelation.

Moral Profile of the נבל

• God-denying (Psalms 14, 53)
• Morally perverse (Job 30:8)
• Abusive of power and sexuality (2 Samuel 13)
• Disruptive in community life (Proverbs 30:22)
• Self-confident yet self-destructive (Jeremiah 17:11)

Consequences of Folly

Scripture ties נָבָל to divine judgment: idols provoke God’s “jealous anger” (Deuteronomy 32:21); foolish prophets face “woe” (Ezekiel 13:3); ill-gotten wealth ends in disgrace (Jeremiah 17:11). The fool’s path culminates in ruin, contrasting starkly with the blessing granted to the wise who fear the LORD.

Ministerial Application

1. Preaching: Expose cultural folly that denies God and repackage idols as “worthless,” calling listeners to covenant fidelity.
2. Pastoral Care: Recognize that persistent sin is not merely weakness but cultivated folly; shepherds must confront it with both warning and grace.
3. Discipleship: Train believers to prize wisdom—reverent obedience—over the Nabalian trends of autonomy and sensuality.
4. Apologetics: Psalm 14:1 grounds engagement with atheism, revealing it as a moral issue, not merely intellectual.
5. Leadership: Isaiah 32 guides churches to assess leaders by righteousness, not charisma, refusing to label fools “noble.”

Christological Reflection

Jesus Christ embodies Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24). At the cross He bore the scorn reserved for fools (Psalm 74:22) that repentant nabalim might receive His righteousness. The gospel therefore transforms the fool into a new creation, fulfilling Isaiah’s vision where folly no longer rules.

Summary

נָבָל unmasks the heart that lives without fear of God. Across genres, Scripture pairs the term with covenant infidelity, moral corruption, social disruption, and divine judgment. By contrast, wisdom—rooted in the knowledge of the Holy One—offers redemption from such folly, a redemption ultimately manifested in Jesus Christ and made effective in all who trust and obey Him.

הַנְּבָלִ֑ים הַנְּבָלִ֖ים הַנְּבָלוֹת֙ הנבלות הנבלים וְ֝נָבָ֗ל ונבל לְנָבָ֖ל לְנָבָ֣ל לנבל נָ֝בָ֗ל נָ֭בָל נָבָ֖ל נָבָ֣ל נָבָֽל׃ נָבָל֙ נבל נבל׃ han·nə·ḇā·lîm han·nə·ḇā·lō·wṯ hannəḇālîm hannəḇālōwṯ hannevaLim hannevalOt lə·nā·ḇāl lənāḇāl lenaVal nā·ḇāl nāḇāl naVal Navol venaVal wə·nā·ḇāl wənāḇālInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts