Original Word: בָּגוֹד
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: bagowd
Pronunciation: bah-gode
Phonetic Spelling: (baw-gode')
KJV: treacherous
NASB: treacherous
Word Origin: [from H898 (בָּגַד - treacherous)]

1. treacherous

treacherous

From bagad; treacherous -- treacherous.

see HEBREW bagad

Word Origin
from bagad
Definition
treacherous
NASB Translation
treacherous (2).

[בָּגוֺד] adjective treacherous, feminine בָּֽגוֺדָה (on form compare Ew^{§ 152 b} Nö^{§ 107}) Jeremiah 3:7,10.

Meaning and theological significance

בָּגוֹד characterizes one who deals treacherously—someone who violates covenant loyalty and conceals faithlessness beneath a veneer of piety. The word stands in stark contrast to God’s steadfast love (ḥesed), highlighting humanity’s tendency to betray divine grace.

Biblical contexts

• Isaiah 48:8: The LORD exposes Israel’s innate treachery—“For I knew you were utterly treacherous; from birth you have been called a rebel”. The charge underscores a long-standing pattern of covenant breach that predates exile.
• Jeremiah 3:7: After witnessing the northern kingdom’s downfall, Judah should have returned, “but she did not return. And her unfaithful sister Judah saw it”. בָּגוֹד portrays a heart that observes judgment yet persists in betrayal.
• Jeremiah 3:10: Any seeming repentance is exposed as sham—“Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but in pretense”. The term thus moves from overt rebellion to hypocritical religiosity.

Historical background

Isaiah speaks to a nation on the brink of Babylonian captivity; Jeremiah addresses Judah during the final decades before Jerusalem’s fall. In both settings, religious ritual continued, but covenant fidelity collapsed. The prophets employ בָּגוֹד to unmask Judah’s spiritual adultery against the backdrop of political intrigue, foreign alliances, and social injustice.

Implications for Israel’s covenant faithfulness

1. Marital metaphor: Judah’s treachery mirrors an unfaithful spouse (Jeremiah 3:20). בָּגוֹד heightens the emotional weight of divine accusation.
2. Corporate guilt: The term implicates king, priest, and people alike, demolishing any claim to partial innocence.
3. Inevitability of judgment: Persistent betrayal demands righteous discipline, yet the very exposure of treachery prepares the way for promised restoration (Jeremiah 3:14–15).

Prophetic applications

Isaiah links Israel’s treachery to the coming of Cyrus (Isaiah 48:14–15), showing that God’s sovereign plan marches on despite human faithlessness. Jeremiah looks beyond judgment to a future gathering—“I will give you shepherds after My own heart” (Jeremiah 3:15)—revealing that divine fidelity overcomes human betrayal.

Practical ministry reflection

• Authentic repentance: Ministers must distinguish superficial sorrow from wholehearted return, echoing Jeremiah’s concern for integrity of heart.
• Covenant vigilance: Church leaders guard against doctrinal drift and moral compromise that mirror Judah’s stealthy betrayal.
• Grace-driven warning: Exposing treachery is an act of love, intended to lead God’s people back to covenant faithfulness.

Related themes and vocabulary

• בָּגַד (to act treacherously): verbal root appearing in passages such as Hosea 6:7 and Malachi 2:10–16.
• מָעַל (to act unfaithfully): complementary term stressing sacrilege against holy things (Joshua 7:1).
• ḥesed vs. בָּגוֹד: the tension between loyal love and betrayal runs through Scripture, ultimately resolved at the cross where divine faithfulness meets human treachery (Romans 5:8).

See also

Deuteronomy 32:5; Psalm 78:57; Hosea 6:7; Malachi 2:10–16

בָּג֣וֹד בָּגוֹדָ֥ה בָּגוֹדָ֧ה בגוד בגודה bā·ḡō·w·ḏāh bā·ḡō·wḏ baGod bagoDah bāḡōwḏ bāḡōwḏāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts