Lexical Summary nebelah: Carcass, corpse, dead body Original Word: נְבֵלָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance dead body, dead carcass, dead of itself, which died, beast that which dieth of itself From nabel; a flabby thing, i.e. A carcase or carrion (human or bestial, often collectively); figuratively, an idol -- (dead) body, (dead) carcase, dead of itself, which died, (beast) that (which) dieth of itself. see HEBREW nabel NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nabel Definition a carcass, corpse NASB Translation body (11), carcass (10), carcasses (11), corpse (2), corpses (3), dead bodies (3), dead body (2), died a natural death (1), dies (1), natural death (1), what died (1), which dies (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs נְבֵלָה noun feminine carcass, corpse (as inert, flabby); — ׳נ absolute 1 Kings 13:24 +; construct נִבְלַת 1 Kings 13:29 +; suffix נְבֵלָתִי Isaiah 26:19; נִבְלָֽתְךָ Deuteronomy 28:26; 1 Kings 13:22; נֵבְלָתוֺ + Josh 82:9 6t.; נִבְלָתָהּ Leviticus 11:39,40 (twice in verse); נִבְלָתָם Isaiah 5:25 14t.; — carcass, corpse: 1. a. human (not in Ezekiel, P, (H), which use מֶּגֶר); Joshua 8:29 (JE), 1 Kings 13:22,24 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 13:25 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 13:28 (3 t. in verse); 1 Kings 13:29,30; 2 Kings 9:37; Jeremiah 26:23; Jeremiah 36:30; Deuteronomy 21:23; Deuteronomy 28:26; collective corpses Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 26:19 (wish for restoration to life), Jeremiah 7:33; Jeremiah 9:21; Jeremiah 16:4; Jeremiah 19:7; Jeremiah 34:20; Psalm 79:2. b. of lifeless idols, collective ׳נִבְלַת שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם וגו Jeremiah 16:18. 2 of animals (clean and unclean, wild animals, cattle, birds and reptiles, chiefly Leviticus, Ezekiel), Deuteronomy 14:8; Leviticus 5:2 (3 t. in verse); Leviticus 11:8,11,24,25,27,28,35,36,37,38; Leviticus 17:15 (all P); ׳נ specifically = body of animal dying of itself Deuteronomy 14:21; Leviticus 7:24; Leviticus 11:39,40 (twice in verse) (P), Leviticus 22:8 (H), Ezekiel 4:14; Ezekiel 44:31. Topical Lexicon Definition and ScopeThe noun denotes the lifeless body of a person or animal, whether by natural causes, violence, or divine judgment. Because death is the antithesis of covenant life, the Scriptures employ the term to highlight uncleanness, transgression, or judgment, but also to underscore the need for mercy and sanitation within the community of faith. Occurrences in the Pentateuch About half of the occurrences appear in Moses’ writings, especially Leviticus 11, where sixteen verses employ the word to define clean and unclean food. Touching or carrying such a body renders a person “unclean until evening” (Leviticus 11:24–25). The same chapter regulates vessels, grain, and water that come into contact with a carcass (11:32–38). Leviticus 17:15 widens the principle: “Anyone, whether native or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or mauled by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water”. Deuteronomy deepens the call to holiness: “You are not to eat anything found dead… For you are a people holy to the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 14:21). Legal and Ritual Implications 1. Personal defilement: Contact requires washing and sunset cleansing (Leviticus 11:24–28; 17:15). Mercy toward the Stranger The prohibition to Israel does not preclude selling the meat to foreigners (Deuteronomy 14:21). Israel’s distinctive holiness is preserved while recognizing the stranger’s different covenant status and practical need for food. Carcasses as Symbols of Judgment • Curse warnings: “Your carcasses will be food for every bird… with no one to frighten them away” (Deuteronomy 28:26). Narrative Illustrations Judges 14:8–9 shows Samson’s riddle arising from a lion’s carcass filled with honey, illustrating that corruption can appear attractive yet remains defiling. 1 Kings 13 records the disobedient prophet whose corpse lies beside the lion and donkey (13:24–28), a sign that God’s word cannot be trifled with. In 2 Kings 23:18 Josiah commands that a prophet’s remains not be disturbed, affirming prophetic authority even in death. Prophetic Lament Psalm 79:2 mourns national defeat: “They have given the dead bodies of Your servants as food for the birds of the air”. Lamentations 2:20 and 4:4–10 grieve the horrors of siege, where the streets are strewn with the dead, reflecting the antithesis of covenant blessing. Eschatological Foretaste Ezekiel 39 and Isaiah 66 look forward to a final reckoning in which carcasses of God’s enemies become a perpetual reminder of His holiness and victory. Revelation 19:17–18 echoes these scenes, gathering birds to feast on the flesh of the defeated, showing ultimate fulfillment. Pastoral and Ministry Applications 1. Holiness demands separation from moral and spiritual death; believers must avoid defilement while extending mercy to outsiders (cf. Jude 23). Summary The term gathers Israel’s ritual, moral, and prophetic teaching around one sober reality—death outside God’s covenant blessing is defiling and disastrous. Yet each occurrence also points to the greater promise of cleansing, resurrection, and final triumph over death accomplished in the Messiah. Forms and Transliterations בְּנִבְלַ֖ת בְּנִבְלַ֤ת בְּנִבְלַת֙ בְּנִבְלָתָ֖הּ בְּנִבְלָתָ֖ם בְנִבְלַ֨ת בנבלת בנבלתה בנבלתם הַנְּבֵלָ֑ה הַנְּבֵלָ֔ה הַנְּבֵלָֽה׃ הַנְּבֵלָה֙ הנבלה הנבלה׃ וְנִבְלָתוֹ֙ וּבְנִבְלָתָ֖ם וּנְבֵלָ֨ה ובנבלתם ונבלה ונבלתו מִנִּבְלָתָ֑ם מִנִּבְלָתָ֔הּ מִנִּבְלָתָ֔ם מִנִּבְלָתָ֖ם מִנִּבְלָתָ֥ם ׀ מנבלתה מנבלתם נְ֠בֵלָה נְבֵלָ֧ה נְבֵלָה֙ נְבֵלָתִ֖י נִבְלַ֣ת נִבְלַ֧ת נִבְלַ֨ת נִבְלַ֬ת נִבְלָֽתְךָ֙ נִבְלָת֔וֹ נִבְלָת֖וֹ נִבְלָת֜וֹ נִבְלָת֣וֹ נִבְלָתְךָ֖ נִבְלָתָ֔הּ נִבְלָתָ֔ם נִבְלָתָ֖ם נִבְלָתָ֛ם נִבְלָתָם֙ נִבְלָתוֹ֙ נבלה נבלת נבלתה נבלתו נבלתי נבלתך נבלתם bə·niḇ·lā·ṯāh bə·niḇ·lā·ṯām bə·niḇ·laṯ ḇə·niḇ·laṯ bəniḇlaṯ ḇəniḇlaṯ bəniḇlāṯāh bəniḇlāṯām benivLat benivlaTah benivlaTam han·nə·ḇê·lāh hannəḇêlāh hanneveLah min·niḇ·lā·ṯāh min·niḇ·lā·ṯām minniḇlāṯāh minniḇlāṯām minnivlaTah minnivlaTam nə·ḇê·lā·ṯî nə·ḇê·lāh nəḇêlāh nəḇêlāṯî neveLah nevelaTi niḇ·lā·ṯāh niḇ·lā·ṯām niḇ·lā·ṯə·ḵā niḇ·lā·ṯōw niḇ·laṯ niḇlaṯ niḇlāṯāh niḇlāṯām niḇlāṯəḵā niḇlāṯōw nivLat nivlaTah nivlaTam nivlateCha nivlaTo ū·ḇə·niḇ·lā·ṯām ū·nə·ḇê·lāh ūḇəniḇlāṯām ūnəḇêlāh uneveLah uvenivlaTam venivLat venivlaTo wə·niḇ·lā·ṯōw wəniḇlāṯōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 5:2 HEB: טָמֵא֒ אוֹ֩ בְנִבְלַ֨ת חַיָּ֜ה טְמֵאָ֗ה NAS: whether a carcass of an unclean KJV: thing, whether [it be] a carcase of an unclean INT: unclean whether A carcass beast of an unclean Leviticus 5:2 Leviticus 5:2 Leviticus 7:24 Leviticus 11:8 Leviticus 11:11 Leviticus 11:24 Leviticus 11:25 Leviticus 11:27 Leviticus 11:28 Leviticus 11:35 Leviticus 11:36 Leviticus 11:37 Leviticus 11:38 Leviticus 11:39 Leviticus 11:40 Leviticus 11:40 Leviticus 17:15 Leviticus 22:8 Deuteronomy 14:8 Deuteronomy 14:21 Deuteronomy 21:23 Deuteronomy 28:26 Joshua 8:29 1 Kings 13:22 48 Occurrences |
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