Lexical Summary namal: To circumcise, to cut off Original Word: נָמַל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance branch to be cut down off, circumcise A primitive root; to become clipped or (specifically) circumcised -- (branch to) be cut down (off), circumcise. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originthe same as mul, q.v. Brown-Driver-Briggs III. [מָלַל] verb languish, wither, fade (apparently secondary √ of אמל q. v. ); — Qal Imperfect3masculine singular יִמַּל Job 18:16; וַיִּמָּ֑ל Job 14:2; 3masculine plural יִמָּ֑לוּ Job 24:24; Psalm 37:2 (so Hup De and most; > Niph`al from IV. מלל Thes); — hang down, wither, figurative of man Job 14:2 (כְּצִיץ); of wicked יִבָ֑שׁוּ וּמִמַּ֫עַל יִמַּל קְצִירוֺ מִתַּחַת שָֽׁרָשָׁיו Job 18:16; כְּראֹשׁ שִׁבֹּ֫לֶת יִמָּ֑לוּ Job 24:24 ("" יִקָּפְצוּן, הֻמְּכוּ); כֶּחָצִיר מְהֵרָה יִמָּ֑לוּ Psalm 37:2 ("" יִבּוֺלוּן). Po'l. Imperfect יְמוֺלֵל Psalm 90:6 it withereth (of grass; + וְיָבֵשׁ). IV. [מָלַל] verb circumcise ( = מוּל); — to this are sometimes assigned: Qal Imperative מֹל Joshua 5:2. Niph`al Perfect נְמַלְתֶּם Genesis 17:11. Hithpo`el be cut off: Imperfect יִתְמֹלָ֑לוּ Psalm 58:8. see מוּל. [מַלְמָד, מַלְמֵד] see למד. Topical Lexicon Overview The verb נָמַל conveys the idea of being cut off, clipped, or withering away. Scripture applies it both to the covenant act of circumcision and to the frailty of humankind and the certain end of the wicked. Together the occurrences trace a unified biblical theme: the necessity of consecration to the LORD and the inevitable fading of life lived apart from Him. Covenant Sign of Consecration (Genesis 17:11) “You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you” (Genesis 17:11). Here נָמַל describes the literal cutting away that sealed Abraham’s offspring as a people separated to God. The act marked every male member with a perpetual reminder that sinful flesh must be removed if one is to belong to the covenant community (Romans 2:28-29; Colossians 2:11). By choosing a verb that can also mean “to be cut down,” Scripture implicitly warns that refusal of covenant obedience leads to being “cut off” from the promises (Genesis 17:14). Human Transience and Mortality (Job 14:2) “He springs up like a flower and withers; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.” Job laments life’s brevity. נָמַל captures the speed with which human glory fades. A blossom’s beauty is genuine yet quickly gone; so too are human achievements. This verse teaches that true security lies not in earthly vigor but in covenant faithfulness to the eternal God (Psalm 103:15-18). Judgment on the Wicked (Job 18:16; Job 24:24; Psalm 37:2) Job 18:16: “His roots below dry up, and his branches above wither away.” Job 24:24: “They are exalted for a moment, then gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain.” Psalm 37:2: “For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.” In each passage, נָמַל pictures the inevitable decline of those who appear prosperous yet reject God’s ways. Bildad (Job 18) applies it to the ungodly whose entire existence—from hidden roots to visible branches—will be clipped away. Job (Job 24) notes how oppressors rise briefly only to be scythed down. David (Psalm 37) contrasts evildoers with the righteous; the wicked flourish for a season but soon dry up like mown grass. The verb thus becomes a pastoral encouragement: believers need not envy apparent worldly success, for it is as short-lived as the grass of the field (Matthew 6:30). Theological Harmony Across these texts, Scripture holds together two complementary truths: 1. God graciously calls His people into covenant, symbolized by a deliberate cutting away of the flesh. Both uses reinforce the moral order established by the Creator: consecration leads to blessing; rebellion leads to removal. Ministry Implications • Preaching: נָמַל provides vivid imagery for sermons on repentance, sanctification, and the fleeting nature of sin’s rewards. Christological Reflection Jesus Christ, the true Seed of Abraham, was “cut off from the land of the living” (Isaiah 53:8) to bear the judgment symbolized by נָמַל, so that all who trust in Him may be grafted in and never wither (John 15:6, Romans 11:17-24). Thus the verb ultimately points to the gospel: either the sinner is cut off, or the Substitute is. Forms and Transliterations וַיִּמָּ֑ל וּנְמַלְתֶּ֕ם וימל ונמלתם יִמַּ֥ל יִמָּ֑לוּ יִמָּֽלוּ׃ ימל ימלו ימלו׃ ū·nə·mal·tem unemalTem ūnəmaltem vaiyimMal way·yim·māl wayyimmāl yim·mā·lū yim·mal yimmal yimMalu yimmālūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 17:11 HEB: וּנְמַלְתֶּ֕ם אֵ֖ת בְּשַׂ֣ר KJV: And ye shall circumcise the flesh INT: shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin Job 14:2 Job 18:16 Job 24:24 Psalm 37:2 5 Occurrences |
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