Lexical Summary evel or avel or avlah or olah: Iniquity, injustice, unrighteousness, wrong, wickedness Original Word: עֶוֶל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance iniquity, perverseness, unjustly, unrighteousness, wickedness Or lavel {aw'-vel}; and (feminine) lavlah {av-law'}; or owlah {o-law'}; or.olah {o-law'}; from aval; (moral) evil -- iniquity, perverseness, unjust(-ly), unrighteousness(-ly); wicked(-ness). see HEBREW aval NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition injustice, unrighteousness NASB Translation iniquity (10), injustice (5), unjust (1), unjustly (2), unrighteousness (1), wrong (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs עָ֫וֶל noun masculine injustice, unrighteousness (opposed to צְדָקָה); — ׳ע Leviticus 19:15 +; construct עֶ֫וֶל Ezekiel 28:18 (van d. H. עָוֶל, but see Baer Ginsb); suffix עַוְלוֺ Ezekiel 18:26; Ezekiel 33:13; — עשׂה עול Leviticus 19:15,35 (H) Deuteronomy 25:16; Ezekiel 3:20; Ezekiel 18:24,26 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 33:13 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 33:15,18; ׳פעל ע Job 34:32; ׳הִתְעִיבוּ ע Psalm 53:2 ("" עֲלִילָה Psalm 14:2); ׳שׁפט ע Psalm 82:2; ׳אישׁ ע Proverbs 29:27; בְּכַמַּי ׳ע Psalm 7:4; בְּ ׳מצא ע Jeremiah 2:5, read probably also Ezekiel 28:15 (for ᵑ0 עולתה); ישׁיב ידוֺ ׳מע Ezekiel 18:8; בְּעֶוֶל רְכֻלָּֽתְךָ Ezekiel 28:18; of God, אין עול ("" אֱמוּנָה) Deuteronomy 32:4; ׳חָלִלָה מע Job 34:10. עַוְלָה noun feminineJob 11:14 (? masculine Malachi 2:6 Köii. 2, 453, § 345 d Ezekiel 28:15 [עולתה; but ׳ע only here Ezekiel, error for עול] questioned by SS, see AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 117) injustice, unrighteousness, wrong; — ׳ע Psalm 37:1 24t., + 1. עוֺלָה Isaiah 61:8 (read probably עַוְלָה); עַוְלָ֫תָה Psalm 125:3; Psalm 92:16 (Qr) + 2 t.; עֹלָ֫תָה Psalm 125:16 (Kt) Job 5:16; plural עוֺלוֺת Psalm 58:3; Psalm 64:7; — 1 violent deeds of injustice, בְּנֵי עַוְלָה 2 Samuel 3:34; 2 Samuel 7:10 = 1 Chronicles 17:9; ׳בֶּןעֿ Psalm 89:23, compare בְּנֵי עַלְוָה Hosea 10:9 (read עַוְלָה Now); ׳אישׁ מרמה וע Psalm 43:1; ׳בע Isaiah 61:8; "" דַּם Micah 3:10; Habakkuk 2:11; ׳עשׂה ע Psalm 37:1; Zephaniah 3:5,13; ׳פעל ע Psalm 58:3; Psalm 119:3; Job 36:23; שׁלח ידים ׳בע Psalm 125:3. 2 injustice of speech: ׳דבּר ע Job 13:7; Job 27:4; תהגה ׳לשׁונכם ע Isaiah 59:3; ׳בלשׁוני ע Job 6:30; לא נמצא בשׂפה ׳ע Malachi 2:6; קפצה פיה ׳ע Psalm 107:42; Job 5:16. 3 injustice, in General, Psalm 64:7; Job 6:29; Job 11:14; Job 15:16; Job 22:23; Job 24:20, + Job 36:33 (for ᵑ0 עוֺלֶה according to ᵐ5 Di Bu Du and others, Proverbs 22:8; Hosea 10:13; of God, בוֺ ׳לא ע Psalm 92:16; ׳ע ׳אֵין עִם י2Chronicles 19:7. I. עַלְוָה transposed from עַוְלָה (q. v.) Hosea 10:9. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Scope The noun עֶוֶל (ʿevel) designates moral crookedness expressed in acts of injustice, unrighteousness, deceit, or fraud. It contrasts with צֶדֶק (ṣedeq, righteousness) and מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, justice), underscoring a violation of God-given order within personal, social, and covenantal relationships. Occurrences and Literary Distribution ʿEvel appears about fifty-three times, spread widely across the canon: This distribution reveals that ʿevel functions as a key diagnostic term for covenant infidelity in every era of Israel’s history. Ethical and Theological Emphases 1. Judicial Integrity Deuteronomy 25:13-16 strictly forbids unequal weights: “For everyone who does such things, everyone who acts unjustly, is detestable to the LORD your God.” Economic cheating is thus categorized as cultic offense. 2. Social Oppression Isaiah 10:1-2 condemns lawmakers “who issue unrighteous decrees,” linking ʿevel with stripping the needy of rights. In the prophets, the word often appears with שֹׁד (violence) and חָמָס (oppression), showing ʿevel to be the invisible motive behind visible abuse. 3. False Witness and Deceit Zephaniah 3:13 foresees a purified remnant: “They will commit no injustice and speak no lies.” Truthfulness is the opposite of ʿevel, making integrity a covenant hallmark. 4. Worship and Spiritual Authenticity Psalm 125:3 warns that allowing “the scepter of wickedness” to rest on the land tempts the righteous “to put forth their hands to injustice.” Compromised worship leads to compromised ethics, and the two reinforce each other. 5. Cosmic Accountability Job’s speeches continually protest divine fairness against accusations of ʿevel (Job 6:29; Job 19:7). Even in suffering, Job maintains that God Himself never deals in ʿevel (Job 34:10-12), embedding the concept in theodicy: God is righteous, therefore all apparent injustice will be resolved. Representative Passages • Proverbs 16:8 – “Better a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.” These texts expose ʿevel as both personal sin and corporate contagion, inevitably inviting covenant sanctions. Redemptive Trajectory and Messianic Hope While ʿevel permeates human society, the prophets announce its removal in the coming reign of the Messiah. Isaiah 53:9 prophesies that the Suffering Servant “had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth,” echoing the absence of ʿevel in His character. By bearing iniquities, the Servant provides the only ultimate cure for ʿevel. New Testament Resonance Though the Hebrew term itself does not appear, its concept is assumed in passages such as Luke 18:6-8 (the unjust judge) and James 5:4 (cries of the defrauded laborers). 1 Peter 2:22 cites Isaiah 53:9 regarding Christ: “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth,” presenting Jesus as the antithesis of ʿevel and the model for believers. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Preaching must expose both individual and systemic ʿevel, calling for repentance and faith. Conclusion עֶוֶל highlights humanity’s bent toward injustice, the covenant’s demand for righteousness, and God’s unwavering commitment to establish a kingdom “where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). In Scripture’s unfolding drama, ʿevel is exposed, judged, and finally overcome through the righteous reign of Christ. Forms and Transliterations בְּעֶ֙וֶל֙ בְּעַוְל֥וֹ בְּעַוְלָ֬תָה בְּעַוְלָֽה׃ בעול בעולה׃ בעולו בעולתה וְ֝עֹלָ֗תָה וְעַוְלָ֖ה וְעַוְלָ֣ה וּבְעַוְל֥וֹ ובעולו ועולה ועלתה מֵעָ֖וֶל מֵעָֽוֶל׃ מעול מעול׃ עַ֝וְלָ֗ה עַ֭וְלָה עַוְלָ֑ה עַוְלָ֖ה עַוְלָ֖תָה עַוְלָ֛ה עַוְלָ֥ה עַוְלָ֥תָה עַוְלָֽה׃ עַוְלָה֙ עָ֑וֶל עָ֔וֶל עָ֖וֶל עָ֙וֶל֙ עָ֝֗וֶל עָ֥וֶל עָֽוֶל׃ עוֹלֹ֗ת עוֹלֹ֪ת עול עול׃ עולה עולה׃ עולת עולתה ‘ā·wel ‘aw·lā·ṯāh ‘aw·lāh ‘āwel ‘awlāh ‘awlāṯāh ‘ō·w·lōṯ ‘ōwlōṯ avel avLah avLatah bə‘awlāh bə‘awlāṯāh bə‘awlōw bə‘ewel bə·‘aw·lā·ṯāh bə·‘aw·lāh bə·‘aw·lōw bə·‘e·wel beavLah beavLatah beavLo beEvel mê‘āwel mê·‘ā·wel meAvel oLot ū·ḇə·‘aw·lōw ūḇə‘awlōw uveavLo veavLah veoLatah wə‘awlāh wə‘ōlāṯāh wə·‘aw·lāh wə·‘ō·lā·ṯāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 19:15 HEB: לֹא־ תַעֲשׂ֥וּ עָ֙וֶל֙ בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹא־ NAS: no injustice in judgment; KJV: Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: INT: no shall do injustice judgment nor Leviticus 19:35 Deuteronomy 25:16 Deuteronomy 32:4 2 Samuel 3:34 2 Samuel 7:10 1 Chronicles 17:9 2 Chronicles 19:7 Job 5:16 Job 6:29 Job 6:30 Job 11:14 Job 13:7 Job 15:16 Job 22:23 Job 24:20 Job 27:4 Job 34:10 Job 34:32 Job 36:23 Psalm 7:3 Psalm 37:1 Psalm 43:1 Psalm 53:1 Psalm 58:2 53 Occurrences |
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