What does בָּגַד (bagad) mean in the Bible?
To break faith is to violate a relationship of trust or obligation. This Hebrew verb describes such treachery in several settings.
Hebrew · H898
בָּגַד
To cover (with a garment); figuratively, to act covertly ; by implication, to pillage
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בָּגַדH898
Pronunciationbagad
What does בָּגַד (bagad) mean in the Bible?
To break faith is to violate a relationship of trust or obligation. This Hebrew verb describes such treachery in several settings.
Reader summary
Full entry for בָּגַד (H898) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H898?
The BSB source-word alignment has 49 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include of the faithless (4), . . . (3), the faithless (3), break faith (2), have betrayed (2).
Where does בָּגַד (bagad) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 21:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (12), Jeremiah (9), Proverbs (9), Malachi (5).
What This Word Actually Means
To break faith is to violate a relationship of trust or obligation. This Hebrew verb describes such treachery in several settings. Malachi 2:14 confronts a man who has broken faith with the wife identified as his companion and covenant partner. Psalm 78:57 places faithlessness within Israel's turning away from God's commands. The wrongdoing is more substantial than being disappointing, disagreeable, or unwilling to comply with another person's wishes.
Proverbs 25:19 describes the pain of relying on a faithless person when trouble comes. Habakkuk 1:13 brings treacherous conduct into the prophet's anguished question about God's apparent silence before oppression. These passages give language for violated trust and for the need to take it seriously. They do not authorize a powerful person to label every challenge as betrayal. Nor does the call to faithfulness require a harmed person to pretend that an unsafe relationship has become trustworthy simply because the offender wants renewed access. The obligation being broken and the passage's actual accusation must govern the word's application.
source_lexiconPassage contextPastoral application
How the Bible Uses It
Broken marital faith, covenant disobedience, unreliable help in trouble, and a prophet's protest against oppression show the weight of treachery while requiring careful identification of the violated obligation.
- Mal.2.14
Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
The Lord stands as witness against broken faith toward the wife of one's youth, named as companion and wife by covenant. The accusation addresses the offender's conduct rather than placing responsibility for that conduct on the harmed wife.
- Ps.78.57
They turned back and were faithless like their fathers, twisted like a faulty bow.
Israel's faithlessness is compared with a faulty bow after the psalm names disobedience to God's decrees. The following idolatry identifies the breach within this historical covenant account.
- Prov.25.19
Like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.
Confidence in a faithless person during trouble is compared to a broken tooth or injured foot. The image concerns unreliable support; it does not assign moral inferiority to people with bodily injuries.
- Hab.1.13
Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
The prophet asks why God appears to tolerate treacherous people while the wicked swallow those more righteous than themselves. Preserve the question as lament and protest rather than an endorsement of the oppressor.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itof the faithless4×Proverbs 11:3, Proverbs 13:2, Proverbs 13:15, Proverbs 22:12
. . .3×Isaiah 48:8, Jeremiah 5:11, Jeremiah 12:1
the faithless3×Psalms 119:158, Proverbs 23:28, Habakkuk 1:13
break faith2×Malachi 2:15, Malachi 2:16
have betrayed2×Jeremiah 12:6, Lamentations 1:2
The treacherous2×Isaiah 24:16
[but] those who engage in treachery1×Psalms 25:3
and the faithless1×Proverbs 21:18
and the unfaithful1×Proverbs 2:22
and were faithless1×Psalms 78:57
are as faithless1×Job 6:15
betray1×Isaiah 24:16
betrayed1×Isaiah 33:1
betraying1×Isaiah 33:1
betrays him1×Habakkuk 2:5
but the faithless1×Proverbs 11:6
deceitfully1×Judges 9:23
do we break faith1×Malachi 2:10
has broken faith1×Malachi 2:11
have been utterly unfaithful1×Jeremiah 5:11
have broken faith1×Malachi 2:14
how deceitful you are1×Isaiah 48:8
I would have betrayed1×Psalms 73:15
in a faithless man1×Proverbs 25:19
may betray1×Jeremiah 3:20
O traitor1×Isaiah 33:1
of faithless people1×Jeremiah 9:2
since he has broken faith1×Exodus 21:8
still betrays1×Isaiah 21:2
than unfaithful1×Jeremiah 3:11
The traitor1×Isaiah 21:2
They have been unfaithful1×Hosea 5:7
they were unfaithful1×Hosea 6:7
traitors1×Psalms 59:5
treachery1×Isaiah 24:16
unfaithful1×Jeremiah 3:8
you have betrayed1×Jeremiah 3:20
You have broken faith1×1 Samuel 14:33
you will be betrayed1×Isaiah 33:1
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 21:8בְּבִגְדוֹ־tosince he has broken faithPreposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singularJudges 9:23וַיִּבְגְּד֥וּtodeceitfullyConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural1 Samuel 14:33בְּגַדְתֶּ֔םtoYou have broken faithVerb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine pluralJob 6:15בָּגְד֣וּtoare as faithlessVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralPsalms 25:3הַבּוֹגְדִ֥יםto[but] those who engage in treacheryArticle | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralPsalms 59:5בֹּ֖גְדֵיtotraitorsVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural constructPsalms 73:15בָגָֽדְתִּי׃toI would have betrayedVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularPsalms 78:57וַֽ֭יִּבְגְּדוּtoand were faithlessConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralPsalms 119:158בֹ֭גְדִיםtothe faithlessVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralProverbs 2:22וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗יםtoand the unfaithfulConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowExodus 21:8
Aligned rows49
Books represented12
Exodus1Judges11 Samuel1Job1Psalms5Proverbs9Isaiah12Jeremiah9Lamentations1Hosea2Habakkuk2Malachi5
Source forms
בֹּגְדִ֣ים3xbō·ḡə·ḏîmProverbs 13:2, Proverbs 13:15, Isaiah 24:16
בָּ֣גְדוּ2xbā·ḡə·ḏūJeremiah 12:6, Lamentations 1:2
בָּגָ֔דוּ2xbā·ḡā·ḏūIsaiah 24:16, Hosea 5:7
וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים2xū·ḇō·wḡ·ḏîmProverbs 2:22, Proverbs 23:28
בְּבִגְדוֹ־1xbə·ḇiḡ·ḏōw-Exodus 21:8
בֹגֵֽד׃1xḇō·ḡêḏProverbs 22:12
בָּגְדָ֥ה1xbā·ḡə·ḏāhJeremiah 3:20
בָּגְדָ֣ה1xbā·ḡə·ḏāhMalachi 2:11
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural9xPsalms 119:158, Proverbs 11:3, Proverbs 11:6, Proverbs 13:2
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural9xJob 6:15, Isaiah 24:16, Isaiah 33:1, Jeremiah 5:11
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular5xProverbs 21:18, Proverbs 22:12, Proverbs 25:19, Isaiah 21:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural2xJudges 9:23, Psalms 78:57
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural2xProverbs 2:22, Proverbs 23:28
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute2xIsaiah 48:8, Jeremiah 5:11
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct2xPsalms 59:5, Jeremiah 12:1
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural2x1 Samuel 14:33, Jeremiah 3:20
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Attend to the actual commitment and the evidence of its breach before assigning the charge of treachery.
- Distinguish willingness to seek peace from an obligation to restore unsafe access or pretend that trust has already been rebuilt.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that God's faithfulness makes human betrayal insignificant or cancels the warnings that accompany His promises.
- Do not claim that a betrayed person must immediately trust the offender or remain exposed to continuing harm.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Hidden destructiveness: covering conceals treacherous intent, from garment-concealment to covenant betrayal and plunder.
Strong'sH898
Lexical occurrences49 versesWord forms1 form39 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkHosea 6:7-11Source Gloss
to cover (with a garment); figuratively, to act covertly ; by implication, to pillage
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Hidden destructiveness: covering conceals treacherous intent, from garment-concealment to covenant betrayal and plunder.
to cover (with a garment); figuratively, to act covertly; by implication, to pillage BDB: act Usage: deal deceitfully (treacherously, unfaithfully), offend, transgress(-or), (depart), treacherous (dealer, -ly, man), unfaithful(-ly, man), × very.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups1Aligned forms39
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense39×
Participle activeHab 1:13 · Hab 2:5 · Isa 21:2 · Isa 24:16 · Jer 3:8 · Jer 9:1 · Jer 12:1 · Prov 11:3 · Prov 11:6 · Prov 13:2 · Prov 13:15 · Prov 21:18 · Prov 22:12 · Prov 25:19 · Ps 59:6 · Ps 119:15817×
PerfectHos 5:7 · Hos 6:7 · Isa 24:16 · Isa 33:1 · Jer 5:11 · Jer 12:6 · Job 6:15 · Lam 1:2 · 1Sam 14:33 · Jer 3:20 · Mal 2:11 · Mal 2:14 · Ps 73:1515×
ImperfectIsa 33:1 · Isa 48:8 · Mal 2:10 · Mal 2:164×
Infinitive absoluteIsa 48:8 · Jer 5:112×
JussiveMal 2:151×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to deal treacherously
those who act deceitfully or betray trust
those who act deceitfully or betray trust
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 49 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
בָּגַד is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
The term describes the faithless character of the wicked.Hosea 6:7-11
The term describes the unfaithful character of the wicked.Proverbs 11:3
Highlights relational betrayal.Proverbs 11:6
Canonical Themes
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Malachi 2:14 refuses to let religious activity hide broken faith at home. The preceding verses describe tears at the altar and offerings that God does not regard, while the accusation names the wife as a companion and covenant partner. The teacher should keep the offender's obligation in view instead of turning the passage into pressure on the person who has been wronged.
Proverbs 25:19 adds a sober observation: trust placed in a faithless person can fail precisely when help is most needed. Taking that warning seriously does not require contempt or private revenge. It does require honesty about conduct and its consequences. Calls for reconciliation should not erase truthful accounts, accountability, or protection from continuing harm. Faithfulness becomes visible through trustworthy action; a demand to be trusted cannot by itself repair the breach that the biblical word names.
Anchor passage
Mal.2.14
Doctrinal connections
- Malachi 2:13-16 joins rejected religious offerings with God's witness against broken faith toward a covenant companion.
- Psalm 78:56-58 locates faithlessness within disobedience and idolatry rather than within mere differences of personality.
- Proverbs 25:19 warns that a faithless person's unreliability becomes especially painful when someone needs support in trouble.
- Habakkuk 1:12-13 brings the prophet's confidence in God's holiness into an honest protest about treacherous oppression.
- Matthew 23:23 names justice, mercy, and faithfulness as weighty matters that religious observance must not displace.
- Second Timothy 2:11-13 affirms God's faithfulness alongside a serious warning about denying Him.
The attested uses concern acting faithlessly or treacherously. The relationship and violated obligation identify the breach. An etymological association or a speaker's dislike cannot establish that a particular person has committed the wrongdoing described by the verb.
From Old to New Testament
Matthew 23:23 links faithfulness with justice and mercy in a rebuke of religious hypocrisy. Second Timothy 2:11-13 affirms God's faithfulness without removing its warning about denying Him. These provide thematic comparisons for faithful conduct and divine constancy; neither turns the Hebrew verb into a complete account of every covenant question.
Passage contextPastoral applicationCanonical parallel