Lexicon :: Strong's H4604 - maʿal

“If someone offends by sinning unintentionally in regard to any of the LORD’s holy things,[fn] he must bring his penalty for guilt to the LORD: an unblemished ram from the flock (based on your assessment of its value in silver shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel) as a guilt offering.

“When someone sins and offends the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in regard to a deposit, a security,[fn] or a robbery; or defrauds his neighbor;

“But when they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their ancestors ​— ​their unfaithfulness that they practiced against me, and how they acted with hostility toward me,

“Tell the Israelites: When a man or woman commits any sin against another, that person acts unfaithfully toward the LORD and is guilty.

“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: If any man’s wife goes astray, is unfaithful to him,

“When he makes her drink the water, if she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings a curse will enter her to cause bitter suffering; her belly will swell, and her womb will shrivel. She will become a curse among her people.

“Yet they are the ones who, at Balaam’s advice, incited the Israelites to unfaithfulness against the LORD in the Peor incident, so that the plague came against the LORD’s community.

The Israelites, however, were unfaithful regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and the LORD’s anger burned against the Israelites.

“This is what the LORD’s entire community says: ‘What is this treachery you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the LORD and building an altar for yourselves, so that you are in rebellion against the LORD today?

“Wasn’t Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath on the entire community of Israel? He was not the only one who perished because of his iniquity.’ ”

“The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD![fn] He knows, and may Israel also know. Do not spare us today, if it was in rebellion or treachery against the LORD

Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, “Today we know that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against him. As a result, you have rescued the Israelites from the LORD’s power.”

All Israel was registered in the genealogies that are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. But Judah was exiled to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.

Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD because he did not keep the LORD’s word. He even consulted a medium for guidance,

For the LORD humbled Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah,[fn] who threw off restraint in Judah and was unfaithful to the LORD.

“We have set up and consecrated all the utensils that King Ahaz rejected during his reign when he became unfaithful. They are in front of the altar of the LORD.”

His prayer and how God was receptive to his prayer, and all his sin and unfaithfulness and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and carved images before he humbled himself, they are written in the Events of Hozai.

All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the LORD’s temple that he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

“Indeed, the Israelite men[fn] have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has become mixed with the surrounding peoples. The leaders[fn] and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness! ”

Everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me, because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat devastated until the evening offering.

Ezra then went from the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, where he spent the night.[fn] He did not eat food or drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

So how can you offer me such futile comfort?

Your answers are deceptive.

“Son of man, suppose a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its supply of bread, to send famine through it, and to wipe out both people and animals from it.

“I will make the land desolate because they have acted unfaithfully.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

“I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment on him there for the treachery he committed against me.

“But when a righteous person turns from his righteousness and acts unjustly, committing the same detestable acts that the wicked do, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. He will die because of the treachery he has engaged in and the sin he has committed.

“Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: In this way also your ancestors blasphemed me by committing treachery against me:

“They will feel remorse for[fn][fn] their disgrace and all the unfaithfulness they committed against me, when they live securely in their land with no one to frighten them.

Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but this day public shame belongs to us: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel ​— ​those who are near and those who are far, in all the countries where you have banished them because of the disloyalty they have shown toward you.