בָּגוֹד (ba.god)
ba.god
treacherous
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The adjective bagod describes someone who is treacherous or deceitful, specifically highlighting a breach of trust or covenant loyalty. In the Hebrew Bible, it characterizes behavior that violates a solemn agreement, turning from fidelity to betrayal. The word carries a heavy moral weight, pointing to actions that undermine relationships built on mutual commitment.
Its usage is concentrated in the book of Jeremiah, where it often describes Israel’s spiritual infidelity against God. For instance, Jeremiah 2:32 uses this term to illustrate how the nation has acted like a shameless woman, abandoning its source of life. This context shows that bagod is not merely about lying, but about breaking faith with those who rely on your integrity.
Translators typically render bagod as "treacherous" or "deceitful," capturing the sense of unfaithfulness to a bond. The term appears in only two verses in the provided data, both within Jeremiah’s prophetic warnings. This scarcity emphasizes its specific role in condemning covenant violation rather than general dishonesty.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word bagod describes a deep breach of trust, specifically when someone violates a solemn covenant or commitment. It is not merely about telling a lie, but about turning away from those who rely on your integrity. In the context of Jeremiah, this term highlights Israel's spiritual infidelity, showing how breaking faith with God undermines the very relationships built on mutual loyalty.
For your daily life, this word reminds us that trust is fragile and precious. When we promise to stay faithful in our relationships, whether with family, friends, or God, we are entering into a bond that deserves respect. The scripture warns against pretense, urging us to return to God with our whole heart rather than just going through the motions.
Even when we have failed to keep our promises, there is hope. Jeremiah notes that Judah saw Israel’s treachery but did not learn from it. This invites us to examine our own hearts, ensuring we do not repeat the same patterns of unfaithfulness. Instead, we can choose to rebuild trust through honest, wholehearted commitment to God and those around us.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- treacherous2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בָּגוֹדָ֧ה1×
- בָּגוֹדָ֥ה1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 3:7
I said after she had done all these things, ‘She will return to me;’ but she didn’t return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
This verse uses the word to describe Israel’s persistent refusal to return to God despite His mercy, highlighting the depth of their spiritual abandonment.
-
Jeremiah 3:10
Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense,” says Yahweh.
Here the term contrasts Judah’s outward pretense with the lack of a whole heart, showing that true repentance requires more than just visible actions.