בָּחֵל (ba.chal)

The Hebrew verb baḥel carries a sharp sense of moral disgust or loathing. In its most common usage, it describes a deep aversion to something detestable. However, the lexicon data reveals a more specific and rare application found in Proverbs 20:21, where the form is translated as "obtained by greed." Here, the word shifts from an internal feeling of hatred to the external act of seizing an inheritance through dishonest or hasty means.

This dual nature connects the emotional weight of repulsion with the ethical failure of covetousness. The sources indicate that the Pual participle specifically denotes an asset acquired not through legitimate right, but through aggressive or greedy acquisition. It suggests that what is gained by such methods is inherently tainted, worthy of the same loathing one feels for moral corruption.

Although this word appears only once in the provided textual data within the book of Zechariah (and notably in Proverbs), its theological weight lies in its condemnation of unjust gain. It serves as a linguistic marker for wealth that is morally suspect, linking the desire for more with a lack of reverence for proper boundaries. Translators often render this nuance by emphasizing the illegitimacy of the acquisition rather than just the greed itself.