ma.ar describes a harmful or defiling condition: a spreading plague in garments or houses, and a briar that maligns Israel.

The term most often qualifies a plague that has spread in a garment or house and is declared unclean; in Ezekiel it describes a briar surrounding Israel that maligns.

1. A spreading, unclean plague · dominant

   In Leviticus 13:51 and Leviticus 13:52, the feminine singular Hiphil active participle qualifies a plague that has spread in a garment, warp, mixture, or skin; the APB renders the clause "the plague is a maligning leprosy" and calls for the affected item to be burned. In Leviticus 14:44, the same form describes a plague spread in a house, which the APB renders "a malign leprosy in the house" and declares the house unclean.

   Leviticus 13:51Leviticus 13:52Leviticus 14:44
2. A briar that maligns · rare

   In Ezekiel 28:24, the masculine singular Hiphil active participle describes a briar that will no longer be present for Israel amid those around them who despise them; the APB renders it "a briar that maligns."

   Ezekiel 28:24

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB uses "maligning" for the briar in Ezekiel 28:24 and "maligning leprosy" or "malign leprosy" for the spreading plagues in Leviticus 13:51, Leviticus 13:52, and Leviticus 14:44. These phrases confirm the clauses' presentation rather than isolate a fixed English equivalent.