ma.al denotes faithless breach against God, sacred things, or a spouse, and can describe false dealing in justice.

The verb most often marks faithless conduct directed against the LORD or God, including turning to other gods, disobedience, and actions that bring guilt or judgment. It also occurs for violation involving devoted or holy things, for a wife's unfaithfulness toward her husband, and once in a clause concerning false dealing in a king's justice.

1. Faithless conduct against God · dominant

   The Qal forms regularly identify conduct against the LORD or God: in 1 Chronicles 5:25 the sequential imperfect plural stands with turning after the gods of the peoples, and in 2 Chronicles 26:16 it introduces Uzziah's entering the temple to burn incense. In Ezekiel 39:23 the APB renders the clause "they acted unfaithfully toward me" and connects it with exile, while Ezra 10:10 applies the perfect plural to settling foreign women and increasing Israel's guilt.

   1 Chronicles 5:252 Chronicles 26:16Ezekiel 39:23Ezra 10:10Leviticus 26:40Nehemiah 13:27
2. Violation involving sacred or devoted things · common

   This use concerns an offense involving what is designated as holy or devoted. In Joshua 7:1 the sequential imperfect plural is followed by Achan's taking some of the devoted thing, and in Leviticus 5:15 the imperfect singular occurs in the condition concerning sin in the LORD's holy things; the APB calls that setting a "breach of trust."

   Joshua 7:1Joshua 22:201 Chronicles 2:7Leviticus 5:15
3. A wife's breach toward her husband · occasional

   In Numbers 5:12 the sequential perfect feminine singular describes a man's wife who turns aside and is unfaithful to him. Numbers 5:27 again uses a feminine singular form in the condition that she has been defiled and has committed unfaithfulness against her husband.

   Numbers 5:12Numbers 5:27
4. False dealing in a king's justice · rare

   In Proverbs 16:10 the Qal imperfect masculine singular occurs in the clause about a king's lips and justice; the APB renders the closing statement, "his mouth must not deal falsely." The term's precise English contribution in this verse cannot be isolated beyond unfaithful or false conduct.

   Proverbs 16:10

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the cited verses, the APB commonly uses "acted unfaithfully" or "unfaithfulness," while also using "breach of trust," "treachery," and "deal falsely" in particular contexts. These are renderings of whole translated clauses, definitions in every occurrence.