Define

Hebrew: word and meaning
rāḵîl (רָכִיל) — talebearer, slanderer, gossip, one who goes about slandering (equivalent Old Testament term for slanderer or reviler, e.g., Leviticus 19:16, Proverbs 11:13, Ezekiel 22:9)
Greek:
loidoros (λοίδορος) — reviler, railer, slanderer, abusive person, one who uses insulting or abusive speech; deceitful, treacherous.
- the emphasis shifts toward the deceptive nature of the act rather than the trafficking image of the Hebrew.

loidoreō (λοιδορέω) — to revile, to abuse verbally, to slander (related verb form)
niv (נִיב שְׂפָתַיִם) — "fruit of the lips" (Isaiah 57:19); speech as something produced and carried
lashon hara (לָשׁוֹן הָרָע) — "evil tongue"; the broader category of harmful speech in the Hebrew mindset, of which rakil is a subset
dibbah (דִּבָּה) — evil report, whispering slander (Genesis 37:2; Numbers 13:32; Proverbs 10:18)
nirgan (נִרְגָּן) — whisperer, gossip (Proverbs 16:28; 18:8; 26:20, 22)

Additional Info

In 1 Corinthians 5:11, loidoros (λοίδορος) is used to describe the reviler (or slanderer) among those believers should not associate with if claiming to be a brother, listed alongside the sexually immoral, covetous, idolaters, drunkards, and swindlers.
Whilst oral communication is the most common form of verbal abuse, it includes abusive words in written form.
From the root rakal (רָכַל), meaning a trader or merchant; one who goes about carrying tales, gossip, or slander. The cultural picture is of a peddler who trades in words rather than goods — carrying secrets, accusations, or harmful reports from person to person for personal gain or influence. The act is inherently relational and communal — it corrupts the fabric of the community.

Proverbs 11:13 — "One who brings gossip (rakil) betrays a confidence, but one who is of a trustworthy spirit is one who keeps a secret." (WEB)
Proverbs 20:19 — "One who brings gossip (rakil) betrays a confidence, therefore don't keep company with one who flatters with his lips." (WEB)
Ezekiel 22:9 — rakil used among a list of serious sins in the indictment of Jerusalem: "In you are men who carry tales (rakil) to shed blood." (WEB) — reinforcing the life-threatening weight of the word
James 3:5–6 — NT parallel on the destructive power of the tongue, consistent with the Hebrew gravity of rakil
Matthew 12:36 — "I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (WEB)

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