Word Study · Strong's H2254 · Hebrew
חָבַל
chabal
khaw-bal'
Strong's 1890 spelling: châbal
“to wind tightly (as a rope), i.e. to bind”
Strong's Dictionary · 1890 · public domain
to wind tightly (as a rope), i.e. to bind; specifically, by a pledge; figuratively, to pervert, destroy; also to writhe in pain (especially of parturition)
Rendered in the KJV as
[idiom] at all, band, bring forth, (deal) corrupt(-ly), destroy, offend, lay to (take a) pledge, spoil, travail, [idiom] very, withhold.
- 27occurrencesin the Old Testament
- 12 of 39Old Testament bookswhere the word stands
- 26inflected formsdistinct spellings
Across 27 occurrences
The word itself
Inflected forms · 26
- חַבְלֵֽהוּ׃2
- אֶחְבֹּֽל׃1
- וְחִבֵּ֖ל1
- וְחֻבַּ֥ל1
- חֲבֹ֖ל1
- חָבָ֔ל1
- חָבֹ֥ל1
- חֹבֵֽל׃ ס1
- חִבְּלָ֥ה1
- חֻ֭בָּלָה1
- חֲבֻלִים֙1
- חָבַ֣לְנוּ1
and 14 more spellings in the ledger below.
How it is rendered · 24
- hold in pledge it2
- to ruin2
- you will take as pledge2
- [is] taking as pledge1
- [which] ruin1
- and he will destroy1
- and it will be broken1
- anyone will take as pledge1
- certainly [if] to take as pledge1
- he has taken as pledge1
- he is in labor with1
- he will be pledged1
The sense the word carries at each spot — how the translators read it there, not a fixed translation.
How it parses · 21
- preposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)3
- verb · simple (qal), ongoing or future action · 2nd person masculine singular3
- verb · simple (qal), ongoing or future action · 3rd person masculine plural2
- verb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singular + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singular2
- Hc/Vpq3ms1
- Hc/VPq3ms1
- verb · passive or reflexive (niphal), ongoing or future action · 3rd person masculine singular1
- verb · intensive (piel), ongoing or future action · 3rd person feminine singular1
- verb · intensive (piel), ongoing or future action · 3rd person masculine singular1
- verb · intensive (piel), completed action · 3rd person feminine singular1
- verb · intensive passive (pual), completed action · 3rd person feminine singular1
- verb · intensive (piel), completed action · 3rd person feminine singular + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singular1
Show the grammar codes as tagged
- HR/Vpcc · 3
- HVqi2ms · 3
- HVqi3mp · 2
- HVqv2ms/Sp3ms · 2
- Hc/Vpq3ms · 1
- Hc/VPq3ms · 1
- HVNi3ms · 1
- HVpi3fs · 1
- HVpi3ms · 1
- HVpp3fs · 1
- HVPp3fs · 1
- HVpp3fs/Sp2ms · 1
All 27, in canonical order
The ledger of occurrences
Where this word lives
- Job5 of 27 · 19%
- Isaiah4 of 27 · 15%
- Deuteronomy3 of 27 · 11%
- Proverbs3 of 27 · 11%
- Song of Solomon3 of 27 · 11%
Job carries the most and opens below; every other book is one click.
Exodus2 occurrences
- Exodus 22:26חָבֹ֥לchavolverb · simple (qal), infinitive absoluteIf you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him by sunset,here: certainly [if] to take as pledge
- Exodus 22:26תַּחְבֹּ֖לtachbolverb · simple (qal), ongoing or future action · 2nd person masculine singularIf you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him by sunset,here: you will take as pledge
Deuteronomy3 occurrences
- Deuteronomy 24:6יַחֲבֹ֥לyachavolverb · simple (qal), ongoing or future action · 3rd person masculine singularDo not take a pair of millstones or even an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that would be taking one’s livelihood as security.here: anyone will take as pledge
- Deuteronomy 24:6חֹבֵֽל׃ סchovelverb · simple (qal), participle (“the one who…”) · masculine singularDo not take a pair of millstones or even an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that would be taking one’s livelihood as security.here: [is] taking as pledge
- Deuteronomy 24:17תַחֲבֹ֔לtachavolverb · simple (qal), ongoing or future action · 2nd person masculine singularDo not deny justice to the foreigner or the fatherless, and do not take a widow’s cloak as security.here: you will take as pledge
Nehemiah2 occurrences
- Nehemiah 1:7חֲבֹ֖לchavolverb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”)We have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses.here: surely to act corruptly
- Nehemiah 1:7חָבַ֣לְנוּchavalnuverb · simple (qal), completed action · 1st person common pluralWe have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses.here: we have acted corruptly
Job5 occurrences
- Job 17:1חֻ֭בָּלָהchubalahverb · intensive passive (pual), completed action · 3rd person feminine singular“My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me.here: it is broken
- Job 22:6תַחְבֹּ֣לtachbolverb · simple (qal), ongoing or future action · 2nd person masculine singularFor you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.here: you have held in pledge
- Job 24:3יַ֝חְבְּל֗וּyachbeluverb · simple (qal), ongoing or future action · 3rd person masculine pluralThey drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox in pledge.here: they take as pledge
- Job 24:9יַחְבֹּֽלוּ׃yachboluverb · simple (qal), ongoing or future action · 3rd person masculine pluralThe fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt.here: they take pledges
- Job 34:31אֶחְבֹּֽל׃ʾechbolverb · simple (qal), ongoing or future action · 1st person common singularSuppose someone says to God, ‘I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more.here: I will act corruptly
Proverbs3 occurrences
- Proverbs 13:13יֵחָ֣בֶלyechavelverb · passive or reflexive (niphal), ongoing or future action · 3rd person masculine singularHe who despises instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded.here: he will be pledged
- Proverbs 20:16חַבְלֵֽהוּ׃chavlehuverb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singular + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singularTake the garment of the one who posts security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for a foreigner.here: hold in pledge it
- Proverbs 27:13חַבְלֵֽהוּ׃chavlehuverb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singular + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singularTake the garment of him who posts security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for a foreigner.here: hold in pledge it
Song of Solomon3 occurrences
- Song of Solomon 2:15מְחַבְּלִ֣יםmechabelimverb · intensive (piel), participle (“the one who…”) · masculine pluralCatch for us the foxes— the little foxes that ruin the vineyards— for our vineyards are in bloom.here: [which] ruin
- Song of Solomon 8:5חִבְּלַ֣תְךָchibelatkhaverb · intensive (piel), completed action · 3rd person feminine singular + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singularWho is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? I roused you under the apple tree; there your mother conceived you; there she travailed and brought you forth.here: she was in labor with you
- Song of Solomon 8:5חִבְּלָ֥הchibelahverb · intensive (piel), completed action · 3rd person feminine singularWho is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? I roused you under the apple tree; there your mother conceived you; there she travailed and brought you forth.here: she was in labor
Isaiah4 occurrences
- Isaiah 10:27וְחֻבַּ֥לvechubalHc/VPq3msOn that day the burden will be lifted from your shoulders, and the yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because your neck will be too large.here: and it will be broken
- Isaiah 13:5לְחַבֵּ֖לlechabelpreposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)They are coming from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens— the LORD and the weapons of His wrath— to destroy the whole country.here: to destroy
- Isaiah 32:7לְחַבֵּ֤לlechabelpreposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)The weapons of the scoundrel are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.here: to ruin
- Isaiah 54:16לְחַבֵּֽל׃lechabelpreposition + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)Behold, I have created the craftsman who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its task; and I have created the destroyer to wreak havoc.here: to ruin