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Hebrew noun · H2256

חֶבֶל

chebelkheh'-bel

Mahalab; pain; union; destruction; cord

62 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H2256is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 19 of 39
    Old Testament books
  • 48
    spellings
  • 5
    meanings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · H2256

a rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line; by implication, a district or inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords); figuratively, a company (as if tied together); also a throe (especially of parturition); also ruin

The King James renders it: band, coast, company, cord, country, destruction, line, lot, pain, pang, portion, region, rope, snare, sorrow, tackling.

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

chebel is rendered "Mahalab; pain; union; destruction; cord". It stands 62 times in the Hebrew text, across nineteen books.

  • Eight of the uses stand in Psalms, more than in any other book.
  • The lexicon lists five meanings for it, beginning with "Mahalab".
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Deuteronomy 3:4At that time we captured all sixty of his cities. There was not a single city we failed to take—the entire region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
  • The Greek text spells it forty-eight different ways.

The first use

At that time we captured all sixty of his cities. There was not a single city we failed to take—the entire region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

Deuteronomy 3:4חֶ֣בֶל

The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.

Where the word stands

The word stands in nineteen of the 39 Old Testament books.

The other 20 Old Testament books never use the word.

What the word means

The word carries five meanings: Mahalab, and pain, and union, and destruction, and cord.

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

The English STEP Bible gives each use, word by word, and how many times.
MahalabStrong's entry ATagged aslisted under the tableWhereDeuteronomy 3:4At that time we captured all sixty of his cities…
painStrong's entry BTagged aslisted under the tableWherein the ledger below
unionStrong's entry CTagged aslisted under the tableWherein the ledger below
destructionStrong's entry DTagged aslisted under the tableWherein the ledger below
cordStrong's entry ATagged aslisted under the tableWherein the ledger below

How the Greek text is glossed, word by word

  • region of6
  • cords of4
  • and ropes3
  • with cords of3
  • with ropes3
  • a company of2
  • and pains2
  • labor-pains2
  • portion of2
  • with the measuring-line2
  • a cord of1
  • a measuring-line1

and 31 more, 62 uses in all

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

חֶבֶרcheberspellUses4

The words it stands beside

All 62, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

48 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • חֶ֣בֶל4
  • חֶ֤בֶל3
  • חֶ֥בֶל3
  • בְּחַבְלֵי־2
  • וַחֲבָלִ֣ים2
  • חֶ֖בֶל2
  • חֶבְלֵ֣י2
  • חֶבְלֵ֥י2
  • חֶבְלֵי־2
  • חֲבָלִים֙2
  • בְּחֶ֣בֶל1
  • בַּחֶ֖בֶל1

and 36 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • noun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)13HNcbsc
  • noun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)6HNcbpc
  • preposition + noun · masculine or feminine plural5HR/Ncbpa
  • noun · masculine or feminine plural4HNcbpa
  • noun · masculine plural4HNcmpa
  • preposition + noun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)4HR/Ncbpc
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine or feminine plural3HC/Ncbpa
  • preposition with the article + noun · masculine or feminine singular3HRd/Ncbsa
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine plural2HC/Ncmpa
  • noun · masculine or feminine singular2HNcbsa
  • preposition + noun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)2HR/Ncbsc
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine or feminine singular1HC/Ncbsa

Deuteronomy

four uses
  • At that time we captured all sixty of his cities. There was not a single city we failed to take—the entire region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

    Deuteronomy 3:4

    • חֶ֣בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: region of
  • To the half-tribe of Manasseh I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og. (The entire region of Argob, the whole territory of Bashan, used to be called the land of the Rephaim.)

    Deuteronomy 3:13

    • חֶ֤בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: region of
  • Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He renamed Bashan after himself, Havvoth-jair, by which it is called to this day.

    Deuteronomy 3:14

    • חֶ֣בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: region of
  • But the LORD’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotted inheritance.

    Deuteronomy 32:9

    • חֶ֥בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: measured portion of

Joshua

five uses
  • Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window, since the house where she lived was built into the wall of the city.

    Joshua 2:15

    • בַּחֶ֖בֶלbachevelpreposition with the article + noun · masculine or feminine singulartagged: with the rope
  • Thus ten shares fell to Manasseh, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan beyond the Jordan,

    Joshua 17:5

    • חַבְלֵֽי־chavlei-noun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: allotted portions of
  • Then the sons of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one portion as an inheritance? We have many people, because the LORD has blessed us abundantly.”

    Joshua 17:14

    • וְחֶ֣בֶלvechevelconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine or feminine singulartagged: and a portion
  • The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the territory of Judah, because the share for Judah’s descendants was too large for them. So the Simeonites received an inheritance within Judah’s portion.

    Joshua 19:9

    • מֵחֶ֙בֶל֙mechevelpreposition + noun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: from portion of
  • The border then turned back toward Ramah as far as the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah, and came out at the Sea in the region of Achzib,

    Joshua 19:29

    • מֵחֶ֥בֶלmechevelpreposition + noun · masculine or feminine singulartagged: from region

1 Samuel

two uses
  • After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.

    1 Samuel 10:5

    • חֶ֤בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: a company of
  • When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied along with them.

    1 Samuel 10:10

    • חֶֽבֶל־chevel-noun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: a company of

2 Samuel

five uses
  • David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.

    2 Samuel 8:2

    • בַּחֶ֙בֶל֙bachevelpreposition with the article + noun · masculine or feminine singulartagged: with the measuring-line
    • חֲבָלִים֙chavalimnoun · masculine or feminine pluraltagged: measuring-lines
    • הַחֶ֖בֶלhachevelthe definite article (“the”) + noun · masculine or feminine singulartagged: the measuring-line
  • If he retreats to a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not even a pebble can be found.”

    2 Samuel 17:13

    • חֲבָלִ֑יםchavalimnoun · masculine or feminine pluraltagged: ropes
  • The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

    2 Samuel 22:6

    • חֶבְלֵ֥יchevleinoun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: cords of

1 Kings

three uses
  • Ben-geber in Ramoth-gilead (the villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead belonged to him, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan with its sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars);

    1 Kings 4:13

    • חֶ֤בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: region of
  • Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”

    1 Kings 20:31

    • וַחֲבָלִ֣יםvachavalimconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine or feminine pluraltagged: and ropes
  • So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

    1 Kings 20:32

    • וַחֲבָלִ֣יםvachavalimconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine or feminine pluraltagged: and ropes

1 Chronicles

one use
  • ‘I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.’

    1 Chronicles 16:18

    • חֶ֖בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: portion of

Esther

one use
  • Hangings of white and blue linen were fastened with cords of fine white and purple material to silver rings on the marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were arranged on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones.

    Esther 1:6

    • בְּחַבְלֵי־bechavlei-preposition + noun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: with cords of

Job

five uses
  • A noose is hidden in the ground, and a trap lies in his path.

    Job 18:10

    • חַבְל֑וֹchavlonoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: rope his
  • How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come upon them? Does God, in His anger, apportion destruction?

    Job 21:17

    • חֲ֝בָלִ֗יםchavalimnoun · masculine pluraltagged: pains
  • And if men are bound with chains, caught in cords of affliction,

    Job 36:8

    • בְּחַבְלֵי־bechavlei-preposition + noun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: in cords of
  • They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn.

    Job 39:3

    • חֶבְלֵיהֶ֥םchevleihemnoun · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: labor-pains their
  • “Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope?

    Job 41:1

    • וּ֝בְחֶ֗בֶלuvechevelconjunction (“and”) + preposition + noun · masculine or feminine singulartagged: and with a cord

Psalms

eight uses
  • The lines of my boundary have fallen in pleasant places; surely my inheritance is delightful.

    Psalms 16:6

    • חֲבָלִ֣יםchavalimnoun · masculine or feminine pluraltagged: boundary lines
  • The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.

    Psalms 18:4

    • חֶבְלֵי־chevlei-noun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: cords of
  • The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

    Psalms 18:5

    • חֶבְלֵ֣יchevleinoun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: cords of
  • He drove out nations before them and apportioned their inheritance; He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

    Psalms 78:55

    • בְּחֶ֣בֶלbechevelpreposition + noun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: by a measuring-line of
  • “I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.”

    Psalms 105:11

    • חֶ֝֗בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: portion of
  • The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by trouble and sorrow.

    Psalms 116:3

    • חֶבְלֵי־chevlei-noun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: cords of
  • Though the ropes of the wicked bind me, I do not forget Your law.

    Psalms 119:61

    • חֶבְלֵ֣יchevleinoun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: ropes of
  • The proud hide a snare for me; the cords of their net are spread along the path, and lures are set out for me. Selah

    Psalms 140:5

    • וַחֲבָלִ֗יםvachavalimconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine or feminine pluraltagged: and ropes

Proverbs

one use
  • The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.

    Proverbs 5:22

    • וּבְחַבְלֵ֥יuvechavleiconjunction (“and”) + preposition + noun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and by cords of

Ecclesiastes

one use
  • Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is crushed, before the pitcher is shattered at the spring and the wheel is broken at the well,

    Ecclesiastes 12:6

    • חֶ֣בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: cord of

Isaiah

six uses
  • Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of deceit and pull sin along with cart ropes,

    Isaiah 5:18

    • בְּחַבְלֵ֣יbechavleipreposition + noun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: with cords of
  • Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.

    Isaiah 13:8

    • וַֽחֲבָלִים֙vachavalimconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine pluraltagged: and pains
  • As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD.

    Isaiah 26:17

    • בַּחֲבָלֶ֑יהָbachavaleihapreposition + noun · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person feminine singulartagged: in labor-pains her
  • Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful pasture, a tent that does not wander; its tent pegs will not be pulled up, nor will any of its cords be broken.

    Isaiah 33:20

    • חֲבָלָ֖יוchavalavnoun · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: ropes its
  • Your ropes are slack; they cannot secure the mast or spread the sail. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided, and even the lame will carry off plunder.

    Isaiah 33:23

    • חֲבָלָ֑יִךְchavalayikhnoun · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person feminine singulartagged: ropes your
  • “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.

    Isaiah 66:7

    • חֵ֛בֶלchevelnoun · masculine singulartagged: labor-pain

Jeremiah

seven uses
  • What will you say when He sets over you close allies whom you yourself trained? Will not pangs of anguish grip you, as they do a woman in labor?

    Jeremiah 13:21

    • חֲבָלִים֙chavalimnoun · masculine pluraltagged: labor-pains
  • O inhabitant of Lebanon, nestled in the cedars, how you will groan when pangs of anguish come upon you, agony like a woman in labor.”

    Jeremiah 22:23

    • חֲבָלִ֔יםchavalimnoun · masculine pluraltagged: labor-pains
  • So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

    Jeremiah 38:6

    • בַּחֲבָלִ֑יםbachavalimpreposition + noun · masculine or feminine pluraltagged: with ropes
  • Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.

    Jeremiah 38:11

    • בַּחֲבָלִֽים׃bachavalimpreposition + noun · masculine or feminine pluraltagged: with ropes
  • Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,

    Jeremiah 38:12

    • לַחֲבָלִ֑יםlachavalimpreposition + noun · masculine or feminine pluraltagged: to ropes
  • and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

    Jeremiah 38:13

    • בַּֽחֲבָלִ֔יםbachavalimpreposition + noun · masculine or feminine pluraltagged: with ropes
  • Damascus has become feeble; she has turned to flee. Panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her like a woman in labor.

    Jeremiah 49:24

    • וַחֲבָלִ֛יםvachavalimconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine pluraltagged: and pains

Ezekiel

two uses
  • In your marketplace they traded with you fine garments of blue, embroidered work, and multicolored rugs with cords tightly twisted and knotted.

    Ezekiel 27:24

    • בַּחֲבָלִ֧יםbachavalimpreposition + noun · masculine or feminine pluraltagged: for ropes
  • This is what the Lord GOD says: “These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall receive two portions.

    Ezekiel 47:13

    • חֲבָלִֽים׃chavalimnoun · masculine or feminine pluraltagged: measured portions

Hosea

two uses
  • I led them with cords of kindness, with ropes of love; I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent down to feed them.

    Hosea 11:4

    • בְּחַבְלֵ֨יbechavleipreposition + noun · masculine or feminine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: with cords of
  • Labor pains come upon him, but he is an unwise son. When the time arrives, he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb.

    Hosea 13:13

    • חֶבְלֵ֥יchevleinoun · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: pains of

Amos

one use
  • Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be divided by a measuring line, and you yourself will die on pagan soil. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their homeland.’”

    Amos 7:17

    • בַּחֶ֣בֶלbachevelpreposition with the article + noun · masculine or feminine singulartagged: with the measuring-line

Micah

two uses
  • Therefore, you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot.

    Micah 2:5

    • חֶ֖בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singulartagged: a measuring-line
  • Arise and depart, for this is not your place of rest, because its defilement brings destruction—a grievous destruction!

    Micah 2:10

    • וְחֶ֥בֶלvechevelconjunction (“and”) + noun · masculine singulartagged: and destruction

Zephaniah

three uses
  • Woe to the dwellers of the seacoast, O nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: “I will destroy you, and no one will be left.”

    Zephaniah 2:5

    • חֶ֥בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: region of
  • So the seacoast will become a land of pastures, with wells for shepherds and folds for sheep.

    Zephaniah 2:6

    • חֶ֣בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: region of
  • The coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; there they will find pasture. They will lie down in the evening among the houses of Ashkelon, for the LORD their God will attend to them and restore their captives.

    Zephaniah 2:7

    • חֶ֗בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singulartagged: region

Zechariah

three uses
  • Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.

    Zechariah 2:1

    • חֶ֥בֶלchevelnoun · masculine or feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: a cord of
  • So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, especially the afflicted of the flock. Then I took for myself two staffs, calling one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock.

    Zechariah 11:7

    • חֹֽבְלִ֔יםchoelimnoun · masculine pluraltagged: Union
  • Then I cut in two my second staff called Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

    Zechariah 11:14

    • הַחֹֽבְלִ֑יםhachoelimthe definite article (“the”) + noun · masculine pluraltagged: the Union

The letters

Where it leads

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.

The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESH gloss (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →