---
title: הָבַל — act emptily · The Tanakh dictionary
description: הָבַל (1891), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 5 times: act emptily. BDB 1906: vb. denom. act emptily, become vain. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# הָבַל

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«הָבַל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **act emptily** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 5 times · **Key:** 1891 · **BDB:** הָבַל

### Glosses

they.became.vain (2); \[are\].causing.to.become.vain (1); do.you.become.vain (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

act emptily [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1492/1891/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. denom. act emptily, become vain [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1492/1891/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. denom. act emptily, become vain— Je 2:5 = 2 K 17:15 they went after vanity וַיֶּהְבָּ֑לוּ and became vain, ψ 62:11 וּבְגָזֵל אַל־תֶּהְבָּ֑לוּ do not become vain (i.e. be demoralized) by robbery; with acc. cogn. Jb 27:12 לָמָּה זֶה הֶבֶל תֶּהְבָּ֑לוּ why do ye become vain with vanity (i.e. shew yourselves utterly vain)? cause to become vain Je 23:16 (of false prophets) מַהְבִּלִים הֵמָּה אֶתְכֶם i.e. fill you with vain hopes.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 5 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (3 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «הָבַל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1492/1891/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 27:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.27.12/)

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הֵן־אַתֶּ֣ם כֻּלְּכֶ֣ם חֲזִיתֶ֑ם וְלָמָּה־זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל תֶּהְבָּֽלוּ׃

*Word for word:* there! you of.you all you.have.seen and why? this vanity do.you.become.vain

*JPS 1917:* Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye become altogether vain?

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[Psalms 62:11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.62.11/)

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אַל־תִּבְטְח֣וּ בְעֹשֶׁק֮ וּבְגָזֵ֪ל אַל־תֶּ֫הְבָּ֥לוּ חַ֤יִל ׀ כִּֽי־יָנ֑וּב אַל־תָּשִׁ֥יתוּ לֵֽב׃

*Word for word:* do.not trust in extortion and in robbery do.not put.vain.hope wealth (dm) it.will.bear.fruit do.not set heart

*JPS 1917:* Trust not in oppression, and put not vain hope in robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart thereon.

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