---
title: חָבַל — travail · The Tanakh dictionary
description: חָבַל (2254), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 12 times: travail. BDB 1906: vb. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# חָבַל

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«חָבַל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **travail** — 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:** 12 times · **Key:** 2254 · **BDB:** חָבַל

### Glosses

hold (2); you.will.take.as.pledge (2); \[is\].taking.as.pledge (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

travail [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2254/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2254/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. bind, pledge (Arabic حَبَلَ bind; cf. Aramaic ܚܒܰܠ, ܚܰܒܶܠ travail; חֲבַל pledge (but rare and dub.); especially ܚܰܒܠܴܐ cord, field, חַבְלָא cord, ܚܶܒܠܴܐ, חֶבְלָא pain, especially of travail; Sab. חבל border-territory, or field, Sab, Denkm 48.49; Ethiopic ጠበለ ZimBP 93 n., comp. Assyrian naḫbalu, rope, snare)— Pf. חָבָ֑ל Ez 18:16 Impf. יַחֲבֹל Dt 24:6; 2 ms. תַּחֲבֹל Dt 24:17; תַּחְבֹּל Ex 22:25 Jb 22:6; יַחְבְּלוּ Jb 24:3; יַחְבֹּ֑לוּ Jb 24:9; Imv. sf. חַבְלֵהוּ Pr 20:16; 27:13; Inf. abs. חָבֹל Ex 22:25; Pt. act. חֹבֵל Dt 24:6, cf. חֹבְלִים Zc 11:7, 14 (name of מַקֵּל); pass. חֲבֻלִים Am 2:8;— bind, only in חֹבְלִים, name of one of Zec.’s symbolic staves, Zc 11:7, 14 symbol. of fraternity. Especially bind by taking a pledge of, hold by a pledge, sq. acc. pers. Pr 20:16; 27:13 Jb 22:6; take or hold in pledge, sq. acc. rei Ex 22:25 (JE), Dt 24:6(×2), 17 Jb 24:3; sq. acc. cogn. חֲבֹל Ez 18:16; עַל־עָנִי יַחְבֹּ֑לוּ Jb 24:9 prob. pregn. (v. Di) take pledges (getting power) over the poor; בְּגָדִים חֲבֻלִים Am 2:8 garments taken in pledge. Impf. יֵחָ֫בֶל לוֹ Pr 13:13 becometh pledged to it (i.e. pledged to pay the penalty, opp. יְשֻׁלָּ֑ם), so Ew Hi De Now Str RVm VB. \> sub II. חָבַל q.v. Pf. 3 fs. חִבְּלָה Ct 8:5; חִבְּלַתְךָ Ct 8:5; Impf. יְחַבֶּל־ ψ 7:15;—writhe, twist, hence travail; of mother Ct 8:5(×2) (c. acc. of child; ‖ יְלָדָ֑תְךָ); metaph. of wicked man יְחַבֶּל־אָ֑וֶן וְהָרָה עָמָל וְיָלַד שָֽׁקֶר׃ ψ 7:15.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 10 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (8 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (9 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «חָבַל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2254/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 24:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.24.3/)

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חֲמ֣וֹר יְתוֹמִ֣ים יִנְהָ֑גוּ יַ֝חְבְּל֗וּ שׁ֣וֹר אַלְמָנָֽה׃

*Word for word:* \[the\].donkey of.fatherless.ones they.drive.away they.take.as.pledge \[the\].ox of.a.widow

*JPS 1917:* They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.

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[Job 24:9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.24.9/)

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יִ֭גְזְלוּ מִשֹּׁ֣ד יָת֑וֹם וְֽעַל־עָנִ֥י יַחְבֹּֽלוּ׃

*Word for word:* people.tear.away from.\[the\] breast a.fatherless.one and on \[the\].poor they.take.pledges

*JPS 1917:* There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor;

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