---
title: חָבַל — act (ruinously) corruptly · The Tanakh dictionary
description: חָבַל (lemma:חָבַל), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 15 times: act (ruinously) corruptly. BDB 1906: vb. act (ruinously) corruptly. 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: **act (ruinously) corruptly** — 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:** 15 times · **Key:** lemma:חָבַל · **BDB:** חָבַל²

### Glosses

ruin (3); I.will.act.corruptly (1); \[which\].ruin (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

act (ruinously) corruptly [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/lemma_3a_5d7_5b8_5d1_5b7_5dc/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. act (ruinously) corruptly [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/lemma_3a_5d7_5b8_5d1_5b7_5dc/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. act (ruinously) corruptly (NH id. wound, injure; Arabic خَبَلَ corrupt or render unsound (the mind, a limb, etc.), خَبِلَ be deranged (in mind); Assyrian ḫabâlu, injure, VR62, 11; Aramaic ܚܰܒܶܠ, חַבֵּל corrupt, ruin; Ethiopic ተሐበለ be arrogant, audacious; Sab. חֿבל DHMEpigr. Denkm. 48; cf. Palm. חבל mortuus VogNo. 161 and often)— Pf. 1 pl. חָבַלְנוּ Ne 1:7; Impf. 1 s. אֶחְבֹּל Jb 34:31; Inf. cstr. (used as abs.) Ne 1:7;—act corruptly against, חֲבֹל חבלנו לְ Ne 1:7; abs. Jb 34:31. Impf. יֵחָ֫בֶל לוֹ Pr 13:13 shall be ruined (לֵ reflex.), Thes RobGes AV RV, but חָבַל (v. p. 286). ruin, destroy: Pf. 3 ms. consec. וְחִבֵּל את מעשׂה ידיך Ec 5:5, subj. God. Impf. 3 fs. תְּחַבֵּל וְחֶבֶל נִמְרָץ Mi 2:10 that destroyeth, even with sore destruction; but read rather תְּחֻבְּלוּ ח׳ נ׳ ye shall be destroyed with etc., so 𝔊 Roorda Che. Inf. cstr. לְחַבֵּל c. acc., the poor Is 32:7, the land 13:5; abs. 54:16; cf. Pt. pl. מְחַבְּלִים Ct 2:15 c. acc. of foxes ruining vineyards. Pf. 3 ms. וְחֻבַּל consec. Is 10:27 of yoke, be ruined, broken, si vera l.; RSJPh. xiii. 1885, p. 62 proposes יחדל, cf. also Checrit. n.; and rem. by Di Du; 3 fs. חֻבָּ֑לָה Jb 17:1 my spirit is broken (‖ יָמַי נִזְעָ֑כוּ); Impf. 2 mpl. תְּחֻבְּלוּ Mi 2:10 (emend.: v. supr.)

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 11 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses (8 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 3 words shared with the BDB entry, 2 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/lemma_3a_5d7_5b8_5d1_5b7_5dc/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 34:31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.34.31/)

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כִּֽי־אֶל־אֵ֭ל הֶאָמַ֥ר נָשָׂ֗אתִי לֹ֣א אֶחְבֹּֽל׃

*Word for word:* (dm) to God has anyone.said? I.have.borne not I.will.act.corruptly

*JPS 1917:* For hath any said unto God: 'I have borne chastisement, though I offend not;

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[Job 17:1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.17.1/)

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רוּחִ֣י חֻ֭בָּלָה יָמַ֥י נִזְעָ֗כוּ קְבָרִ֥ים לִֽי׃

*Word for word:* spirit my it.is.broken days my they.are.extinguished grave(s) \[belong\].to me

*JPS 1917:* My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, the grave is ready for me.

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