חָבָ֔ל
𐤇𐤁𐤋
châbal
retained
To bind, pledge, take a security or guarantee, often in a contractual or legal setting; to act as a guarantor or to give security for a debt. By extension, to exact a pledge or forcibly require a guarantee, particularly from someone in hardship. In poetic and metaphorical contexts, to act violently, corruptly, or destructively, or to inflict writhing pain or anguish (e.g., as in childbirth). The term is frequently used in legal, economic, and social contexts regarding surety, collateral, and the coercive taking of pledges, as well as metaphoric usage signifying destruction or suffering.
Ezekiel 18:16 · Word #6
Lexicon H2254
| Lemma | חָבַל |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤇𐤁𐤋 |
| Transliteration | châbal |
| Strong's | H2254 |
| Definition | To bind, pledge, take a security or guarantee, often in a contractual or legal setting; to act as a guarantor or to give security for a debt. By extension, to exact a pledge or forcibly require a guarantee, particularly from someone in hardship. In poetic and metaphorical contexts, to act violently, corruptly, or destructively, or to inflict writhing pain or anguish (e.g., as in childbirth). The term is frequently used in legal, economic, and social contexts regarding surety, collateral, and the coercive taking of pledges, as well as metaphoric usage signifying destruction or suffering. |
Morphology HVqp3ms
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state |
| Binyan | q — Qal — Simple active |
| Conjugation | p — Perfect — Completed action |
| Person | 3 — 3rd person — Third person ("he/she/they") |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
Common Translation
| Phrase | retained |
SIBI-P1 Translation H2254-01
he bound
| Morphological Notes | Verb, Qal stem, perfect (suffix conjugation), 3rd person masculine singular. |
| Rendering Rationale | The Qal perfect 3ms form expresses a simple completed action by a masculine singular subject. "He bound" preserves the root’s primary sense of binding, from which the legal and metaphorical meanings (pledging, ruining, causing pain) develop. |
View full lexicon entry for H2254 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
he took in pledge
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | P1 'he bound' is a possible rendering but contextually, the root here means 'to take in pledge' (to hold something as a security) rather than to bind in a general sense. Adjusted for accuracy per context and standard usage in this verse. |