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נֶבֶל

𐤍𐤁𐤋

nebel

H5035 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נבל to wilt, fade, collapse, waste away

Definition

A vessel or container, typically made of skin, used for holding liquids such as water or wine; by extension, a specific type of stringed musical instrument (possibly a harp or lyre), likely characterized by its jar- or bottle-shaped resonance chamber. In non-musical contexts, refers to physical containers; in musical contexts, refers to an instrument employed in worship, celebration, and ritual.

Semantic Range

skin-bag for liquids, wineskin, vessel, bottle, pitcher; stringed musical instrument (lyre, harp, psaltery), musical instrument used in worship or celebration

Root / Etymology

Root: נבל, meaning 'to wilt, fade, waste away.' The noun נֶבֶל/נֵבֶל is derived from this root, perhaps alluding to the skin-bag sagging or collapsing when emptied of liquid. The extension to a musical instrument arises from a perceived similarity in shape between the vessel and the instrument's hollow body.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In earliest usage, נֶבֶל refers to a skin-based container for storing liquids, as found in legal, narrative, and ritual contexts of the Hebrew Bible. The term is frequently extended to a musical instrument, variously understood as a lyre or a harp, with design details uncertain due to limited archaeological evidence and the evolution of musical terminology. The instrument is often associated with religious rites, state occasions, or celebrations. Later, especially in post-exilic and Second Temple periods, the term nebel is primarily associated with the musical instrument, with the earlier sense of 'container' less frequent. English translations sometimes render the musical sense as 'psaltery,' 'harp,' 'viol,' or 'lyre,' each being interpretive attempts rather than historically precise identifications. Comparative terminology: the כִּנּוֹר (kinor) is another major stringed instrument of the biblical period, often distinguished from the nebel in liturgical lists; the nebel typically has more strings and a larger body. Rabbinic and classical sources perpetuate association with liturgical music, but the literal 'container' sense fell out of primary use.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or נֵבֶל; from נָבֵל; a skin-bag for liquids (from collapsing when empty); hence, a vase (as similar in shape when full); also a lyre (as having a body of like form); bottle, pitcher, psaltery, vessel, viol.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נבל (n-b-l) — to wilt, fade, collapse, waste away

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5034 נָבֵל like withering
H5036 נָבָל the morally-withered ones
H5037 נָבָל like Nabal
H5038 נְבֵלָה in the decayed carcass of
H5039 נְבָלָה the disgraceful act

Word Forms

17 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5035-10 נֵֽבֶל nevel HNcmsc wineskin skin-bag of 6
H5035-02 בִּ/נְבָלִ֖ים binevalim HR/Ncmpa with harps with skin-bag lyres 5
H5035-09 נְבָלִ֥ים nevalim HNcmpa harps skin-bag vessels 4
H5035-13 וּ/בִ/נְבָלִים֙ uvinevalim HC/R/Ncmpa and with harps and with skin-bag vessels 3
H5035-01 בְּ/נֵ֥בֶל benevel HR/Ncmsc with harp with a nebel-vessel 3
H5035-05 הַ/נֵּ֥בֶל hanevel HTd/Ncmsa the lute the skin-bag vessel 2
H5035-12 וּ/נְבָלִ֖ים unevalim HC/Ncmpa and harps and skin-bag vessels 2
H5035-15 וְ/נֵ֣בֶל venevel HC/Ncmsc and a skin and a sagging-skin vessel 2
H5035-07 נָֽבֶל navel HNcmsa lyre he withered 2
H5035-08 נְבָלֶ֑י/ךָ nevaleykha HNcmpc/Sp2ms of your harps your skin-bag vessels 2

Occurrences in Scripture

38 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5035-15 1 Samuel 1:24 וְ/נֵ֣בֶל venevel HC/Ncmsc and a skin and a sagging-skin vessel
H5035-10 1 Samuel 10:3 נֵֽבֶל nevel HNcmsc bottle skin-bag of
H5035-10 1 Samuel 10:5 נֵ֤בֶל nevel HNcmsa harp skin-bag of
H5035-11 1 Samuel 25:18 נִבְלֵי niveley HNcmpc skins of wineskins of
H5035-13 2 Samuel 6:5 וּ/בִ/נְבָלִים֙ uvinevalim HC/R/Ncmpa and harps and with skin-bag vessels
H5035-15 2 Samuel 16:1 וְ/נֵ֥בֶל venevel HC/Ncmsc and a skin and a sagging-skin vessel
H5035-12 1 Kings 10:12 וּ/נְבָלִ֖ים unevalim HC/Ncmpa and lyres and skin-bag vessels
H5035-14 Isaiah 5:12 וָ/נֶ֗בֶל vanevel HC/Ncmsa and lyre and a wineskin-vessel
H5035-08 Isaiah 14:11 נְבָלֶ֑י/ךָ nevaleykha HNcmpc/Sp2ms your harps your skin-bag vessels
H5035-04 Isaiah 22:24 הַ/נְּבָלִֽים hanevalim HTd/Ncmpa of flagons the skin-bag vessels
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