חֶבְיוֹן
𐤇𐤁𐤉𐤅𐤍
chebyôwn
H2253 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A place or state of concealment, hiding, or being hidden from view. Refers to the condition of being covered, kept secret, or obscured, physically or metaphorically. Can denote both literal shelter from sight and the figurative experience of being hidden (i.e., protection from danger or adversity, or being kept unnoticed).
Semantic Range
concealment, hiding place, state or condition of being hidden, secret place, place of secrecy, protected or obscured domain
Root / Etymology
From the root חבה (ḥ-b-h), meaning 'to hide, to conceal.' The noun formation חֶבְיוֹן (chebyôwn) denotes the abstract or collective sense of a 'hiding place,' 'concealment,' or 'secret place.' The form utilizes the -יוֹן ending to indicate a place or condition related to the root action.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֶבְיוֹן is a rare noun, appearing only a handful of times in poetic and wisdom texts (notably in Psalms 19:7 and Job 40:13), often with the sense of a hidden or secret place—sometimes associated with the depths of the earth or places purposely kept out of sight. It is distinct from similar terms such as סֵתֶר (seter, 'covering, hiding place'), in that חֶבְיוֹן emphasizes the state or domain of concealment itself rather than an object or physical covering. In Israelite and Judahite usage, the word generally connotes a positive aspect of safety or divine protection, or alternatively, a place of obscurity or oblivion. Standard English translations may render it as 'hiding place,' 'concealment,' or 'secret place,' but these may not fully convey the nuance of the original Hebrew's abstract sense.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָבָה; a concealment; hiding.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חבה (ḥ-b-h) — to hide, to conceal, to protect
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2247 | חָבָה | Hide yourself |
| H2252 | חֲבַיָּה | Yah has hidden |
| H2327 | חוֹבָה | Chovah, Refuge-Place |
| H3160 | יְחֻבָּה | She Is Hidden |
| H5147 | נַחְבִּי | Hidden-one |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2253-01 |
חֶבְי֥וֹן | cheveyon | HNcmsc |
hiding | hiding-place of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2253-01 |
Habakkuk 3:4 | חֶבְי֥וֹן | cheveyon | HNcmsc |
hiding | hiding-place of |