חֲבַל
𐤇𐤁𐤋
chăbal
H2255 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To damage, ruin, cause harm, destroy. In Aramaic contexts of the Hebrew Bible, this verb conveys the act of inflicting harm or causing ruin, whether to persons, objects, or reputations. Its usage encompasses physical destruction, impairment, and infliction of injury or serious disadvantage.
Semantic Range
to destroy, to cause ruin, to inflict damage, to harm, to injure, to spoil, to impair
Root / Etymology
Root: חבל. The Hebrew root חבל carries core meanings relating to binding, pledging, or causing pain. In Aramaic, the verbal root retains the sense of doing harm or causing damage. The word חֲבַל represents the Peal (G-stem) verb form in Biblical Aramaic, functioning parallel to the Hebrew verb but with a semantic focus on harm or ruin rather than on pledging or binding.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֲבַל is used specifically in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (notably Daniel and Ezra) in the sense of doing harm or destroying. While the Hebrew cognate (חָבַל) can refer to pledging or binding, the Aramaic usage is narrower and primarily denotes active harm or destruction. Standard English translations such as "destroy" or "hurt" often capture the core sense, but the term can also involve more nuanced actions such as detriment, spoiling, or thwarting. It can be used in reference to both animate and inanimate objects. The word appears in imperial Aramaic contexts, reflecting its linguistic environment under Persian rule. Its usage should be distinguished from other Aramaic verbs of simple destruction or killing, as חֲבַל can imply both physical and non-physical harm. In post-biblical Aramaic, the root continues to carry the sense of doing harm or inflicting damage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to חָבַל; to ruin; destroy, hurt.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חבל (ḥ-b-l) — binding, pledging, causing pain, damaging
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2248 | חֲבוּלָה | injury |
| H2254 | חָבַל | he bound |
| H2256 | חֶבֶל | in her binding-cords |
| H2257 | חֲבַל | he harmed |
| H2258 | חֲבֹל | to take in pledge |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2255-03 |
תִתְחַבַּ֔ל | titechabal | AVMi3fs |
be destroyed | she will ruin herself | 3 |
H2255-02 |
לְ/חַבָּלָ֛ה | lechabalah | AR/Vpc |
to-destroy | to inflict damage | 1 |
H2255-04 |
וְ/חַבְּל֗וּ/הִי | vechabeluhi | AC/Vpv2mp/Sp3ms |
and-bind-it | and severely harm him | 1 |
H2255-01 |
חַבְּל֑וּ/נִי | chabeluni | AVpp3mp/Sp1cs |
they hurt me | they severely harmed me | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2255-03 |
Daniel 2:44 | תִתְחַבַּ֔ל | titechabal | AVMi3fs |
be destroyed | she will ruin herself |
H2255-04 |
Daniel 4:20 | וְ/חַבְּל֗וּ/הִי | vechabeluhi | AC/Vpv2mp/Sp3ms |
and-bind-it | and severely harm him |
H2255-01 |
Daniel 6:23 | חַבְּל֑וּ/נִי | chabeluni | AVpp3mp/Sp1cs |
they hurt me | they severely harmed me |
H2255-03 |
Daniel 6:27 | תִתְחַבַּ֔ל | titechabal | AVMi3fs |
be-destroyed | she will ruin herself |
H2255-03 |
Daniel 7:14 | תִתְחַבַּֽל | titechabal | AVMi3fs |
shall be destroyed | she will ruin herself |
H2255-02 |
Ezra 6:12 | לְ/חַבָּלָ֛ה | lechabalah | AR/Vpc |
to-destroy | to inflict damage |