חָבַשׁ (H2280) — Hebrew Lexicon

חָבַשׁ

𐤇𐤁𐤔

châbash

H2280 verb

SILEX Entry

Root חבש to bind, to wrap, to enclose

Definition

To bind or wrap securely; to bandage by wrapping cloth or material around, especially in the context of medical care (binding up wounds), or to wind or wrap as with a turban or saddle. The verb commonly applies to actions of wrapping, bandaging, or securing something firmly around an object, person, or animal. In extended and figurative senses, it can mean to restrain, enclose, or equip, as with a saddle. In a few contexts, it refers to the activity of caring for the injured (bandaging wounds), thus associated with healing. The semantic range therefore includes literal acts of wrapping or binding and broader senses of preparation or care, with rare figurative development toward 'restraining' or 'governing.'

Semantic Range

to bind up (wounds), to wrap (with cloth), to gird or equip (with a saddle or turban), to enclose, to heal (by binding), to restrain, to prepare

Root / Etymology

From the root חבש, whose core sense is 'to bind, wrap, enclose.' The form חָבַשׁ is the basic verb form (qal), and other derived forms include the participle and nominal derivatives. The action originally expressed is the act of binding together, especially with strips of cloth (cf. medical bandaging) and by extension to wrapping objects such as turbans on the head or saddle cloths on animals.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חָבַשׁ appears primarily with the meaning of binding up wounds, a key aspect of ancient Israelite medical practice (e.g., Isaiah 30:26; Hosea 6:1). The verb's literal use for binding with cloth (as in the wrapping of turbans or the securing of saddles on donkeys—Genesis 22:3; Exodus 29:9) reflects everyday practices in ancient society. By the exilic and post-exilic periods, the word retains its essential meaning, though metaphoric senses (such as in Psalm 147:3, 'He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds') become prominent in poetic and prophetic texts, where physical healing is a metaphor for restoration or care. KJV and English translations sometimes use 'govern' or 'rule' (as in 'governors'), but this is a late or secondary sense tied more to the idea of restraining or controlling—this should not be confused with standard terms for rulership. חָבַשׁ contrasts with other Hebrew terms like אָסַר (to bind, tie, often for imprisonment or captive restraint), and קָשַׁר (to bind, tie, with more neutral sense). The participle חֹבֵשׁ can describe a bandager, i.e., one who binds up, but later tradition sometimes rendered it as 'healer.' English versions tend to focus on the 'binding up' sense but may miss the nuances of preparation or enclosure implicit in everyday ancient usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to wrap firmly (especially a turban, compress, or saddle); figuratively, to stop, to rule; bind (up), gird about, govern, healer, put, saddle, wrap about.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

חבש (ḥ-b-sh) — to bind, to wrap, to enclose

Word Forms

24 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H2280-18`	וַֽ/יַּחֲבֹשׁ֙	vayachavosh	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and saddled	and he bound up	5
`H2280-04`	חֲבוּשִׁ֔ים	chavushim	`HVqsmpa`	saddled	bound ones	3
`H2280-02`	חֲבֹ֤שׁ	chavosh	`HVqc`	bind	to bind securely	3
`H2280-06`	חִבְשׁוּ	chiveshu	`HVqv2mp`	Saddle	Bind up!	2
`H2280-21`	וְ/חָבַשְׁתָּ֤	vechavasheta	`HC/Vqq2ms`	and you shall bind	and you bind	1
`H2280-01`	חֲבַשְׁתֶּ֔ם	chavashetem	`HVqp2mp`	you bound up	you bound up	1
`H2280-15`	וָ/אֶחְבְּשֵׁ֣/ךְ	vaechebeshekhe	`HC/Vqw1cs/Sp2fs`	and I wrapped you	and I bound you	1
`H2280-17`	וַ/יַּחֲבָשׁ	vayachavash	`HC/Vqw3ms`	he saddled	and he bound up	1
`H2280-19`	וַֽ/יַּחֲבֹֽשׁוּ	vayachavoshu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	And they saddled	and they bound	1
`H2280-10`	אֶחְבְּשָׁה	echebeshah	`HVqi1cs`	I-will-saddle	I will bind	1
`H2280-11`	אֶחֱבֹ֔שׁ	echevosh	`HVqi1cs`	I will bind up	I bind	1
`H2280-12`	לַ/חֲבֹ֣שׁ	lachavosh	`HR/Vqc`	to bind up	to bind up	1
`H2280-13`	לְ/חָבְשָׁ֥/הּ	lechaveshah	`HR/Vqc/Sp3fs`	to bind it	to bind her	1
`H2280-24`	יַחֲב֑וֹשׁ	yachavosh	`HVqi3ms`	govern	he will bind up	1
`H2280-14`	וּ֝/מְחַבֵּ֗שׁ	umechabesh	`HC/Vprmsa`	and binds up	and binding up	1
`H2280-22`	וְ/יַחְבְּשֵֽׁ/נוּ	veyachebeshenu	`HC/Vqi3ms/Sp1cp`	and He will bind us up	and he will bind us up	1
`H2280-20`	וַ/יַּחְבְּשׁוּ	vayachebeshu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they saddled	and they bound securely	1
`H2280-08`	חֻבָּ֔שׁוּ	chubashu	`HVPp3cp`	bandaged	they were bound up	1
`H2280-23`	וְ/יֶחְבָּ֑שׁ	veyechebash	`HC/Vqi3ms`	and binds up	and he will bind	1
`H2280-16`	וַֽ/תַּחֲבֹשׁ֙	vatachavosh	`HC/Vqw3fs`	and she saddled	and she bound	1
`H2280-05`	חִבֵּ֑שׁ	chibesh	`HVpp3ms`	he dams up	he bound up	1
`H2280-09`	חֻ֠בְּשָׁה	chubeshah	`HVPp3fs`	it has been bound up	she was tightly bound	1
`H2280-07`	חֹבֵ֔שׁ	chovesh	`HVqrmsa`	a binder/healer	binding-one	1
`H2280-03`	חָב֥וּשׁ	chavush	`HVqsmsa`	were wrapped	bound-up one	1

Occurrences in Scripture

33 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H2280-18`	Genesis 22:3	וַֽ/יַּחֲבֹשׁ֙	vayachavosh	`HC/Vqw3ms`	saddled	and he bound up
`H2280-21`	Exodus 29:9	וְ/חָבַשְׁתָּ֤	vechavasheta	`HC/Vqq2ms`	and you shall bind	and you bind
`H2280-18`	Leviticus 8:13	וַ/יַּחֲבֹ֥שׁ	vayachavosh	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and-bound	and he bound up
`H2280-18`	Numbers 22:21	וַֽ/יַּחֲבֹ֖שׁ	vayachavosh	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and he saddled	and he bound up
`H2280-04`	Judges 19:10	חֲבוּשִׁ֔ים	chavushim	`HVqsmpa`	saddled	bound ones
`H2280-04`	2 Samuel 16:1	חֲבֻשִׁ֗ים	chavushim	`HVqsmpa`	saddled	bound ones
`H2280-18`	2 Samuel 17:23	וַ/יַּחֲבֹ֣שׁ	vayachavosh	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and saddled	and he bound up
`H2280-10`	2 Samuel 19:27	אֶחְבְּשָׁה	echebeshah	`HVqi1cs`	I-will-saddle	I will bind
`H2280-18`	1 Kings 2:40	וַֽ/יַּחֲבֹשׁ֙	vayachavosh	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and saddled	and he bound up
`H2280-06`	1 Kings 13:13	חִבְשׁוּ	chiveshu	`HVqv2mp`	Saddle	Bind up!
`H2280-20`	1 Kings 13:13	וַ/יַּחְבְּשׁוּ	vayachebeshu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they saddled	and they bound securely
`H2280-17`	1 Kings 13:23	וַ/יַּחֲבָשׁ	vayachavash	`HC/Vqw3ms`	he saddled	and he bound up
`H2280-06`	1 Kings 13:27	חִבְשׁוּ	chiveshu	`HVqv2mp`	Saddle	Bind up!
`H2280-19`	1 Kings 13:27	וַֽ/יַּחֲבֹֽשׁוּ	vayachavoshu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	And they saddled	and they bound
`H2280-16`	2 Kings 4:24	וַֽ/תַּחֲבֹשׁ֙	vatachavosh	`HC/Vqw3fs`	and she saddled	and she bound
`H2280-08`	Isaiah 1:6	חֻבָּ֔שׁוּ	chubashu	`HVPp3cp`	bandaged	they were bound up
`H2280-07`	Isaiah 3:7	חֹבֵ֔שׁ	chovesh	`HVqrmsa`	a binder/healer	binding-one
`H2280-02`	Isaiah 30:26	חֲבֹ֤שׁ	chavosh	`HVqc`	binds up	to bind securely
`H2280-12`	Isaiah 61:1	לַ/חֲבֹ֣שׁ	lachavosh	`HR/Vqc`	to bind up	to bind up
`H2280-15`	Ezekiel 16:10	וָ/אֶחְבְּשֵׁ֣/ךְ	vaechebeshekhe	`HC/Vqw1cs/Sp2fs`	and I wrapped you	and I bound you
`H2280-02`	Ezekiel 24:17	חֲב֣וֹשׁ	chavosh	`HVqv2ms`	bind	to bind securely
`H2280-04`	Ezekiel 27:24	חֲבֻשִׁ֛ים	chavushim	`HVqsmpa`	bound	bound ones
`H2280-09`	Ezekiel 30:21	חֻ֠בְּשָׁה	chubeshah	`HVPp3fs`	it has been bound up	she was tightly bound
`H2280-13`	Ezekiel 30:21	לְ/חָבְשָׁ֥/הּ	lechaveshah	`HR/Vqc/Sp3fs`	to bind it	to bind her
`H2280-01`	Ezekiel 34:4	חֲבַשְׁתֶּ֔ם	chavashetem	`HVqp2mp`	you bound up	you bound up
`H2280-11`	Ezekiel 34:16	אֶחֱבֹ֔שׁ	echevosh	`HVqi1cs`	I will bind up	I bind
`H2280-22`	Hosea 6:1	וְ/יַחְבְּשֵֽׁ/נוּ	veyachebeshenu	`HC/Vqi3ms/Sp1cp`	and He will bind us up	and he will bind us up
`H2280-03`	Jonah 2:6	חָב֥וּשׁ	chavush	`HVqsmsa`	were wrapped	bound-up one
`H2280-14`	Psalms 147:3	וּ֝/מְחַבֵּ֗שׁ	umechabesh	`HC/Vprmsa`	and binds up	and binding up
`H2280-23`	Job 5:18	וְ/יֶחְבָּ֑שׁ	veyechebash	`HC/Vqi3ms`	and binds up	and he will bind
`H2280-05`	Job 28:11	חִבֵּ֑שׁ	chibesh	`HVpp3ms`	he dams up	he bound up
`H2280-24`	Job 34:17	יַחֲב֑וֹשׁ	yachavosh	`HVqi3ms`	govern	he will bind up
`H2280-02`	Job 40:13	חֲבֹ֣שׁ	chavosh	`HVqv2ms`	bind	to bind securely

← H2279 Hebrew Lexicon H2281 →