חוֹבָה
𐤇𐤅𐤁𐤄
Chovah
H2327 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun designating a geographic location: Chobah (or Hobah), a place identified as the furthest northern reach in Abram's pursuit after the capture of Lot (Genesis 14:15). The precise meaning is uncertain but may have originally denoted a 'hiding place' or 'refuge.'
Semantic Range
place name (Hobah/Chobah), possibly 'hiding place' or 'refuge'
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חָבָה (ch-v-h), meaning 'to hide, conceal, take refuge.' The feminine nominal ending -ה indicates a place associated with the act or quality of hiding.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term appears solely in Genesis 14:15, referring to a location north of Damascus reached by Abram (later Abraham) in the aftermath of the battle with the Mesopotamian kings. The form is an uncommon feminine derivative likely indicating a geographic site (cf. the practice of using feminine forms for place names). Its singular biblical occurrence provides little context for establishing a broader meaning beyond this toponym. Later Jewish tradition usually renders the name as 'Hobah,' but its identification remains uncertain; some suggest a location in northern Syria. The root meaning, 'hiding place,' would fit the narrative context, but the usage is strictly proper-nominal in the Hebrew Bible. English translations sometimes use 'Hobah' or 'Chobah' either untranslated or with an explanatory note; neither English nor later translations fully capture potential wordplay with the sense of 'concealed place.' The word does not recur or evolve in meaning across biblical eras.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine active participle of חָבָה; hiding place; Chobah, a place in Syria; Hobah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חבה (ḥ-b-h) — hide, conceal, take refuge
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2247 | חָבָה | Hide yourself |
| H2252 | חֲבַיָּה | Yah has hidden |
| H2253 | חֶבְיוֹן | hiding-place of |
| H3160 | יְחֻבָּה | She Is Hidden |
| H5147 | נַחְבִּי | Hidden-one |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2327-01 |
חוֹבָ֔ה | chovah | HNp |
Hobah | Chovah, Refuge-Place | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2327-01 |
Genesis 14:15 | חוֹבָ֔ה | chovah | HNp |
Hobah | Chovah, Refuge-Place |