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כֹּבֶד

𐤊𐤁𐤃

kôbed

H3514 noun

SILEX Entry

Root כבד to be heavy, weighty, burdensome

Definition

Heaviness, weight, or a burdensome quality, both in a literal and metaphorical sense; refers to physical heaviness, burden, or figurative severity, oppressiveness, or significance. The word is used to describe physical weight, intensity of emotion or situation, or moral and social gravity.

Semantic Range

heaviness, weight, physical burden, severity, oppression, burdened state, intensity, grievousness, vehemence

Root / Etymology

Root כּבד (k-b-d), meaning 'to be heavy, weighty, honored, burdened.' כֹּבֶד is a noun formation from this root, formed by the pattern that often produces abstract nouns, denoting the quality or state of being heavy, weight, or grievous.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Across the Hebrew Bible, כֹּבֶד appears both for literal physical weight (e.g., when describing heavy objects) and metaphorically for burdensome circumstances, severity of affliction, or vehemence of emotion. It can also express social or moral gravity. In early texts, the focus is often on physical heaviness or oppressive conditions (such as severe labor or affliction in Egypt), while in later biblical usage, the term can acquire more abstract senses (intensity, grievousness). The core sense remains one of weight, whether material or abstract. English translations often narrow the sense to 'grievousness' or 'severity,' sometimes missing the underlying metaphor of weightiness that is overt in Hebrew thought. The term is distinct from honorific use of the root (as in כָּבוֹד, 'honor' or 'glory'), focusing on the concept of weight/burden rather than honor. In contrast to כָּבוֹד (kabod, 'glory, honor'), כֹּבֶד maintains a more negative valuation, emphasizing oppression, affliction, or burden rather than status.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from כָּבַד; weight, multitude, vehemence; grievousness, heavy, great number.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כבד (k-b-d) — to be heavy, weighty, burdensome

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3513 כָּבַד I will make weighty
H3515 כָּבֵד the liver
H3516 כָּבֵד in the liver
H3517 כְּבֵדֻת heaviness
H3519 כָּבוֹד in weighty honor

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3514-02 וְ/כֹ֖בֶד vekhoved HC/Ncmsa and heaviness and heaviness 2
H3514-01 כֹּ֥בֶד koved HNcmsc A stone is heavy heaviness of 2

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3514-01 Isaiah 21:15 כֹּ֥בֶד koved HNcmsc grievousness heaviness of
H3514-02 Isaiah 30:27 וְ/כֹ֖בֶד vekhoved HC/Ncmsa and heaviness and heaviness
H3514-02 Nahum 3:3 וְ/כֹ֣בֶד vekhoved HC/Ncmsc and heaviness and heaviness
H3514-01 Proverbs 27:3 כֹּֽבֶד koved HNcmsc A stone is heavy heaviness of
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