סֹבֶל
𐤎𐤁𐤋
çôbel
H5448 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A load, burden, or something carried, whether physical or metaphorical. The term denotes that which is borne, either as a weight upon a person (literal burden) or as a figure for hardship or responsibility (figurative burden). The nuance emphasizes the object or experience of bearing a load, rather than the act of carrying itself.
Semantic Range
load, physical burden, carried load, weight to be borne, figurative burden, hardship, responsibility
Root / Etymology
From the root סבל, meaning 'to bear, carry, endure.' The noun סֹבֶל directly derives from this root, emphasizing the object—that which is borne or endured. The form סֻבָּל (subbal) is an alternate noun formation from the same root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The noun סֹבֶל is rare in the Hebrew Bible, attested primarily in post-exilic texts (e.g., Nehemiah 4:17). The alternate form סֻבָּל may reflect later Hebrew or Aramaic influence. In context, the term refers to both tangible loads (e.g., construction burdens in Nehemiah) and, by extension, figurative burdens such as hardship or responsibility. Related Hebrew terms include מַשָּׂא (massa’), which also denotes a 'burden' or 'oracle,' and עֹל (ʿol, 'yoke'), with overlapping but distinct connotations. In English translations, ‘burden’ is accurate for most contexts, but nuance may be lost: in some passages, the word can imply not just heaviness, but also the act of ongoing endurance or the imposition of hardship by work. The very limited attestation prevents strong conclusions about semantic development over time.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(only in the form סֻבָּל; from סָבַל; a load (figuratively); burden.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סבל (s-b-l) — to bear, to carry, to endure
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5445 | סָבַל | I will bear |
| H5446 | סְבַל | being set-up ones |
| H5447 | סֵבֶל | in the burden |
| H5449 | סַבָּל | the load-bearer |
| H5450 | סְבָלָה | in their carried-loads |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5448-01 |
סֻבֳּל֗/וֹ | subolo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his burden | his burden-load | 2 |
H5448-02 |
וְ/סֻ֨בֳּל֔/וֹ | vesubolo | HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
and his burden | and his burden | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5448-01 |
Isaiah 9:3 | סֻבֳּל֗/וֹ | subolo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
they bore | his burden-load |
H5448-01 |
Isaiah 10:27 | סֻבֳּל/וֹ֙ | subolo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his burden | his burden-load |
H5448-02 |
Isaiah 14:25 | וְ/סֻ֨בֳּל֔/וֹ | vesubolo | HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
and his burden | and his burden |