The Hebrew word kôbed, represented by H3514, conveys concepts of weight, multitude, and grievousness. It appears 4 times in 4 unique verses in the Bible. Based on its usage, the term describes both literal physical weight and the metaphorical weight of severe circumstances, such as judgment or war.
In its biblical occurrences, H3514 is applied to both tangible and abstract concepts. It is used in a literal sense in Proverbs, stating that a stone is heavy Proverbs 27:3. The word also quantifies the devastating results of battle, describing a great number of carcases on the battlefield Nahum 3:3. Metaphorically, it depicts the intensity of human conflict as the grievousness of war Isaiah 21:15 and illustrates the overwhelming nature of divine judgment, where the burden of the Lord's anger is described as heavy Isaiah 30:27.
Several related words help clarify the scope of H3514:
- H3515 kâbêd (heavy): This closely related term also means heavy and is used for things like a heavy yoke 1 Kings 12:4, a thick cloud Exodus 19:16, or a great people 1 Kings 3:9.
- H4858 massâʼâh (burden): This word is used directly with H3514 to describe the burden of the LORD's anger, which is described as heavy Isaiah 30:27.
- H5192 nêṭel (weighty): Appearing alongside H3514 in Proverbs 27:3, this term for weighty sand is used in a direct comparison to a heavy stone.
- H4421 milchâmâh (war): The "grievousness" H3514 is specifically linked to war H4421, highlighting the severity of battle Isaiah 21:15.
The conceptual weight of H3514 is significant, grounding abstract ideas in physical reality.
- Tangible Comparisons: The word is used to create powerful analogies. In Proverbs 27:3, the literal, physical heavy quality of a stone is used as a benchmark to measure the even greater weight of a fool's wrath.
- The Cost of War: H3514 is used to illustrate the severe consequences of conflict. It describes not only the grievousness of war itself Isaiah 21:15 but also the resulting great number of the slain Nahum 3:3.
- Severity of Divine Judgment: The term is used to convey the immense power and seriousness of God's anger. The Lord's coming judgment, represented by His name H8034, is characterized by a heavy burden, signifying its inescapable and overwhelming nature Isaiah 30:27.
In summary, H3514 provides a versatile way to express magnitude and severity. It moves from the simple, physical reality of a heavy stone to the immense scale of a great number of casualties and the profound theological weight of divine judgment and the grievousness of war. Though used sparingly, kôbed effectively communicates a sense of significant weight, whether literal or metaphorical, making it a powerful descriptor in the biblical text.
TRV