### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
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.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
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]].
### Related Words & Concepts
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]].
### Theological Significance
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]].
### Summary
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