English · KJV
H2254

חָבַל

châbal /khaw-bal'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto wind tightly (as a rope), i.e. to bind; specifically, by a pledge; figuratively, to pervert, destroy; also to writhe in pain (especially of parturition)
KJV usageband, bring forth, (deal) corrupt(-ly), destroy, offend, lay to (take a) pledge, spoil, travail, withhold.
Idioms & phrasesidiom at all · idiom very

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châbal — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word châbal, represented by H2254, is a versatile primitive root with a core meaning of winding tightly, like a rope. It appears 34 times across 25 unique verses in the Bible. Its meaning extends from the literal act of binding by taking a pledge to the figurative concepts of perverting or destroying, and it can also describe the physical agony of writhing in pain, such as in childbirth.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H2254 is used in several distinct contexts. One of its primary uses concerns economic justice, specifically the act of taking an item as a pledge for a loan. The Law explicitly forbids taking essential items, such as a widow's garment Deuteronomy 24:17 or a millstone, because doing so is equivalent to taking a life to pledge Deuteronomy 24:6. The word also carries a strong sense of destruction and corruption. For instance, the prophet Micah warns that a polluted land will destroy its inhabitants Micah 2:10, and Nehemiah confesses that the people have "dealt very corruptly" against God Nehemiah 1:7. In a completely different sense, the word depicts the pain of labor, as when the mother in Song of Solomon brought forth her child Song of Solomon 8:5.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of binding, destruction, and obligation:

  • H2256 chebel (a rope, a measuring line; a district or inheritance; a noose; a company; also a throe; also ruin): This noun, derived from H2254, captures the results of the verb's action, from the physical "cord" to the pain of a "throe" or the finality of "destruction" Micah 2:10.
  • H1497 gâzal (to pluck off; specifically to flay, strip or rob): This term often appears in contexts of injustice, signifying the forceful stripping of possessions, which relates to the negative connotation of taking a pledge from the vulnerable Ezekiel 18:16.
  • H7843 shâchath (to decay, i.e. (causatively) ruin; destroy): This word for destruction is used in parallel with H2254, as when God declares He created "the waster (shâchath) to destroy (châbal)" Isaiah 54:16, reinforcing the theme of ruin.
  • H936 bûz (to disrespect; contemn, despise): Despising God's word is directly linked to the consequences described by H2254, as seen in the proverb, "Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed" Proverbs 13:13.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2254 is significant, highlighting key principles of divine law and human consequence.

  • Covenantal Justice: The repeated prohibitions against taking a pledge unjustly underscore God's concern for the poor and vulnerable. The law protects the essentials for life, showing that economic practice is a matter of covenantal righteousness and that exploiting the poor is an offense Job 24:9.
  • Moral Corruption and Ruin: The word links moral failure directly to destruction. Dealing corruptly Nehemiah 1:7 or despising God's commands Proverbs 13:13 leads to being destroyed. This establishes a clear cause-and-effect relationship between sin and its devastating consequences.
  • The Agony of Travail: The use of H2254 for both childbirth and iniquity illustrates a powerful metaphor. The wicked are depicted as one who "travaileth with iniquity" Psalms 7:14, signifying a painful, intense process that ultimately brings forth falsehood and evil.

Summary

In summary, H2254 is a multifaceted word that moves from a tangible action to profound spiritual truths. It encapsulates the act of binding someone through a pledge, the destructive power of corruption and sin, and the intense struggle of travail. Through this single term, scripture conveys deep lessons on social justice, the consequences of disobedience, and the very nature of painful, formative struggle.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb and a noun across 30 occurrences, inflected in 22 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • חַבֵּל
  • תַּחְבֹּל
  • חִבְּלַתְ
  • חֹבְלִים
  • חַבְלֵ
  • יַחְבְּלוּ
  • יֵחָבֶל
  • חִבֵּל
  • תְּחַבֵּל
  • יְחַבֶּל
  • מְחַבְּלִים
  • חֲבָלִים

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H2256 חֶבֶל or חֵבֶל; from חָבַל; a rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line; by implication, a district or inheritance (as me H1497 גָּזַל a primitive root; to pluck off; specifically to flay, strip or rob; catch, consume, exercise (robbery), pluck (off), rob H7843 שָׁחַת a primitive root; to decay, i.e. (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively); batter, cast off, corrupt(-er, thing), H936 בּוּז a primitive root; to disrespect; contemn, despise, [idiom] utterly.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 25 verses across 13 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job (5 verses); never once in the other 26.

1
Exodus
2
Deuteronomy
1
Nehemiah
5
Job
1
Psalms
3
Proverbs
1
Ecclesiastes
2
Song of Solomon
4
Isaiah
1
Ezekiel
1
Amos
1
Micah
2
Zechariah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.