Lexical Summary
hebel: Vanity, breath, vapor, futility, emptiness
Original Word:הֶבֶל
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:hebel
Pronunciation:HEH-bel
Phonetic Spelling:(heh'bel)
KJV: X altogether, vain, vanity
NASB:vanity, futility, idols, breath, vain, vanity of vanities, delusion
Word Origin:[fromH1891 (הָבַל - act foolishly)]
1. emptiness or vanity
2. (figuratively) something transitory and unsatisfactory
3. often used as an adverb
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
altogether, vain, vanity
Or (rarely in the abs.) Habel {hab-ale'}; fromhabal; emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb -- X altogether, vain, vanity.
see HEBREWhabal
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionvapor, breath
NASB Translationbreath (5), delusion (2), emptily (1), emptiness (2), fleeting (2), fraud (1), futile (1), futility (13), idols (7), mere breath (2), nothing (1), useless (1), vain (3), vainly (1), vanity (19), vanity of vanities (3), vapor (1), worthless (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I.
73 (Late Hebrew
id., Syriac
id.) figurative vanity (so Late Hebrew, Syriac
) —
Ecclesiastes 1:2 +; construct
Ecclesiastes 1:2 (twice in verse);
Ecclesiastes 12:8, suffix etc.
Ecclesiastes 6:12;
Ecclesiastes 7:15;
Ecclesiastes 9:9 (twice in verse); plural
Jeremiah 10:8 +; construct
Jeremiah 8:19 +, suffix
Deuteronomy 32:21 +; —
literalIsaiah 57:13 all of them (the idols) abreath ( aura) will carry away,Proverbs 21:6 the getting of treasures by a lying tongue is avapour driven away. Elsewhere always
figurative of what is evanescent, unsubstantial, worthless, vanity, as of idolsJeremiah 10:15 =Jeremiah 51:18;Jeremiah 16:19 "" , heathen observancesJeremiah 10:3, and in phraseJeremiah 2:5;2 Kings 17:15;Proverbs 13:11 wealth (gotten)out of vanity, (i.e. not by solid toil, opposed to ) is minished (but Ew , seeProverbs 20:21 Qr),Proverbs 31:30 ,Lamentations 4:17 to ourvain (Dr§ 193 n.) help; of lifeJob 7:16 ,Psalm 78:33 consumed their daysas (vanity, manPsalm 39:6;Psalm 39:12;Psalm 62:10 they are altogether (made)of vanity,Psalm 94:11;Psalm 144:4, especially in Ecclesiastes (31 t. +Ecclesiastes 1:2 (twice in verse);Ecclesiastes 12:8) of the fruitlessness of all human enterprise and endeavour,Ecclesiastes 1:2 ,Ecclesiastes 1:14 all wasvanity and the pursuit of wind,Ecclesiastes 2:1,14,15 etc.,Ecclesiastes 6:4 (of an abortion) i.e. into a lifeless existence,Ecclesiastes 6:11 (of discussions leading to no result), note also the phrases (, )Ecclesiastes 7:15;Ecclesiastes 9:9,Ecclesiastes 6:12;Ecclesiastes 9:9;Job 27:12 (see ),Isaiah 49:4 for nought andvanity have I spent my strength; as adverb accusativevainly, to no purposeIsaiah 30:7 ,Psalm 39:7 they disquiet themselvesto no purpose,Job 9:29:Job 35:16, with to comfortJob 21:34;Zechariah 10:2.Plural of false gods,Deuteronomy 32:21 "" )1 Kings 16:13,26;Jeremiah 8:19 "" ,Jeremiah 10:8;Jeremiah 14:22 ,Psalm 31:7 emptyvanitiesJonah 2:9; in more General senseEcclesiastes 1:2 (twice in verse);Ecclesiastes 12:8 ,Ecclesiastes 5:6.
Topical Lexicon
Overviewהֶבֶל (hebel) occurs roughly seventy-three times in the Hebrew Scriptures and conveys the notions of breath, vapor, emptiness, futility, or that which quickly dissipates. The term pictures something insubstantial and transient, often used metaphorically to expose whatever is fleeting, deceptive, or ultimately worthless when measured against the steadfast purposes of God.
Semantic Range and Contextual Nuances
1. Physical breath or vapor—momentary exhalation that vanishes (Job 7:7).
2. Ephemeral human life—frail and short-lived (Psalm 39:5-6).
3. Futility or uselessness—activities producing no lasting gain (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
4. Deception or falsehood—empty words, lying promises, or idols (Isaiah 30:7;Jeremiah 16:19).
5. Worthless hope—trust placed in anything other than the LORD (Jonah 2:8).
Major Theological Themes
• Human existence apart from God is insubstantial, like a breath quickly gone (Psalm 62:9).
• Earthly pursuits divorced from divine purpose end in frustration (Ecclesiastes 2:11).
• Idolatry is repeatedly branded hebel, exposing false gods as weightless and powerless (Deuteronomy 32:21;Jeremiah 10:3-5).
• True significance is found only in revering God and keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13), the antidote to hebel.
Usage in Wisdom Literature
Ecclesiastes employs hebel nearly forty times. The refrain “Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher; vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) frames the book. Here hebel is the interpretive key, diagnosing the curse of a fallen world where toil, pleasure, wisdom, and even labor for justice fail to deliver lasting profit “under the sun.” Yet the book does not counsel despair; rather, it drives the reader to find joy as a gift of God (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13) and to fear Him (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
Job wrestles with suffering’s paradox: “Remember that my life is but a breath” (Job 7:7). The psalmists echo this lament—“Surely every man walks in a vain show” (Psalm 39:6)—while simultaneously testifying that covenant hope endures beyond the mist.
Usage in Prophetic Writings
Prophets utilize hebel polemically against political alliances, false prophets, and idols:
•Isaiah 30:7: “Egypt’s help is worthless and empty.”
•Jeremiah 10:15: “They are worthless, a work to be mocked; in the time of their punishment they will perish.”
•Habakkuk 2:13: “Has not the LORD of Hosts determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire and nations exhaust themselves for nothing?”
The prophetic critique reveals that any security or salvation derived outside Yahweh dissolves like vapor.
Association with Idolatry and False Worship
Moses warns, “They provoked Me to jealousy with what is not God; they angered Me with their vanities” (Deuteronomy 32:21). Hebel thus serves as a technical term for idols and their cults. Jeremiah expands the theme by contrasting the Creator who fashioned the heavens with powerless images that cannot speak (Jeremiah 10:1-16). Trust in hebel forfeits covenant blessing and invites judgment (Jonah 2:8).
Contrast with Divine Permanence
While human plans amount to hebel, the LORD’s word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). The fleeting nature of breath underlines God’s eternal sovereignty and steadfast love. This contrast invites worshipers to relocate their confidence from temporal pursuits to the unchanging God.
Pastoral and Ministerial Applications
• Preaching: Hebel exposes idolatry in modern forms—materialism, self-glory, entertainment—and confronts congregations with the brevity of life.
• Counseling: Reminding believers that worldly achievements cannot secure identity encourages dependence on Christ.
• Discipleship: Teaching the book of Ecclesiastes as wisdom for pilgrims guards against cynicism by directing hearts to fear God and enjoy His gifts.
• Missions: The prophetic denunciation of idols underscores exclusivity of the gospel among cultures given to “worthless things” (Acts 14:15 parallels).
Christological Perspective
The New Testament answers hebel with the substance of Christ. Whereas all creation is subjected to futility (Romans 8:20), the resurrection inaugurates a new creation of permanence. The apostle urges, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). The empty tomb transforms hebel into hope.
Representative Occurrences
•Deuteronomy 32:21;1 Samuel 12:21;1 Kings 16:13;2 Kings 17:15
•Job 7:16;Psalm 62:9;Psalm 94:11;Proverbs 21:6
•Isaiah 57:13;Jeremiah 2:5;Lamentations 4:17;Zechariah 10:2
Key Word Studies and Exegetical Notes
1. Syntax: Often appears with verbs of seeing, chasing, knowing—signaling pursuit of what cannot be grasped (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
2. Metaphor: Breath imagery links with mortality (Psalm 39:11); wind imagery links with futility (Hosea 12:1).
3. Parallelism: Frequently placed opposite righteousness, truth, or the LORD, sharpening the moral contrast (Jonah 2:8-9).
4. Cognate Name: Abel (Genesis 4) bears the same consonants, perhaps underscoring the brevity of his life and the first-fruits nature of faith.
Conclusion
Hebel is Scripture’s penetrating term for the brevity, fragility, and futility of life apart from God. From the lamentations of Job to the wise exhortations of Solomon, from the thunder of the prophets to the promise fulfilled in Christ, the Bible consistently moves readers from the vanity of human striving to the solid hope found in the eternal Lord.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּהַבְלֵ֤י בְּהַבְלֵ֥י בְּהַבְלֵיהֶ֑ם בְּהַבְלֵיהֶֽם׃ בַּהֶ֥בֶל בַהֶ֥בֶל בהבל בהבלי בהבליהם בהבליהם׃ הֲבֵ֤ל הֲבֵ֥ל הֲבֵ֧ל הֲבָלִ֖ים הֲבָלִ֛ים הֲבָלִים֙ הֶ֖בֶל הֶ֙בֶל֙ הֶ֛בֶל הֶ֣בֶל הֶ֥בֶל הֶבְל֖וֹ הֶבְלִ֑י הֶבְלֶ֑ךָ הֶבְלֶ֔ךָ הֶבֶל֮ הַבְלֵי־ הַהֶ֖בֶל הַהֶ֙בֶל֙ הָ֑בֶל הָֽבֶל׃ הבל הבל׃ הבלו הבלי הבלי־ הבלים הבלך ההבל וְהֶ֖בֶל וְהֶ֣בֶל וַהֲבָלִ֔ים והבל והבלים לַהֶ֣בֶל להבל מֵהֶ֣בֶל מֵהֶ֥בֶל מהבל ba·he·ḇel ḇa·he·ḇel baheḇel ḇaheḇel baHevel bə·haḇ·lê bə·haḇ·lê·hem bəhaḇlê bəhaḇlêhem behavLei behavleiHem hă·ḇā·lîm hă·ḇêl hā·ḇel ha·he·ḇel haḇ·lê- hăḇālîm hăḇêl hāḇel haḇlê- haheḇel haHevel havaLim Havel havlei he·ḇel heḇ·le·ḵā heḇ·lî heḇ·lōw heḇel heḇleḵā heḇlî heḇlōw Hevel hevLecha hevLi hevLo la·he·ḇel laheḇel laHevel mê·he·ḇel mêheḇel meHevel vahavaLim vaHevel veHevel wa·hă·ḇā·lîm wahăḇālîm wə·he·ḇel wəheḇel
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
