Lexical Summary
chabal: To bind, pledge, destroy, pervert, act corruptly
Original Word:חָבַל
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:chabal
Pronunciation:khaw-BAL
Phonetic Spelling:(khaw-bal')
KJV: X at all, band, bring forth, (deal) corrupt(-ly), destroy, offend, lay &Š to (take a) pledge, spoil, travail, X very, withhold
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to wind tightly (as a rope), i.e. to bind
2. specifically, by a pledge
3. (figuratively) to pervert, destroy
4. also to writhe in pain (especially of parturition)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
band, bring forth, deal corruptly, destroy, offend, spoil,
A primitive root; to 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) -- X at all, band, bring forth, (deal) corrupt(-ly), destroy, offend, lay &? To (take a) pledge, spoil, travail, X very, withhold.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. [] (Arabic
bind; compare Aramaic
,
travail;
pledge (but rare and dubious); especially
cord, field,
cord,
,
pain, especially of travail; Sabean
border-territory, or
field, SabDenkm
48.49; Ethiopic
Zim
BP 93 n., compare Assyrian
na—balu,
rope,
snare (but
— =
)) —
PerfectEzekiel 18:16ImperfectDeuteronomy 24:6; 2masculine singularDeuteronomy 24:17;Ezekiel 22:25;Job 22:6;Job 24:3;Job 24:9;Imperative suffixProverbs 20:16;Proverbs 27:13;Infinitive absoluteExodus 22:25;Participle activeDeuteronomy 24:6, compareZechariah 11:7,14 (name of );passiveAmos 2:8; —
bind, only in , name of one of Zechariah's symbolic staves,Zechariah 11:7,14 symbolic of fraternity. Especially
bind by taking a pledge of,hold by a pledge, followed by accusative of personProverbs 20:16;Proverbs 27:13;Job 22:6;take orhold in pledge, followed by accusative of thingExodus 22:25 ( J E),Deuteronomy 24:6 (twice in verse);Deuteronomy 24:17;Job 24:3; followed by accusative of congnate meaning with verbEzekiel 18:16;Job 24:9 probably pregnant (see Di)take pledges (getting power)over the poor;Amos 2:8garments taken in pledge.
ImperfectProverbs 13:13becometh pledged to it (i.e. pledged to pay the penalty, opposed to ), so Ew Hi De Now Str RVm VB. > below II. q. v.
Perfect3feminine singularSongs 8:5;Songs 8:5;ImperfectPsalm 7:15; —writhe, twist, hencetravail; of motherSongs 8:5 (twice in verse) (with accusative of child; "" ); metaphor of wicked manPsalm 7:15.
II. (Late Hebrewid. wound, injure; Arabic
corrupt orrender unsound (the mind, a limb, etc.),
be deranged (in mind); Assyrian—abâlu,injure, VR62, 11; Aramaic
,corrupt, ruin; Ethiopic
be arrogant, audacious; Sabean DHMEpigr. Denkm. 48; compare Palmyrenemortuus VogNo. 161 and often) —
Perfect1pluralNehemiah 1:7;Imperfect1singularJob 34:31;Infinitive construct (used asabsolute)Nehemiah 1:7; —act corruptly against,Nehemiah 1:7; absoluteJob 34:31.
ImperfectProverbs 13:13shall be ruined ( reflexive), Thes Rob-Ges AV RV, but < I. (q. v.)
ruin, destroy: Perfect3masculine singular consecutiveEcclesiastes 5:5, subject God.Imperfect3feminine singularMicah 2:10that destroyeth, even with sore destruction; but read ratherye shall be destroyed with etc., so Roo Che.Infinitive construct with accusative, the poorIsaiah 32:7, the landIsaiah 13:5; absoluteIsaiah 54:16; compareParticiple pluralSongs 2:15 with accusative of foxes ruining vineyards.
Perfect3masculine singular consecutiveIsaiah 10:27 of yoke,be ruined, broken, si vera lectio; RSJPh xiii. 1885, p. 62 proposes , compare also Checritical note.; and remark by Di Du; 3 feminine singularJob 17:1my spirit is broken ("" );Imperfect2masculine pluralMicah 2:10 (emendation: see above)
Topical Lexicon
Semantic Range and Core Ideaחָבַל depicts the tightening of a cord until what is bound is either secured as a pledge or damaged beyond repair. In Scripture the verb is applied both to the lawful taking of collateral and to violent, corrupt, or ruinous behavior. The context determines whether the action is a legitimate legal step or an oppressive, destructive act.
Legal And Economic Usage As A Pledge
Mosaic legislation employs חָבַל to regulate lending practices among covenant members. When collateral was unavoidable, it had to be handled with compassion and speed:
•Exodus 22:26 – “If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him before sunset.”
•Deuteronomy 24:6 – “Do not take a pair of millstones—not even the upper one—as security for a debt, because that would be taking a life as collateral.”
In agrarian Israel a garment kept a poor laborer warm at night, and a hand-mill guaranteed daily bread. The law therefore balanced the lender’s right to assurance with the debtor’s right to dignity and survival. By commanding immediate return of essential items, the Lord defended the poor and reinforced His own character as compassionate Redeemer.
Oppression And Prophetic Indictment
When collateral became a tool of exploitation, prophets exposed the sin. Amos condemns wealthy Israelites who weaponized pledges for personal comfort:
•Amos 2:8 – “They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their god they drink wine obtained from fines.”
Job’s friends wrongly accuse him of similar cruelty:
•Job 22:6 – “For you demanded security from your brothers without cause, stripping off their clothes and leaving them naked.”
The consistent prophetic message is that to “chabal” the vulnerable for gain is to provoke divine judgment. God’s covenant justice stands against any economic system that crushes the powerless.
Violence, Corruption, And Ruin
Outside legal contexts חָבַל moves from pledging to damaging or ruining. In poetic and prophetic literature it often describes the devastation visited on cities, nations, or individuals when sin ripens and judgment falls. Though the root idea is the same—something bound so tightly it is spoiled—the emphasis shifts from collateral to calamity. The term can portray:
• Physical destruction of land or property.
• Moral corruption that twists the heart.
• Wounding or crippling of persons.
Thus the word bridges material and ethical realms: what begins as economic oppression culminates in wholesale societal ruin.
Wisdom Literature And Spiritual Insight
Job, Proverbs, and related writings press the theological lesson deeper. To “ruin” another is to forfeit one’s own standing before God; to entangle oneself in unjust pledges is spiritual folly. The sages call God’s people to prudence (avoiding rash surety) and compassion (protecting the poor). חָבַל in Wisdom texts reminds believers that true righteousness harmonizes justice and mercy.
Historical Background
In the wider Ancient Near East debts were commonly secured by taking family members into slavery or stripping farmers of essential tools. Israel’s laws, by contrast, limited collateral to non-life-sustaining items and required timely restoration. This distinctive ethic marked Israel as a people redeemed from bondage and called to mirror their Redeemer’s grace.
Messianic And Redemptive Trajectory
עַבְדִי (My Servant) is pictured as one who “does no violence” (Isaiah 53:9). Whereas sinners ruin and oppress, the Messiah bears the ultimate pledge—our debt of sin—and frees captives without taking anything in return (Luke 4:18 alluding toIsaiah 61:1). The gospel therefore answers every abusive use of חָבַל by offering liberation and restoration in Christ.
Ministry Implications Today
1. Ethical Lending: Christian stewardship should reflect the Mosaic concern for human dignity, avoiding predatory practices and seeking the welfare of borrowers.
2. Advocacy: The prophetic edge of חָבַל calls churches to defend the oppressed when modern economic systems bind people into ruinous debt.
3. Discipleship: Believers must guard against any behavior—financial, relational, or spiritual—that “tightens the cord” around others and corrupts their own integrity.
4. Gospel Witness: By releasing people from material and spiritual bondage, the church proclaims the One who paid the ultimate pledge at Calvary.
Summary
חָבַל threads legal restitution, social justice, and divine judgment into a single verbal fabric. Whether it describes taking collateral or inflicting ruin, the word ultimately points to God’s unchanging concern for righteousness and compassion. In Christ, the destructive power of חָבַל is overturned, and the redeemed are commissioned to practice the same liberating mercy in every sphere of life.
Forms and Transliterations
אֶחְבֹּֽל׃ אחבל׃ וְחִבֵּ֖ל וְחֻבַּ֥ל וחבל חֲבֹ֖ל חֲבֻלִים֙ חִבְּלַ֣תְךָ חִבְּלָ֥ה חַבְלֵֽהוּ׃ חָבַ֣לְנוּ חָבָ֔ל חָבֹ֥ל חֹבֵֽל׃ חֻ֭בָּלָה חבל חבל׃ חבלה חבלהו׃ חבלים חבלנו חבלתך יְחַבֶּל־ יֵחָ֣בֶל יַ֝חְבְּל֗וּ יַחְבֹּֽלוּ׃ יַחֲבֹ֥ל יחבל יחבל־ יחבלו יחבלו׃ לְחַבֵּ֖ל לְחַבֵּ֤ל לְחַבֵּֽל׃ לחבל לחבל׃ מְחַבְּלִ֣ים מחבלים תְּחַבֵּ֖ל תַּחְבֹּ֖ל תַחְבֹּ֣ל תַחֲבֹ֔ל תחבל ’eḥ·bōl ’eḥbōl chaVal chaValnu chavLehu chaVol chavuLim chibbeLah chibbeLatcha choVel Chubbalah echBol ḥā·ḇāl ḥā·ḇal·nū ḥă·ḇōl ḥā·ḇōl ḥă·ḇu·lîm ḥaḇ·lê·hū ḥāḇāl ḥāḇalnū ḥaḇlêhū ḥăḇōl ḥāḇōl ḥăḇulîm ḥib·bə·lāh ḥib·bə·laṯ·ḵā ḥibbəlāh ḥibbəlaṯḵā ḥō·ḇêl ḥōḇêl ḥub·bā·lāh ḥubbālāh lə·ḥab·bêl lechabBel ləḥabbêl mə·ḥab·bə·lîm mechabbeLim məḥabbəlîm ṯa·ḥă·ḇōl tachaVol tachBol taḥ·bōl ṯaḥ·bōl ṯaḥăḇōl taḥbōl ṯaḥbōl tə·ḥab·bêl techabBel təḥabbêl vechibBel vechubBal wə·ḥib·bêl wə·ḥub·bal wəḥibbêl wəḥubbal ya·ḥă·ḇōl yachaVol yachbeLu yachBolu yaḥ·bə·lū yaḥ·bō·lū yaḥăḇōl yaḥbəlū yaḥbōlū yê·ḥā·ḇel yə·ḥab·bel- yechabbel yeChavel yəḥabbel- yêḥāḇel
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
