H2255 H2255
destroy, bring to ruin; harm, injure (Aramaic Pael/Hithpaal in Daniel and Ezra)
An Aramaic verb appearing exclusively in Daniel and Ezra, used in the Pael stem to mean 'destroy' or 'bring to ruin' and in the Hithpaal to mean 'be destroyed.' The word carries apocalyptic weight: God's kingdom 'will never be destroyed' (Dan 2:44; 7:14), while human powers crumble. In Dan 6:22, applied more mildly to the lions that did not 'hurt' Daniel, showing the verb can shade from total annihilation to physical harm. Spanish 'destruir' and 'hacer dano' nicely mirror this range.
Senses
1. destroy — To bring something to complete ruin or annihilation, particularly kingdoms and sacred structures. The Pael imperative in Dan 4:23 commands the felling of the great tree, while Ezra 6:12 warns against destroying the Temple. The Hithpaal in Dan 2:44, 6:26, and 7:14 declares God's kingdom indestructible. English 'destroy,' Spanish 'destruir,' and French 'detruire' converge uniformly on total destruction. 5×
AR["تَفْنَى","تُبَادُ","لِ-إِهْلاك","وَ-أَهْلِكُوهَا","يَنْقَرِضُ"]·ben["এবং-ধ্বংস-কর-একে","ধ্বংস-করতে","ধ্বংস-হবে"]·DE["[וחבלוהי]","[לחבלה]","[תתחבל]"]·EN["and-destroy-it","to-destroy","will-be-destroyed"]·FR["[לחבלה]","détruire","et-détruire"]·heb["ו-חבלוהו","ל-חבלה","תיחרב"]·HI["और-नष्ट-करो-उसे","नष्ट-होगा","नाश-होगा","या-नाश-करने-को"]·ID["akan-binasa","dan-hancurkanlah","untuk-menghancurkan"]·IT["[לחבלה]","e-distruggere","sarà-distrutto"]·jav["badhe-dipun-rusak","badhé-dipunrisak","kangge-ngrisak","lan-rusaken"]·KO["그리고-그것-을-멸하라","멸망되는","멸망하지","위해-파괴하다","파괴될"]·PT["e-destruí-a","para-destruir","será-destruído"]·RU["будет-разрушено","и-уничтожьте-его","разрушится","разрушить"]·ES["para-destruir","será-destruido","y-destruidlo"]·SW["haribika","kuangamizwa","kuharibu","na-muuangamize"]·TR["ve-yok-edin-onu","yikmak-icin","yıkılacak"]·urd["اور-اُسے-تباہ-کرو","تباہ-ہو-گی","لے-نقصان-کرنے-کو","ٹوٹے-گی"]
2. hurt, harm — To cause injury or physical harm without implying total destruction. Attested once in Dan 6:22, where Daniel testifies that the lions 'did not hurt me.' Spanish 'me hicieron dano' ('they did me harm') captures this lighter nuance well, distinguishing it from the heavier 'destruir' used elsewhere for the same root. 1×
AR["يَضُرُّونِي"]·ben["আমাকে-ক্ষতি-করেছে"]·DE["[חבלוני]"]·EN["did-they-hurt-me"]·FR["détruire"]·heb["חבלוני"]·HI["उन्होंने-मुझे-हानि-पहुंचाई"]·ID["melukaiku"]·IT["distruggere"]·jav["sami-nyèlakani-kula"]·KO["해쳤나이다"]·PT["me-feriram"]·RU["повредили-мне"]·ES["me-hicieron-daño"]·SW["nidhuru"]·TR["zarar-verdiler-bana"]·urd["نقصان-پہنچایا-مجھے"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [חֲבַל] vb. Pa. destroy, hurt (v. BH II. חבל);—Pf. 3 mpl. sf. חַבְּלוּנִי Dn 6:23 (of lions); Imv. mpl. sf. חַבְּלוּהִי 4:20 (sf. of tree); Inf. לְחַבָּלָה Ezr 6:12 (acc. of temple). Hithpa. be destroyed: Impf. 3 fs. לָא תִּתְחַבַּל Dn 2:44; 6:27; 7:14 (-בַּ֑ל; all of kingdom of God).