H2256a H2256a
A cord, rope, or measuring line; by extension a measured portion of territory, an allotted inheritance, or a band of people
Few Hebrew words better illustrate how a concrete object generates a rich cluster of abstract meanings. At its base, חֶבֶל is simply a rope — the cord by which Rahab lowered the spies from Jericho's wall (Josh 2:15), or the ropes of a tent (Isa 33:20). But because ropes were used as measuring lines to divide land, the word came to mean an allotted portion or territory — 'the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob the lot (חֶבֶל) of his inheritance' (Deut 32:9). From there it extends to designate entire geographic districts, like 'the region of Argob' (Deut 3:4). Most surprisingly, it can even mean a 'band' of prophets (1 Sam 10:5), people bound together as if by a common cord.
Senses
1. cord, rope, line — The concrete, foundational sense: a physical cord, rope, or line made from twisted fibers. Used for lowering people (Josh 2:15; Jer 38:6), dragging stones (2 Sam 17:13), binding (Job 40:25), tent rigging (Isa 33:20), and ship tackling (Isa 33:23). David's measurement of Moabite captives with cords (2 Sam 8:2) bridges the literal rope and the measuring-line usage. Spanish 'cuerda' and French 'corde' both preserve this core sense with precision, while German sometimes shifts toward the extended territorial meaning 'Gebiet' even in physical contexts. 32×
AR["بِ-الحَبلِ","بِ-الْحِبَالِ","بِ-حِبَالٍ","بِ-حِبَالِ","بِحِبالِ","بِحِبَالٍ","بِحِبَالِ","حَبْلاً","حَبْلُ","حِبالاً","حِبالًا","حِبالُّ-","حِبَالُ","وَ-حِبالًا","وَحِبَالًا"]·ben["-আমাকে","-দড়ি-দিয়ে","-দড়িতে","এবং-দড়ি","দড়ি","দড়ি-দিয়ে","দড়িতে","দড়িতে-","রশিগুলি-দিয়ে-"]·DE["Gebiet","[בחבלי]","[בחבלים]","cords-von","der-cords-von","durch-der-rope","lines","mit-der-line","ropes","und-cords","und-ropes"]·EN["a-cord","and-cords","and-ropes","by-the-rope","cords-of","line","lines","ropes","the-cords-of","with-cords","with-cords-of","with-ropes","with-the-line","with-the-ropes"]·FR["[בחבלי]","avec-le-ligne","corde","cordon","cords-de","et-corde","et-ropes","lines","par-des-cordes","par-le-corde","ropes"]·heb["ב-חבל","ב-חבלי","ב-חבלים","ו-חבלים","חבל","חבלי","חבלים"]·HI["-रस्सियों-से","और-रस्सियाँ","डोरियाँ","डोरियों-से","रस्सियाँ","रस्सियां","रस्सियों","रस्सियों-ने","रस्सी","रस्सी-से","से-रस्सियों"]·ID["Tali-tali","dan-tali-tali","dengan-tali","dengan-tali-tali","tali","tali-tali","tali-ukur"]·IT["con-il-linea","corda","corde","cords-di","e-corda","e-corde","linee","per-il-fune"]·jav["Tali","Talié","bebandaning-","ing-tali","kaliyan-tali","kaliyan-tali-","kaliyan-tali-tali","lan-tali-tali","mawi-tali","mawi-tali-","ngangge-tali","tali"]·KO["그리고-밇줄들을","그리고-밧줄들을","그리고-줄들-로","로-줄","밟줄로","밧줄들로-","밧줄들을","에-끔들로","에-줄들에-","줄-을","줄들-로","줄들-이","줄들로","줄들을","줄이라"]·PT["Com-cordas-de","Cordas-de","Cordéis-de","com-a-corda","com-as-cordas","com-cordas","com-cordas-de","com-cordas-de-","cordas","cordão","cordéis-de","e-cordas","em-cordas","pela-corda"]·RU["Узы","беды","в-верёвках","верёвка","верёвками","верёвки","верёвкой","верёвку","и-верёвками","и-верёвки","на-верёвках","на-верёвке","узами","узы","узы-"]·ES["Cuerdas-de","con-cuerdas","con-cuerdas-de","con-la-cuerda","con-las-cuerdas","cordón","cuerda-de","cuerdas","cuerdas-de","y-cuerdas"]·SW["Kamba-za","kamba","kamba-za","kwa-kamba","kwa-kamba-za","na-kamba","zilizoshikiliwa"]·TR["-iple","bağları","ip","iple","ipler","ipleri","ipleri-","ipleriyle-","iplerle","iplerle-","ve-ipler"]·urd["آدمی-کی-رسیوں-سے","اور-رسیاں","بندھنوں-نے","بَ-رسیوں","رسی","رسی-سے","رسیاں","رسیوں-سے","رسیوں-نے","سے-رسیوں"]
Josh 2:15, 2 Sam 8:2, 2 Sam 8:2, 2 Sam 8:2, 2 Sam 17:13, 2 Sam 22:6, 1 Kgs 20:31, 1 Kgs 20:32, Esth 1:6, Job 18:10, Job 36:8, Job 41:1 (+20 more)
2. allotted portion, inheritance — The metaphorical extension to an allotted portion or inheritance of land, derived from the practice of measuring territory with a surveyor's line. In Deuteronomy 32:9, Israel is called 'the lot (חֶבֶל) of his inheritance,' where the measuring cord becomes a metonym for what it measures out. Joshua 17:5 and 17:14 use it for the tribal allotments. Spanish renders with both 'cuerdas' (preserving the cord image) and 'porción,' while French 'part' captures the apportioned share. 9×
AR["حَبلَ","حَبْلَ","حَبْلُ","حِبالُ-","حِبَالٌ","مِنْ-حَبْلِ","وَ-حَبْلاً"]·ben["অংশ-থেকে","অঞ্চল-থেকে","এবং-ডোর","কনান-এর","ডোরগুলি-","দুই-ভাগ","ভাগ","মাপার-দড়ি","রশি"]·DE["Anteile-von","Los-von","[חבל]","[חבלים]","der-Teil-von","der-lines","und-Anteil","von-Anteil-von"]·EN["and-portion","from-portion-of","lot-of","portion-of","portions","portions-of","the-lines","the-portion-of"]·FR["[חבל]","corde","de-part-de","et-part","parts-de","sort-de"]·heb["ו-חבל","חבל","חבלי","חבלים","מ-חבל"]·HI["और-रस्सी","भाग","रस्सियाँ","रस्सी","रस्सी-","रेखाएँ","से-हिस्से"]·ID["Dari-bagian","Tali-tali-ukur","bagian","bagian-","bagian-bagian","dan-bagian","dari-wilayah","jatah"]·IT["corda","da-porzione-di","e-porzione","porzioni-di","sorte-di"]·jav["Tali-ukur","bagian-bagian","bagéyan","lan-bagian","pérangan","saking-bagian","tali"]·KO["그리고-몫","몫에서-","몶-의","몶들이다","줄(접)","줄-을","줄들-이","측량-줄들이-"]·PT["As-linhas","a-porção","cordão-de","de-porção-de","de-região-de","e-porção","lote-de","porções","porções-de-"]·RU["От-удела","два-удела","жребий","и-удел","межи","от-удела","удел","уделы-"]·ES["De-la-porción-de","cuerdas","desde-la-región-de","el-lote-de","porciones","porciones-de","porción-de","y-porción"]·SW["Mipaka","fungu-za-","kamba","kutoka-fungu-la","na-fungu","sehemu","sehemu-mbili"]·TR["-den-bölge","ipi","pay","paylar","paylara-","payı","payından-","ve-pay","ölçü-ipleri"]·urd["اور-حصہ","حصوں","حصّہ","حصہ","حصے","حصے-سے","رسی","رسیاں"]
3. region, territory, district — A further geographical extension where חֶבֶל denotes a district, region, or coastal stretch of territory. Applied to 'the region of Argob' in Bashan (Deut 3:4, 13-14), Solomon's administrative district (1 Kgs 4:13), and the Philistine coast at Zephaniah 2:5. Here the measuring-line image has faded almost entirely, leaving a standard geographic term. French 'région' and Spanish 'región' both treat it as a straightforward territorial designation. 7×
AR["إِقْلِيمُ","إِقْلِيمِ","السَّاحِلُ","سَاحِلُ","سَاحِلِ"]·ben["অঞ্চল","উপকূল","উপকূলের","যা"]·DE["Gebiet","Gegend-von","der-region-von"]·EN["region-of","the-region","the-region-of"]·FR["corde","le-region-de","région-de"]·heb["חבל"]·HI["तट","दिया","प्रदेश","मम्लकत"]·ID["pesisir","wilayah"]·IT["corda","il-region-di","region-di"]·jav["pesisir","wewengkon"]·KO["지역","지역이"]·PT["região","região-de"]·RU["области","область","побережье","побережья"]·ES["región","región-de"]·SW["eneo-la","lililo","pwani","pwani-ya"]·TR["bölgesi","bölgesi-","kıyı","kıyısı-"]·urd["ساحل","علاقہ"]
4. band, company of people — A rare but distinctive sense: a band or company of people joined together for a common purpose. Found exclusively in 1 Samuel 10:5 and 10:10, describing the group of prophets Saul encounters coming down from the high place with musical instruments. The underlying metaphor may be people 'roped together' or bound in fellowship, though Spanish 'grupo' and French 'bande' simply render the collective meaning without the etymological cord image. 2×
AR["فِرْقَةَ","فِرْقَةُ-"]·ben["একটি-দল","একটি-দল-"]·DE["band-von","band-von-"]·EN["band-of","band-of-"]·FR["bande-de","bande-de-"]·heb["חֶבֶל"]·HI["दल"]·ID["rombongan","rombongan-"]·IT["banda-di","banda-di-"]·jav["rombongan","rombongan-"]·KO["무리가","무리를"]·PT["grupo-de"]·RU["группа-","группу"]·ES["grupo-de"]·SW["kikundi"]·TR["grup","grup-"]·urd["جماعت"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. חֶ֫בֶל n.m. Jos 2:14 f. †Zp 2:6 (but v. infr.) cord, territory, band; ח׳ abs. Jos 2:15 +; cstr. Dt 3:4 +, חֵ֫בֶל Jos 19:29; sf. חַבְלוֹ Jb 18:10; pl. חֲבָלִים 2 S 8:2 + 10 times + Ez 47:13 Jb 21:7 v. infr.; cstr. חַבְלֵי Jos 17:5 + 5 times; חֶבְלֵי ψ 116:3 + 4 times + ψ 18:5 (read משׁברי v. infr.); sf. חֲבָלָ֑יִךְ Is 33:23; חֲבָלָיו Is 33:20;— 1. cord, rope, by which men were lowered Jos…