H2267 H2267
A company or association of people; also a magical spell or enchantment—a binding charm prohibited in Deuteronomic law.
This noun carries two distinct semantic loads rooted in the idea of 'binding together.' In its concrete social sense, it denotes a company, band, or association of people—whether the shared household of Proverbs 21:9 and 25:24, or the marauding band of priests in Hosea 6:9. In its magical sense, it refers to a spell or enchantment, a charm that 'binds' supernatural forces. Deuteronomy 18:11 prohibits the casting of such spells alongside necromancy and divination. Isaiah 47:9 and 47:12 mock Babylon's reliance on her abundant spells, which cannot save her from divine judgment.
Senses
1. spell, enchantment, charm — A magical spell, enchantment, or incantation—a charm that binds or joins supernatural forces to achieve a desired effect. Deuteronomy 18:11 places the 'caster of a chever' alongside necromancers and mediums in a comprehensive prohibition of occult practices. Psalm 58:5 describes the deaf cobra that will not heed the voice of enchanters, no matter how skilled the binding-spell. Isaiah 47:9 and 47:12 use the plural to describe Babylon's vast repertoire of sorceries. Spanish 'encantamiento/encantamientos' and English 'spell/charm' consistently render this magical sense. 4×
AR["بِـ-رُقَاكِ","حَيّاتٍ","رُقَاكِ","رُقْيَةً"]·ben["-তোমার-মন্ত্রগুলোতে","-তোমার-মন্ত্রের","বন্ধনের","মন্ত্রকারকের"]·DE["[בחבריך]","[חבריך]","binding-spell","spells"]·EN["binding-spell","in-your-spells","spells","your-spells"]·FR["[בחבריך]","[חבריך]","binding-spell","charme"]·heb["ב-חבריך","חבר","חבריך","חברים"]·HI["अपने-मंत्रों-में","तेरे-मंत्रों","बंधन","मंत्रों"]·ID["dengan-jampi-jampimu","jampi-jampimu","rapalan"]·IT["[בחבריך]","[חבריך]","[חברים]","binding-spell"]·jav["ing-japa-mantra-panjenengan","japa","japa-mantra-panjenengan","ula-kobra"]·KO["너의-주문에","너의-주문의","여는-것을","주문-들-을"]·PT["com-teus-encantamentos","de-encantamentos","encantamento","teus-encantamentos"]·RU["заклинанием","заклинаний-твоих","заклинаниями","с-заклинаниями-твоими"]·ES["con-tus-encantamientos","encantamiento","encantamientos","tus-encantamientos"]·SW["hirizi","hirizi-zako","hodari","na-hirizi-zako"]·TR["büyü","büyüleri","tilsimlarin","tilsimlarinla"]·urd["اپنے-منتروں-میں","تیرے-منتروں-کے","جادوگروں","منتر"]
2. association, company — A company, association, or fellowship of people bound together by shared purpose or dwelling. In Proverbs 21:9 and 25:24 (identical proverbs), 'a house of association' (beth chaver) means a house shared in common—better to live on a rooftop corner than share a house with a quarrelsome spouse. In Hosea 6:9, it describes a marauding band of priests who ambush travelers on the road to Shechem. Spanish 'compania' and French 'societe' capture the communal-bond sense well. 3×
AR["جَماعَةُ","مُشْتَرَكٍ"]·ben["একত্রের","গোষ্ঠী-","সহভাগিতার"]·DE["[חבר]"]·EN["band-of","shared","sharing"]·FR["enchantement","société"]·heb["חבר"]·HI["दल","साझे-के"]·ID["bersama","kumpulan"]·IT["[חבר]","shared","sharing"]·jav["imam","sesarengan"]·KO["무리가","함께-하는-의"]·PT["bando-de","companhia"]·RU["общем","сообщество"]·ES["compartida","compañerismo","compañía-de"]·SW["kundi-la","pamoja","ya-pamoja"]·TR["ortak","çete"]·urd["شریکی-کا","گروہ"]
Related Senses
H5971a 1. people, nation (1836×)H5973a 1. accompaniment, together with (956×)H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)H0854 1. with (accompaniment) (665×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H1471a 1. nations, peoples (plural/collective) (466×)G3326 1. with (368×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H1285 1. covenant, pact, treaty (284×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G2453 1. Jewish person, Jew (194×)H4150 1. meeting (tent of meeting) (151×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)G2992 1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) (142×)G4862 1. (129×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G1484 1. Gentiles, non-Jewish nations (128×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. חֶ֫בֶר n.[m.] company, association, spell—abs. חָ֑בֶר Dt 18:11 + 2 times; cstr. חֶבֶר Ho 6:9; pl. חֲבָרִים ψ 58:6, sf. חֲבָרַיִךְ Is 47:9, 12;— 1. company, band of (bad) priests Ho 6:9. 2. association, society (abstr.), only in בֵּית חָ֑בֶר Pr 21:9 = 25:24 house of association, i.e. shared with a contentious woman (house in common, v. RVm VB). 3. spell: a. as acc. cogn. c. חָבַר (q.v.) Dt…