H5035a H5035a
A container for liquids: either a leather wineskin or an earthenware jar, used literally and as a figure for fragility.
This noun covers two distinct kinds of vessels. In its first sense it denotes a skin bag made from animal hide, used to carry wine or water — Hannah brings a nevel yayin to Shiloh (1 Sam 1:24), and the Gibeonites present worn-out wineskins to Joshua. Job 38:37 extends the image poetically: 'Who can tip the nivle shamayim?' — the waterskins of heaven, meaning the rain clouds. In its second sense it refers to earthenware jars or pitchers, and here the prophets exploit the vessel's fragility: Jeremiah 48:12 pictures Moab's jars being smashed, Lamentations 4:2 compares Zion's precious sons to mere clay pots, and Isaiah 30:14 likens Judah's breaking to the shattering of a potter's flask.
Senses
1. skin, wineskin, waterskin — A skin container — a wineskin or waterskin made from animal hide. The Hebrew construct nevel yayin ('skin of wine') appears in 1 Samuel 1:24, 10:3, and 2 Samuel 16:1 for the practical transport of wine. Hindi 'mashk' and Swahili 'kiriba' both point to leather water-bags, confirming the material sense. Job 38:37 extends this metaphorically to the clouds as 'waterskins of heaven' (nivle shamayim), picturing rainfall as liquid poured from leather bags. 6×
AR["أوعيَةَ","زِقَّ-","وَ-زِقِّ","وَزِقَاقَ","وَزِقَاقَهُمْ","وَزِقُّ-"]·ben["আর-জলের-পাত্রগুলি","একটি-মশক-","এবং-তাদের-কলসীগুলি","এবং-মশক","মশক"]·DE["[ונבלי]","[ונבליהם]","skin-von-","skins-von-","und-ein-skin-von","und-skin-von"]·EN["and-a-skin-of","and-his-jars","and-skin-of","and-the-waterskins-of","skin-of-","skins-of-"]·FR["et-outre","et-skin-de","et-un-skin-de","et-ונבלי","skin-de-","skins-de-"]·heb["ו-נבל","ו-נבלי","ו-נבליהם","נֵבֶל","נבלי־"]·HI["और-उसकी-कुप्पियों-को","और-कुप्पी","और-मशक","और-मशकें","मशक","मशकें"]·ID["dan-buyung-buyungnya","dan-kantong-kantong","dan-kendi","dan-kirbat","kirbat-"]·IT["e-e-il-waterskins-di","e-otre","e-pelle-di","e-un-pelle-di","pelle-di-","skins-di-"]·jav["gimbal-gimbal","gumbung-","lan-gendul","lan-gendul-toya-ipun","lan-genthong-genthongipun","lan-kanthong-kulit"]·KO["그리고-그의-항아리들을","그리고-물부대들을","그리고-부대","그리고-부대의","부대를","항아리의"]·PT["E-os-odres-de-","e-odre-de","e-seus-odres","odre-de","odres-de-"]·RU["и-кувшины-их","и-мех","и-мехи","и-мехом","мех-","меха"]·ES["odre-de","odres-de","y-odre-de","y-odres-de","y-sus-odres"]·SW["kiriba-cha-","na-kiriba","na-mitungi-yake","na-viriba","viriba-vya"]·TR["kırba-","tulum-","ve-küplerini","ve-tulum","ve-tulumlarını"]·urd["اور-مشکوں کو","اور-مشکیزہ","اور-مشکیں-اُس-کی","مشکیزہ","مشکیں"]
2. jar, vessel, jug — An earthenware jar, pitcher, or vessel — a ceramic container rather than a leather one. Isaiah 30:14 speaks of the 'shattering of a potter's nevel,' and Lamentations 4:2 compares Zion's noble sons to nivle-cheres ('earthen jars'), emphasizing their reduction to worthless clay. Spanish 'vasija/tinaja' and Arabic 'jarrah' point consistently to fired pottery. Jeremiah 13:12 uses the jar as a parabolic prop: 'Every jar shall be filled with wine' — a proverb the people mockingly repeat before its grim judgment meaning is revealed. 5×
AR["إِنَاءِ","الأَزْقَاقِ","جَرَّةٍ","كَآنِيَةِ-"]·ben["-থলির","পাত্র","মশক","মাটির-পাত্র"]·DE["[הנבלים]","[לנבלי]","[נבל]"]·EN["as-vessels","jar","of-a-potters","the-jars"]·FR["outre"]·heb["ה-נבלים","ל-נבלי","נבל"]·HI["कुप्पा","कुप्पों-के","घड़ा","मिट्टी-के-घड़ों-की-तरह-"]·ID["bejana","buli-buli","buyung-buyung","seperti-kendi"]·IT["otre"]·jav["gendul","kados-jun","kendi","kuwali"]·KO["병들의","항아리가","항아리들-로","항아리의"]·PT["jarro-de","odre","odres","vasos-de"]·RU["за-сосуды","кувшин","кувшинов","сосуда-"]·ES["como-vasijas-de","los-odres","tinaja","vasija-de"]·SW["chupa","kama-vyungu-vya","kwa-chungu","vya-mitungi"]·TR["kabinin","küpler-gibi","testi","tulumlarin"]·urd["برتنوں","شراب-کے-کوزوں-کے","مشکیزہ","گھڑا"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. נֵ֫בֶל n.m. Je 13:12 1. skin-bottle, skin; 2. jar, pitcher;—נֵ֫בֶל abs. 1 S 10:5 +; cstr. v 3 + (on נֶבֶל v. Baer 1 S 1, 24);— 1. skin of wine, נֵ֫בֶל יַיִן 1 S 1:24; 10:3 2 S 16:1, cf. also Je 13:12(×2); pl. נִבְלֵי יַיִן 1 S 25:18: fig. נִבְלֵי שָׁמַיִם Jb 38:37 i.e. clouds (‖ שְׁחָקִים). 2. earthen jar, pitcher: fig. of connexions of Eliakim כְּלֵי נְבָלִים Is 22:24; נִבְלֵיהֶם יְנַפֵּ֑צוּ…