What does הֶבֶל · גּוֹי mean in the Bible?
הֶבֶל · גּוֹי is a Hebrew phrase meaning "vanities/worthless idols of the nations".
Hebrew · H1892, H1471
הַבְלֵי הַגּוֹיִם
Emptiness or vanity ; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory ; often used as an adverb · a foreign nation ; hence, a Gentile ; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
הֶבֶל H1892 emptiness or vanity ; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory ; often used as an adverb
Pronunciation heḇel
Ephemeral unreality: what appears substantial but evaporates, leaving existential dissatisfaction and futility.
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גּוֹי H1471 a foreign nation ; hence, a Gentile ; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
Pronunciation gwōy
Ethnic or national group distinct from Israel; carries covenantal exclusivity when applied to non-Israelites as Gentiles
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What does הַבְלֵי הַגּוֹיִם (havlei haggoyim) mean in the Bible?
הֶבֶל · גּוֹי is a Hebrew phrase meaning "vanities/worthless idols of the nations".
Full entry for הַבְלֵי הַגּוֹיִם (H1892, H1471) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H1892, H1471?
H1892, H1471 is connected to 640 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. vanities/worthless idols of the nations
Strong's H1892, H1471
Lexical occurrences 640 verses Source Gloss
vanities/worthless idols of the nations
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
הַבְלֵי הַגּוֹיִם is built from this root:
הָבַל H1891
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain