What does חָבָא (ḥābāʾ) mean in the Bible?
חָבָא (ḥābāʾ): To hide or conceal oneself, often with connotation of withdrawing from danger or divine presence
Hebrew · H2244
חָבָא
To secrete
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חָבָא H2244
Pronunciation ḥābāʾ
What does חָבָא (ḥābāʾ) mean in the Bible?
חָבָא (ḥābāʾ): To hide or conceal oneself, often with connotation of withdrawing from danger or divine presence
Full entry for חָבָא (H2244) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2244?
The BSB source-word alignment has 33 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include hidden (2), she hid (2), [and] hide (1), and hid themselves (1), and hidden (1).
Where does חָבָא (ḥābāʾ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 3:8. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Samuel (6), Job (5), Joshua (5), 2 Chronicles (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It hidden 2× 2 Kings 11:3, 2 Chronicles 22:12
she hid 2× Joshua 6:17, Joshua 6:25
[and] hide 1× 2 Chronicles 18:24
and hid themselves 1× Daniel 10:7
and hidden 1× Joshua 10:16
and hidden them 1× 1 Kings 18:4
and hide there 1× 1 Samuel 19:2
and they hid themselves 1× Genesis 3:8
and withdrew 1× Job 29:8
become hard 1× Job 38:30
But she had hidden 1× 2 Kings 6:29
he has hidden 1× 1 Samuel 10:22
he hid himself 1× Judges 9:5
He hid Me 1× Isaiah 49:2
he hides 1× 1 Samuel 23:23
hid 1× 1 Samuel 13:6
hid themselves 1× 1 Chronicles 21:20
I hid 1× 1 Kings 18:13
into hiding 1× Job 24:4
is hiding 1× 2 Samuel 17:9
or imprisoned 1× Isaiah 42:22
secretly 1× Genesis 31:27
so I hid myself 1× Genesis 3:10
they are hiding 1× Joshua 10:17
they had hidden 1× Joshua 10:27
they hide themselves 1× Amos 9:3
they were hiding 1× 1 Samuel 14:11
was hiding 1× 2 Chronicles 22:9
were hushed 1× Job 29:10
who had been hiding 1× 1 Samuel 14:22
You will be hidden 1× Job 5:21
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 3:8 וַיִּתְחַבֵּ֨א to and they hid themselves Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 3:10 וָאֵחָבֵֽא׃ to so I hid myself Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular Genesis 31:27 נַחְבֵּ֙אתָ֙ to secretly Verb - Nifal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Joshua 6:17 הֶחְבְּאַ֔תָה to she hid Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular Joshua 6:25 הֶחְבִּ֙יאָה֙ to she hid Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular Joshua 10:16 וַיֵּחָבְא֥וּ to and hidden Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Joshua 10:17 נֶחְבְּאִ֥ים to they are hiding Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural Joshua 10:27 נֶחְבְּאוּ־ to they had hidden Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural Judges 9:5 נֶחְבָּֽא׃ס to he hid himself Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 10:22 נֶחְבָּ֖א to he has hidden Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 3:8
Aligned rows 33
Books represented 13
Genesis 3 Joshua 5 Judges 1 1 Samuel 6 2 Samuel 1 1 Kings 2 2 Kings 2 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 3 Job 5 Isaiah 2 Daniel 1 Amos 1
Source forms
מִתְחַבֵּ֖א 2x miṯ·ḥab·bê 2 Kings 11:3, 2 Chronicles 22:12
בְּהֵחָבֵֽא׃ 1x bə·hê·ḥā·ḇê Daniel 10:7
הָחְבָּ֑אוּ 1x hā·ḥə·bā·’ū Isaiah 42:22
הֶחְבְּאַ֔תָה 1x heḥ·bə·’a·ṯāh Joshua 6:17
הֶחְבִּ֙יאָה֙ 1x heḥ·bî·’āh Joshua 6:25
הֶחְבִּיאָ֑נִי 1x heḥ·bî·’ā·nî Isaiah 49:2
הַמִּֽתְחַבְּאִ֤ים 1x ham·miṯ·ḥab·bə·’îm 1 Samuel 14:22
הִתְחַבְּאוּ־ 1x hiṯ·ḥab·bə·’ū- 1 Samuel 14:11
Parsing patterns
Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular 3x 2 Kings 11:3, 2 Chronicles 22:9, 2 Chronicles 22:12
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular 2x Joshua 6:17, Joshua 6:25
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular 2x 1 Samuel 10:22, 2 Samuel 17:9
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural 2x Joshua 10:27, Job 29:10
Article | Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine plural 1x 1 Samuel 14:22
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular 1x 1 Kings 18:13
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 1x 2 Kings 6:29
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural 1x 1 Kings 18:4
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. To hide or conceal oneself, often with connotation of withdrawing from danger or divine presence
Strong's H2244
Lexical occurrences 33 verses Word forms 5 forms 20 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 3:8-13 Source Gloss
to secrete
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
To hide or conceal oneself, often with connotation of withdrawing from danger or divine presence
to secrete BDB: withdraw Usage: × held, hide (self), do secretly.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 5 Aligned forms 20
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 7×
Participle active 1Chr 21:20 · 2Chr 22:9 · 2Chr 22:12 · 2Kgs 11:3 4×
Imperfect 1Sam 23:23 · Job 38:30 2×
Perfect 1Sam 14:11 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 9×
Perfect Job 29:10 · Josh 10:27 · Gen 31:27 · Judg 9:5 4×
Participle passive 1Sam 10:22 · 2Sam 17:9 2×
Imperfect Amos 9:3 · Job 5:21 2×
Participle active Josh 10:17 1×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 2×
Perfect Josh 6:17 · Josh 6:25 2×
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action 1×
Perfect Isa 42:22 1×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 1×
Perfect Job 24:4 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Adam and Eve conceal themselves from God's presence out of shame and fear
People withdraw into hiding places to escape divine judgment and wrath
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 33 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
חָבָא is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
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