What does חֶבֶל (ḥeḇlê) mean in the Bible?
חֶבֶל (ḥeḇlê): Rope that measures and binds: territory, suffering, or destruction—physical restraint becomes metaphor for covenant inheritance and existential constraint.
Hebrew · H2256
חֶבֶל
A rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line ; by implication, a district or inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords); figuratively, a company (as if tied together); a throe (especially of parturition); also ruin
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חֶבֶל H2256
Pronunciation ḥeḇlê
What does חֶבֶל (ḥeḇlê) mean in the Bible?
חֶבֶל (ḥeḇlê): Rope that measures and binds: territory, suffering, or destruction—physical restraint becomes metaphor for covenant inheritance and existential constraint.
Full entry for חֶבֶל (H2256) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2256?
The BSB source-word alignment has 62 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include The cords (4), with cords (4), region (3), . . . (2), a group (2).
Where does חֶבֶל (ḥeḇlê) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Deuteronomy 3:4. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (8), Jeremiah (7), Isaiah (6), 2 Samuel (5).
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 The cords 4× 2 Samuel 22:6, Psalms 18:4, Psalms 18:5, Psalms 140:5
with cords 4× Esther 1:6, Isaiah 5:18, Ezekiel 27:24, Hosea 11:4
region 3× Deuteronomy 3:4, Deuteronomy 3:13, Deuteronomy 3:14
. . . 2× Joshua 17:14, Psalms 78:55
a group 2× 1 Samuel 10:5, 1 Samuel 10:10
and ropes 2× 1 Kings 20:31, 1 Kings 20:32
as the portion 2× 1 Chronicles 16:18, Psalms 105:11
destruction 2× Job 21:17, Micah 2:10
with ropes 2× Jeremiah 38:6, Jeremiah 38:11
[called] Union 1× Zechariah 11:14
A noose 1× Job 18:10
and anguish 1× Isaiah 13:8
and pain 1× Jeremiah 49:24
as well as the region 1× 1 Kings 4:13
by a measuring line 1× Amos 7:17
by a rope 1× Joshua 2:15
cord 1× Ecclesiastes 12:6
entangle him 1× Proverbs 5:22
His allotted 1× Deuteronomy 32:9
in cords 1× Job 36:8
in pain 1× Isaiah 26:17
in the region 1× Joshua 19:29
length 1× 2 Samuel 8:2
lengths 1× 2 Samuel 8:2
line 1× Zechariah 2:1
of 1× Zephaniah 2:5
of its cords 1× Isaiah 33:20
pains 1× Hosea 13:13
pangs of anguish 1× Jeremiah 13:21
ropes 1× 2 Samuel 17:13
shall receive two portions 1× Ezekiel 47:13
shares 1× Joshua 17:5
she was in pain 1× Isaiah 66:7
So the seacoast 1× Zephaniah 2:6
The coast will belong 1× Zephaniah 2:7
the land 1× Micah 2:5
The lines 1× Psalms 16:6
The ropes 1× Psalms 116:3
their newborn 1× Job 39:3
Though the ropes 1× Psalms 119:61
to pad the ropes 1× Jeremiah 38:12
Union 1× Zechariah 11:7
was taken from the territory 1× Joshua 19:9
when pangs of anguish 1× Jeremiah 22:23
with a cord 1× 2 Samuel 8:2
with a rope 1× Job 41:1
with the ropes 1× Jeremiah 38:13
Your ropes 1× Isaiah 33:23
Show sample aligned rows
Deuteronomy 3:4 חֶ֣בֶל to region Noun - masculine singular construct Deuteronomy 3:13 חֶ֤בֶל to region Noun - masculine singular construct Deuteronomy 3:14 חֶ֣בֶל to region Noun - masculine singular construct Deuteronomy 32:9 חֶ֥בֶל to His allotted Noun - masculine singular construct Joshua 2:15 בַּחֶ֖בֶל to by a rope Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Joshua 17:5 חַבְלֵֽי־ to shares Noun - masculine plural construct Joshua 17:14 וְחֶ֣בֶל to . . . Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Joshua 19:9 מֵחֶ֙בֶל֙ to was taken from the territory Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct Joshua 19:29 מֵחֶ֥בֶל to in the region Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 10:5 חֶ֤בֶל to a group Noun - masculine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Deuteronomy 3:4
Aligned rows 62
Books represented 19
Deuteronomy 4 Joshua 5 1 Samuel 2 2 Samuel 5 1 Kings 3 1 Chronicles 1 Esther 1 Job 5 Psalms 8 Proverbs 1 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 6 Jeremiah 7 Ezekiel 2 Hosea 2 Amos 1 Micah 2 Zephaniah 3 Zechariah 3
Source forms
חֶ֣בֶל 4x ḥe·ḇel Deuteronomy 3:4, Deuteronomy 3:14, Ecclesiastes 12:6, Zephaniah 2:6
חֶ֤בֶל 3x ḥe·ḇel Deuteronomy 3:13, 1 Samuel 10:5, 1 Kings 4:13
חֶ֥בֶל 3x ḥe·ḇel Deuteronomy 32:9, Zephaniah 2:5, Zechariah 2:1
בְּחַבְלֵי־ 2x bə·ḥaḇ·lê- Esther 1:6, Job 36:8
וַחֲבָלִ֣ים 2x wa·ḥă·ḇā·lîm 1 Kings 20:31, 1 Kings 20:32
חֶ֖בֶל 2x ḥe·ḇel 1 Chronicles 16:18, Micah 2:5
חֶבְלֵ֥י 2x ḥeḇ·lê 2 Samuel 22:6, Hosea 13:13
חֶבְלֵ֣י 2x ḥeḇ·lê Psalms 18:5, Psalms 119:61
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular construct 13x Deuteronomy 3:4, Deuteronomy 3:13, Deuteronomy 3:14, Deuteronomy 32:9
Noun - masculine plural 8x 2 Samuel 8:2, 2 Samuel 17:13, Job 21:17, Psalms 16:6
Noun - masculine plural construct 7x Joshua 17:5, 2 Samuel 22:6, Psalms 18:4, Psalms 18:5
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural 5x 1 Kings 20:31, 1 Kings 20:32, Psalms 140:5, Isaiah 13:8
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct 4x Esther 1:6, Job 36:8, Isaiah 5:18, Hosea 11:4
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural 4x Jeremiah 38:6, Jeremiah 38:11, Jeremiah 38:13, Ezekiel 27:24
Noun - masculine singular 3x Isaiah 66:7, Micah 2:5, Zephaniah 2:7
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 3x Joshua 2:15, 2 Samuel 8:2, Amos 7:17
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Rope that measures and binds: territory, suffering, or destruction—physical restraint becomes metaphor for covenant inheritance and existential constraint.
Source Gloss
a rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line ; by implication, a district or inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords); figuratively, a company (as if tied together); a throe (especially of parturition); also ruin
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Rope that measures and binds: territory, suffering, or destruction—physical restraint becomes metaphor for covenant inheritance and existential constraint.
a rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line; by implication, a district or inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords); figuratively, a company (as if tied together); a throe (especially of parturition); also ruin BDB: pain Usage: band, coast, company, cord, country, destruction, line, lot, pain, pang, portion, region, rope, snare, sorrow, tackling.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Measuring lines; cords used to survey and divide land; metaphor for the circumstances and boundaries of life
Cords; ropes; also used of birth-pangs; denotes an agonizing and binding pressure
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 62 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
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