What does כָּבַד (kābad) mean in the Bible?
כָּבַד (kābad): Weight as moral-existential force: dishonor/burden in negative sense, glory/dignity in positive sense.
Hebrew · H3513
כָּבַד
To be heavy , i.e. in a bad sense ( burdensome , severe , dull ) or in a good sense ( numerous , rich , honorable ); causatively, to make weighty (in the same two senses)
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כָּבַד H3513
Pronunciation kābad
What does כָּבַד (kābad) mean in the Bible?
כָּבַד (kābad): Weight as moral-existential force: dishonor/burden in negative sense, glory/dignity in positive sense.
Full entry for כָּבַד (H3513) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3513?
The BSB source-word alignment has 113 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include heavy (5), . . . (4), Honor (3), honors (3), and honored (2).
Where does כָּבַד (kābad) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 18:20. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (20), 1 Samuel (11), Psalms (11), Exodus (10).
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 heavy 5× 1 Samuel 5:11, 1 Kings 12:10, 1 Kings 12:14, 2 Chronicles 10:10
. . . 4× Numbers 22:17, Numbers 24:11, Isaiah 47:6, Daniel 11:38
Honor 3× Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Proverbs 3:9
honors 3× Judges 9:9, Psalms 15:4, Malachi 1:6
and honored 2× 1 Samuel 22:14, Isaiah 43:4
hardened 2× Exodus 8:32, 1 Samuel 6:6
He was most honored 2× 2 Samuel 23:23, 1 Chronicles 11:25
He will honor 2× Isaiah 9:1, Daniel 11:38
intensified 2× 1 Samuel 31:3, 1 Chronicles 10:3
Make yourself many 2× Nahum 3:15
showing respect 2× 2 Samuel 10:3, 1 Chronicles 19:3
was heavy 2× 1 Samuel 5:6, Psalms 32:4
against the honorable 1× Isaiah 3:5
and be glorified 1× Haggai 1:8
and boastful 1× 2 Chronicles 25:19
and hardened 1× Exodus 9:34
and honor him 1× Psalms 91:15
and honor Me 1× Isaiah 29:13
and I will be glorified 1× Ezekiel 28:22
and I will glorify 1× Isaiah 60:13
and makes himself rich 1× Habakkuk 2:6
and more distinguished 1× Numbers 22:15
and their nobles 1× Psalms 149:8
and they will glorify 1× Psalms 86:9
and you will honor Me 1× Psalms 50:15
are renowned 1× Isaiah 23:8
be glorified 1× Isaiah 66:5
be heavy 1× Job 33:7
But I will gain honor 1× Exodus 14:4
deafen 1× Isaiah 6:10
for I am honored 1× Isaiah 49:5
glorify 1× Isaiah 24:15
Glorious things 1× Psalms 87:3
Glory [in that] 1× 2 Kings 14:10
grew 1× Judges 1:35
grievous 1× Genesis 18:20
had heavily burdened 1× Nehemiah 5:15
harden 1× 1 Samuel 6:6
has distinguished himself 1× 2 Samuel 6:20
have hardened 1× Exodus 10:1
he hardened 1× Exodus 8:15
He has weighed me down 1× Lamentations 3:7
her dignitaries 1× Nahum 3:10
honor Him 1× Psalms 22:23
honor me 1× 1 Samuel 15:30
honorable 1× Isaiah 58:13
honored 1× 1 Chronicles 11:21
honors Him 1× Proverbs 14:31
honors Me 1× Psalms 50:23
I display My glory 1× Ezekiel 39:13
I will glorify 1× Psalms 86:12
I will honor 1× 1 Samuel 2:30
I will honor them 1× Jeremiah 30:19
I will honor you 1× Numbers 22:17
I will reveal My glory 1× Leviticus 10:3
I would reward you richly 1× Numbers 24:11
if you honor it 1× Isaiah 58:13
is heavy 1× Job 23:2
is highly respected 1× 1 Samuel 9:6
is honored 1× Proverbs 13:18
it would outweigh 1× Job 6:3
Make the work harder 1× Exodus 5:9
more honorable 1× 1 Chronicles 4:9
more honored 1× 2 Samuel 23:19
nor honored Me 1× Isaiah 43:23
receive honor 1× Job 14:21
she will honor you 1× Proverbs 4:8
than to be self-important 1× Proverbs 12:9
the most respected 1× Genesis 34:19
the renowned 1× Isaiah 23:9
Then I will gain honor 1× Exodus 14:17
they stopped up 1× Zechariah 7:11
this glorious 1× Deuteronomy 28:58
those who honor Me 1× 1 Samuel 2:30
to bear 1× Psalms 38:4
to reward you richly 1× Numbers 22:37
too dull 1× Isaiah 59:1
was fierce 1× Judges 20:34
was hardened 1× Exodus 9:7
was poor 1× Genesis 48:10
was so heavy 1× Nehemiah 5:18
we may honor you 1× Judges 13:17
we would be a burden 1× 2 Samuel 13:25
weighs it down 1× Isaiah 24:20
were overflowing 1× Proverbs 8:24
when I am honored 1× Exodus 14:18
who honored her 1× Lamentations 1:8
will be honored 1× Proverbs 27:18
will honor Me 1× Isaiah 43:20
will honor You 1× Isaiah 25:3
with heavy cargo 1× Ezekiel 27:25
Yet I will be honored 1× 2 Samuel 6:22
You have gained glory for Yourself 1× Isaiah 26:15
You have honored 1× 1 Samuel 2:29
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 18:20 כָבְדָ֖ה to grievous Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular Genesis 34:19 נִכְבָּ֔ד to the most respected Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular Genesis 48:10 כָּבְד֣וּ to was poor Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Exodus 5:9 תִּכְבַּ֧ד to Make the work harder Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Exodus 8:15 וְהַכְבֵּד֙ to he hardened Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute Exodus 8:32 וַיַּכְבֵּ֤ד to hardened Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 9:7 וַיִּכְבַּד֙ to was hardened Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 9:34 וַיַּכְבֵּ֥ד to and hardened Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 10:1 הִכְבַּ֤דְתִּי to have hardened Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular Exodus 14:4 וְאִכָּבְדָ֤ה to But I will gain honor Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 18:20
Aligned rows 113
Books represented 26
Genesis 3 Exodus 10 Leviticus 1 Numbers 6 Deuteronomy 2 Judges 4 1 Samuel 11 2 Samuel 6 1 Kings 2 2 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 5 2 Chronicles 3 Nehemiah 2 Job 4 Psalms 11 Proverbs 7 Isaiah 20 Jeremiah 1 Lamentations 2 Ezekiel 3 Daniel 2 Nahum 3 Habakkuk 1 Haggai 1 Zechariah 1 Malachi 1
Source forms
נִכְבָּ֔ד 5x niḵ·bāḏ Genesis 34:19, 1 Samuel 9:6, 2 Samuel 23:19, 2 Samuel 23:23
הִכְבִּ֣יד 3x hiḵ·bîḏ 1 Kings 12:10, 1 Kings 12:14, 2 Chronicles 10:10
נִכְבַּדֵּי־ 3x niḵ·bad·dê- Proverbs 8:24, Isaiah 23:8, Isaiah 23:9
הַֽמְכַבֵּ֨ד 2x ham·ḵab·bêḏ 2 Samuel 10:3, 1 Chronicles 19:3
וְאִכָּבְדָ֤ה 2x wə·’ik·kā·ḇə·ḏāh Exodus 14:4, Exodus 14:17
וַתִּכְבַּ֤ד 2x wat·tiḵ·baḏ 1 Samuel 31:3, 1 Chronicles 10:3
יְכַבֵּ֑ד 2x yə·ḵab·bêḏ Psalms 15:4, Daniel 11:38
יְכֻבָּֽד׃ 2x yə·ḵub·bāḏ Proverbs 13:18, Proverbs 27:18
Parsing patterns
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular 7x Genesis 34:19, 1 Samuel 9:6, 2 Samuel 23:19, 2 Samuel 23:23
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular 6x Genesis 18:20, Judges 20:34, 1 Samuel 5:11, Nehemiah 5:18
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular 5x 1 Kings 12:10, 1 Kings 12:14, 2 Chronicles 10:10, Isaiah 9:1
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 4x Judges 1:35, 1 Samuel 5:6, 1 Samuel 31:3, 1 Chronicles 10:3
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x Psalms 15:4, Daniel 11:38, Malachi 1:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular 3x Exodus 14:4, Exodus 14:17, Haggai 1:8
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural construct 3x Proverbs 8:24, Isaiah 23:8, Isaiah 23:9
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular 3x Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Proverbs 3:9
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Weight as moral-existential force: dishonor/burden in negative sense, glory/dignity in positive sense.
Strong's H3513
Lexical occurrences 116 verses Word forms 6 forms 65 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Isaiah 24:14-16a Source Gloss
to be heavy , i.e. in a bad sense ( burdensome , severe , dull ) or in a good sense ( numerous , rich , honorable ); causatively, to make weighty (in the same two senses)
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 6 Aligned forms 65
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 17×
Participle active 1Chr 4:9 · 1Chr 11:21 · 1Chr 11:25 · 1Sam 9:6 · 2Sam 23:19 · 2Sam 23:23 · Gen 34:19 · Isa 23:8 · Isa 23:9 · Prov 8:24 · Ps 87:3 11×
Perfect Isa 26:15 · Isa 43:4 · 2Sam 6:20 3×
Sequential imperfect 2Kgs 14:10 1×
Cohortative 2Sam 6:22 1×
Imperfect Lev 10:3 1×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 15×
Imperfect Isa 66:5 · Job 6:3 · Job 33:7 · Exod 5:9 · Ps 32:4 · Job 14:21 · Ps 38:5 · 2Sam 13:25 8×
Perfect 1Sam 5:11 · Gen 18:20 · Isa 59:1 · Job 23:2 · Judg 20:34 · Neh 5:18 · Gen 48:10 7×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 11×
Perfect 1Kgs 12:10 · 1Kgs 12:14 · 2Chr 10:10 · Isa 8:23 · Lam 3:7 · Neh 5:15 · Zech 7:11 · Exod 10:1 · Isa 47:6 9×
Imperfect 2Chr 10:14 1×
Sequential imperfect Isa 6:10 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 15×
Imperfect Dan 11:38 · Mal 1:6 · Ps 15:4 · 1Sam 2:30 · Isa 60:13 · 1Sam 6:6 · Judg 9:9 8×
Infinitive absolute Deut 5:16 · Exod 20:12 · Num 22:17 · Num 24:11 4×
Sequential imperfect Isa 24:15 · Prov 3:9 2×
Perfect 1Sam 6:6 1×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 3×
Imperfect Prov 13:18 · Prov 27:18 2×
Participle passive Isa 58:13 1×
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 2×
Sequential imperfect Nah 3:15 2×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
To honor or give weight to.
Showing 1 selected witness from 116 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
כָּבַד is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Glorifying the Lord affirms his supreme worth. Isaiah 24:14-16a
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