Strong's Lexicon hebel: Vanity, breath, vapor, futility, emptiness Original Word: הֶבֶל Word Origin: Derived from the root verb הָבַל (haval), meaning "to be vain" or "to act emptily." Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G3152 (mataios): Meaning "vain" or "empty," often used in the New Testament to describe the futility of idolatry or worldly wisdom. - G2756 (kenos): Meaning "empty" or "vain," used to describe things that are devoid of truth or purpose. Usage: The Hebrew word "hebel" primarily conveys the idea of something transient, insubstantial, or futile. It is often used metaphorically to describe the fleeting nature of life, human endeavors, and worldly pursuits. In the context of the Bible, "hebel" underscores the temporary and often meaningless nature of earthly things when viewed apart from God. Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Hebrew culture, the concept of "hebel" was closely tied to the understanding of life’s brevity and the futility of human efforts without divine purpose. The Israelites, living in a world where life was often unpredictable and harsh, would have resonated with the idea that much of human striving is ultimately "hebel" without God. This perspective is especially prominent in wisdom literature, which reflects on the human condition and the search for meaning. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition vapor, breath NASB Translation breath (5), delusion (2), emptily (1), emptiness (2), fleeting (2), fraud (1), futile (1), futility (13), idols (7), mere breath (2), nothing (1), useless (1), vain (3), vainly (1), vanity (19), vanity of vanities (3), vapor (1), worthless (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. הֶ֫בֶל73 noun masculine vapour, breath (Late Hebrew id., Syriac  id.) figurative vanity (so Late Hebrew, Syriac  ) — הָ֑בֶל Ecclesiastes 1:2 +; construct הֲבֵל Ecclesiastes 1:2 (twice in verse); Ecclesiastes 12:8, suffix הֶבְלִי etc. Ecclesiastes 6:12; Ecclesiastes 7:15; Ecclesiastes 9:9 (twice in verse); plural הֲבָלִים Jeremiah 10:8 +; construct הַבְלֵי Jeremiah 8:19 +, suffix הַבְלֵיהֶם Deuteronomy 32:21 +; — 1 literal Isaiah 57:13 all of them (the idols) יִשָּׂארֿוּחַ יִקַּח הָ֑בֶל a breath (ᵑ9 aura) will carry away, Proverbs 21:6 the getting of treasures by a lying tongue is הֶבֶל נִדָּף a vapour driven away. Elsewhere always 2 figurative of what is evanescent, unsubstantial, worthless, vanity, as of idols Jeremiah 10:15 = Jeremiah 51:18; Jeremiah 16:19 הֶבֶל וְאֵין בָּם מוֺעִיל "" (שֶׁקֶרׅ, heathen observances Jeremiah 10:3, and in phrase הָלַךְ אַחֲרֵי הַהֶבֶל Jeremiah 2:5; 2 Kings 17:15; Proverbs 13:11 הוֺן מֵהֶבֶל wealth (gotten) out of vanity, (i.e. not by solid toil, opposed to קֹבֵץ עַל יָד) is minished (but ᵐ5 ᵑ9 Ew מְבֹהָל, see Proverbs 20:21 Qr), Proverbs 31:30 שֶׁקֶר הַחֵן וְהֶבֶל הַיֹּ֑פִי, Lamentations 4:17 אֶל עֶזְרָתֵנוּ הֶבֶל to our vain (Dr§ 193 n.) help; of life Job 7:16 כִּי הֶבֶל יָמָֽי׃, Psalm 78:33 וַיְכַל בַּהֶבֶל יְמֵיהֶם consumed their days as (בְּ I:7 d vanity, man Psalm 39:6; Psalm 39:12; Psalm 62:10 הֶבֶל בְּנֵי אָדָם ֗֗֗ הֵמָּה מֵהֶבֶל יָחַד׃ they are altogether (made) of vanity, Psalm 94:11; Psalm 144:4, especially in Ecclesiastes (31 t. + הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים Ecclesiastes 1:2 (twice in verse); Ecclesiastes 12:8) of the fruitlessness of all human enterprise and endeavour, Ecclesiastes 1:2 הַכֹּל הֶבֶל, Ecclesiastes 1:14 הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ all was vanity and the pursuit of wind, Ecclesiastes 2:1,14,15 etc., Ecclesiastes 6:4 (of an abortion) בַּהֶבֶל בָּא i.e. into a lifeless existence, Ecclesiastes 6:11 יֵשׁ דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מַרְבִּים הָ֑בֶל (of discussions leading to no result), note also the phrases יְמֵי (הֶבְלוֺ, הֶבְלְךָ) הֶבְלִי Ecclesiastes 7:15; Ecclesiastes 9:9, ׳יְמֵי חַיֵּי ה Ecclesiastes 6:12; Ecclesiastes 9:9; Job 27:12 (see הָבַל), Isaiah 49:4 לְתֹהוּ וָהֶבֶל for nought and vanity have I spent my strength; as adverb accusative vainly, to no purpose Isaiah 30:7 הֶבֶל וָרִיק יַעֲזֹ֑רוּ, Psalm 39:7 אַךְ הֶבֶל יֶהֱמָיוּן they disquiet themselves to no purpose, Job 9:29: הֶבֶל אִיגָָֽע Job 35:16, with נִחַם to comfort Job 21:34; Zechariah 10:2. Plural הֲבָלִים of false gods, Deuteronomy 32:21 ) כִּעֲסוּנִי בְהַבְלֵיהֶם "" בְּלֹאאֵֿל) 1 Kings 16:13,26; Jeremiah 8:19 הַבְלֵי נֵכָר "" (בִּפְסִילֵיהֶםׅ, Jeremiah 10:8; Jeremiah 14:22 הַבְלֵי הַגּוֺיִם, Psalm 31:7 הַשֹּׁמְרִים הַבְלֵישָֿׁוְא empty vanities Jonah 2:9; in more General sense Ecclesiastes 1:2 (twice in verse); Ecclesiastes 12:8 הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים, Ecclesiastes 5:6. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance altogether, vain, vanity Or (rarely in the abs.) Habel {hab-ale'}; from habal; emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb -- X altogether, vain, vanity. see HEBREW habal Forms and Transliterations בְּהַבְלֵ֤י בְּהַבְלֵ֥י בְּהַבְלֵיהֶ֑ם בְּהַבְלֵיהֶֽם׃ בַּהֶ֥בֶל בַהֶ֥בֶל בהבל בהבלי בהבליהם בהבליהם׃ הֲבֵ֤ל הֲבֵ֥ל הֲבֵ֧ל הֲבָלִ֖ים הֲבָלִ֛ים הֲבָלִים֙ הֶ֖בֶל הֶ֙בֶל֙ הֶ֛בֶל הֶ֣בֶל הֶ֥בֶל הֶבְל֖וֹ הֶבְלִ֑י הֶבְלֶ֑ךָ הֶבְלֶ֔ךָ הֶבֶל֮ הַבְלֵי־ הַהֶ֖בֶל הַהֶ֙בֶל֙ הָ֑בֶל הָֽבֶל׃ הבל הבל׃ הבלו הבלי הבלי־ הבלים הבלך ההבל וְהֶ֖בֶל וְהֶ֣בֶל וַהֲבָלִ֔ים והבל והבלים לַהֶ֣בֶל להבל מֵהֶ֣בֶל מֵהֶ֥בֶל מהבל ba·he·ḇel ḇa·he·ḇel baheḇel ḇaheḇel baHevel bə·haḇ·lê bə·haḇ·lê·hem bəhaḇlê bəhaḇlêhem behavLei behavleiHem hă·ḇā·lîm hă·ḇêl hā·ḇel ha·he·ḇel haḇ·lê- hăḇālîm hăḇêl hāḇel haḇlê- haheḇel haHevel havaLim Havel havlei he·ḇel heḇ·le·ḵā heḇ·lî heḇ·lōw heḇel heḇleḵā heḇlî heḇlōw Hevel hevLecha hevLi hevLo la·he·ḇel laheḇel laHevel mê·he·ḇel mêheḇel meHevel vahavaLim vaHevel veHevel wa·hă·ḇā·lîm wahăḇālîm wə·he·ḇel wəheḇelLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 32:21 HEB: אֵ֔ל כִּעֲס֖וּנִי בְּהַבְלֵיהֶ֑ם וַאֲנִי֙ אַקְנִיאֵ֣ם NAS: Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous KJV: they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy INT: God have provoked their idols Me jealous 1 Kings 16:13 1 Kings 16:26 2 Kings 17:15 Job 7:16 Job 9:29 Job 21:34 Job 27:12 Job 35:16 Psalm 31:6 Psalm 39:5 Psalm 39:6 Psalm 39:11 Psalm 62:9 Psalm 62:9 Psalm 78:33 Psalm 94:11 Psalm 144:4 Proverbs 13:11 Proverbs 21:6 Proverbs 31:30 Ecclesiastes 1:2 Ecclesiastes 1:2 Ecclesiastes 1:2 Ecclesiastes 1:2 73 Occurrences |
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