Lexical Summary hebel: Vanity, breath, vapor, futility, emptiness Original Word: הֶבֶל 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 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. Topical Lexicon Overview הֶבֶל (hebel) occurs roughly seventy-three times in the Hebrew Scriptures and conveys the notions of breath, vapor, emptiness, futility, or that which quickly dissipates. The term pictures something insubstantial and transient, often used metaphorically to expose whatever is fleeting, deceptive, or ultimately worthless when measured against the steadfast purposes of God. Semantic Range and Contextual Nuances 1. Physical breath or vapor—momentary exhalation that vanishes (Job 7:7). Major Theological Themes • Human existence apart from God is insubstantial, like a breath quickly gone (Psalm 62:9). Usage in Wisdom Literature Ecclesiastes employs hebel nearly forty times. The refrain “Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher; vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) frames the book. Here hebel is the interpretive key, diagnosing the curse of a fallen world where toil, pleasure, wisdom, and even labor for justice fail to deliver lasting profit “under the sun.” Yet the book does not counsel despair; rather, it drives the reader to find joy as a gift of God (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13) and to fear Him (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Job wrestles with suffering’s paradox: “Remember that my life is but a breath” (Job 7:7). The psalmists echo this lament—“Surely every man walks in a vain show” (Psalm 39:6)—while simultaneously testifying that covenant hope endures beyond the mist. Usage in Prophetic Writings Prophets utilize hebel polemically against political alliances, false prophets, and idols: The prophetic critique reveals that any security or salvation derived outside Yahweh dissolves like vapor. Association with Idolatry and False Worship Moses warns, “They provoked Me to jealousy with what is not God; they angered Me with their vanities” (Deuteronomy 32:21). Hebel thus serves as a technical term for idols and their cults. Jeremiah expands the theme by contrasting the Creator who fashioned the heavens with powerless images that cannot speak (Jeremiah 10:1-16). Trust in hebel forfeits covenant blessing and invites judgment (Jonah 2:8). Contrast with Divine Permanence While human plans amount to hebel, the LORD’s word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). The fleeting nature of breath underlines God’s eternal sovereignty and steadfast love. This contrast invites worshipers to relocate their confidence from temporal pursuits to the unchanging God. Pastoral and Ministerial Applications • Preaching: Hebel exposes idolatry in modern forms—materialism, self-glory, entertainment—and confronts congregations with the brevity of life. Christological Perspective The New Testament answers hebel with the substance of Christ. Whereas all creation is subjected to futility (Romans 8:20), the resurrection inaugurates a new creation of permanence. The apostle urges, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). The empty tomb transforms hebel into hope. Representative Occurrences • Deuteronomy 32:21; 1 Samuel 12:21; 1 Kings 16:13; 2 Kings 17:15 Key Word Studies and Exegetical Notes 1. Syntax: Often appears with verbs of seeing, chasing, knowing—signaling pursuit of what cannot be grasped (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Conclusion Hebel is Scripture’s penetrating term for the brevity, fragility, and futility of life apart from God. From the lamentations of Job to the wise exhortations of Solomon, from the thunder of the prophets to the promise fulfilled in Christ, the Bible consistently moves readers from the vanity of human striving to the solid hope found in the eternal Lord. 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 |
    |