Lexical Summary chabburah: Wound, bruise, stripe Original Word: חַבּוּרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance blueness, bruise, hurt, stripe, wound Or chabburah {khab-boo-raw'}; or chaburah {khab-oo-raw'}; from chabar; properly, bound (with stripes), i.e. A weal (or black-and-blue mark itself) -- blueness, bruise, hurt, stripe, wound. see HEBREW chabar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chabar Definition a stripe, blow NASB Translation bruise (2), scourging (1), striking (1), stripes (1), welts (1), wounds (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חַבּוּרָה, [חַבֻּרָה, חֲבֻרָה] noun feminine stripe, blow; — absolute ׳הַבּ Isaiah 1:6 2t.; suffix חַבֻּרָתִי Genesis 4:23; חֲבֻרָתוֺ Isaiah 53:5; plural construct חַבֻּרוֺת Proverbs 20:30; suffix חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י Psalm 38:6: — stripe, blow, stroke, Genesis 4:23 my blow, i.e. for striking me (J), compare Exodus 21:25 (twice in verse) (JE), also of injury to land of Judah (under figure of human body) Isaiah 1:6 (all "" מֶּצַע, see below); of blows (singular collective) inflicted on suffering servant of ׳י Isaiah 53:5; (plural) Psalm 38:6, חַבֻּרוֺת מֶּצַע Proverbs 20:30, i.e. blows that cut in ("" מַכּוֺת). Topical Lexicon Biblical imagery and semantic field חַבּוּרָה evokes the visible mark left by a blow—stripe, bruise, welt, or festering wound. The word therefore speaks of inflicted damage, whether as the natural consequence of violence, the measured result of lawful punishment, or the symptomatic evidence of deeper moral or spiritual disorder. In Scripture the vocabulary of wounding becomes a powerful metaphor that ranges from interpersonal vengeance to national apostasy and, ultimately, to redemptive suffering. Usage in the Torah 1. Genesis 4:23 introduces the term in a context of escalating retribution. Lamech boasts, “I have killed a man for wounding me, a boy for striking me” (Genesis 4:23), revealing a heart that multiplies violence far beyond the original חַבּוּרָה received. The verse sets the stage for the Old Covenant’s later demand that retaliation be limited rather than increased. 2. Exodus 21:25 embeds חַבּוּרָה within Israel’s civil code: “burn for burn, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe” (Exodus 21:25). Here the word anchors the lex talionis principle, ensuring proportional justice. Rather than endorsing personal vengeance, the statute restricts it, guarding human dignity and restraining further bloodshed within the theocratic community. Wisdom literature Psalm 38:5 places the stripe on the psalmist himself: “My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness” (Psalm 38:5). The physical image mirrors the moral decay produced by sin; David’s unchecked transgression leaves him spiritually ulcerated until he cries for mercy. Proverbs 20:30 employs the term didactically: “Blows and wounds cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the inmost parts” (Proverbs 20:30). The proverb upholds corrective discipline—whether parental, judicial, or divine—as a means through which folly is expunged and character refined. Prophetic usage Isaiah twice draws on חַבּוּרָה. In Isaiah 1:6 the prophet depicts Judah’s apostasy: “From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness—only wounds, welts, and festering sores.” National sin has rendered God’s people a body sick unto death. Isaiah 53:5 then turns the image on its head: “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). The Servant absorbs the wound that belonged to the covenant breakers, providing the remedy that Judah could never produce for herself. Christological fulfillment The Septuagint translates חַבּוּרָה in Isaiah 53:5 with a term picked up in 1 Peter 2:24: “By His stripes you were healed.” The apostle reads Isaiah through the lens of Calvary, declaring that the bruises laid on Christ in His scourging and crucifixion secure both justification and the ultimate restoration of the believer—spirit, soul, and body. The word thus links Old Covenant prophecy with New Covenant accomplishment, underscoring the unity of Scripture’s redemptive storyline. Pastoral and ministry applications • Preaching: חַבּוּרָה provides a vivid entry point for proclaiming both the seriousness of sin (our self-inflicted wounds) and the sufficiency of the atonement (His healing stripes). Summary From Lamech’s murderous revenge to the Servant’s sacrificial suffering, חַבּוּרָה traces a trajectory from humanity’s destructive blows to God’s redemptive wound-bearing. The word calls readers to lament sin’s damage, embrace Christ’s healing, and participate in extending that healing to a wounded world. Forms and Transliterations וְחַבּוּרָ֖ה וּבַחֲבֻרָת֖וֹ ובחברתו וחבורה חַבֻּר֣וֹת חַבּוּרָ֕ה חַבּוּרָֽה׃ חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י חבורה חבורה׃ חבורתי חברות לְחַבֻּרָתִֽי׃ לחברתי׃ chabbuRah chabbuRot chabburoTai ḥab·bū·rāh ḥab·bū·rō·ṯāy ḥab·bu·rō·wṯ ḥabbūrāh ḥabbūrōṯāy ḥabburōwṯ lə·ḥab·bu·rā·ṯî lechabburaTi ləḥabburāṯî ū·ḇa·ḥă·ḇu·rā·ṯōw ūḇaḥăḇurāṯōw uvachavuraTo vechabbuRah wə·ḥab·bū·rāh wəḥabbūrāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 4:23 HEB: לְפִצְעִ֔י וְיֶ֖לֶד לְחַבֻּרָתִֽי׃ NAS: me; And a boy for striking me; KJV: and a young man to my hurt. INT: wounding boy striking Exodus 21:25 Exodus 21:25 Psalm 38:5 Proverbs 20:30 Isaiah 1:6 Isaiah 53:5 7 Occurrences |
    |