Lexical Summary chabal: To bind, pledge, destroy, ruin Original Word: חֲבַל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance damage, hurt (Aramaic) from chabal; harm (personal or pecuniary) -- damage, hurt. see HEBREW chabal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) from chabal Definition a hurt, injury NASB Translation damage (1), harm (1), injury (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חֲבָל noun masculine6:24 hurt, injury; — absolute ׳ח Daniel 3:25; Daniel 6:24, compare RÉS362A 2; emphatic חֲבָלָא Ezra 4:22. Topical Lexicon Semantic Emphasis חֲבַל carries the idea of deliberate harm—material loss in Ezra 4:22; bodily injury in Daniel 3:25 and Daniel 6:23. The contexts show a spectrum from economic sabotage to physical damage, always highlighting the contrast between human intent and divine overruling. Occurrences in Canonical Narrative • Ezra 4:22 situates the term in an imperial memorandum: “See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the damage to the kings?”. Here חֲבַל warns of political-economic loss if Jerusalem’s walls are rebuilt. Historical Setting All three occurrences fall within the Persian period. Imperial edicts in Ezra reflect bureaucratic anxiety over rebellion. Daniel’s court tales reveal life-and-death stakes for covenant believers in a pluralistic empire. The shared Aramaic milieu emphasizes foreign domination, yet highlights God’s sovereignty amid exile. Theological Themes 1. Divine Protection: Both Daniel passages declare that faithfulness can nullify intended harm. The fiery furnace and lions’ den echo Psalm 91:10—“no harm will befall you”—demonstrating the consistency of God’s protective character. Implications for Faith and Practice • Confidence in Exposed Places: Believers operating under hostile systems can trust that no ultimate harm will reach them outside God’s will. Homiletical Insights • Textual Bridge: Contrast Ezra’s threatened harm with Daniel’s prevented harm to demonstrate the difference faith makes. Related Biblical Motifs Damage to the king’s interests (Ezra) mirrors the economic fears behind the silversmith riot in Acts 19:27. Physical preservation in Daniel parallels Paul’s snakebite in Acts 28:5. Together these texts reinforce the principle that God both permits and restrains harm to accomplish redemptive purposes. Forms and Transliterations וַחֲבָ֖ל וחבל חֲבָל֙ חֲבָלָ֔א חבל חבלא chaVal chavaLa ḥă·ḇā·lā ḥă·ḇāl ḥăḇāl ḥăḇālā vachaVal wa·ḥă·ḇāl waḥăḇālLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 4:22 HEB: לְמָה֙ יִשְׂגֵּ֣א חֲבָלָ֔א לְהַנְזָקַ֖ת מַלְכִֽין׃ NAS: [matter]; why should damage increase KJV: why should damage grow INT: why increase damage to the detriment king Daniel 3:25 Daniel 6:23 3 Occurrences |