Lexical Summary chibbel: To destroy, to ruin, to corrupt Original Word: חִבֵּל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance mast From chabal (in the sense of furnished with ropes); a mast -- mast. see HEBREW chabal Brown-Driver-Briggs חִבֵּל noun [masculine] probably mast (as corded or roped in place; denominative from חֶבֶל) — only in simile of drunken man ׳שֹׁכֵב בְּראֹשׁ ח Proverbs 23:24 (opposed to שֹׁכֵב בְּלֶביָֿם) i.e. in the lookout-basket at the mast-head, compare Thes in carchesio. — ᵐ5 ᵑ9 read חֹבֵל. Topical Lexicon Root Meaning and Imagery The word evokes ropes or rigging fastened high on a ship’s mast—cordage that sways, creaks, and threatens to hurl the careless sailor into the sea. The idea of being “bound” or “tied” to such unstable lines furnishes a vivid metaphor for precarious living. Canonical Occurrence Proverbs 23:34: “You will be like one sleeping on the high seas or lying on the top of a mast.” ḥibbēl (“mast rigging”) forms the climactic picture in Solomon’s extended warning against intoxication (Proverbs 23:29–35). Moral and Theological Emphasis The comparison unpacks the disorienting power of alcohol. Just as a drunken sailor bound to rigging lurches with every wave, the intoxicated person is ruled by forces outside his control: Scripture consistently contrasts such stupefaction with Spirit-filled alertness and self-control (Ephesians 5:18; 1 Peter 5:8). Wisdom Literature Context Hebrew culture was largely agrarian; the sudden shift to a nautical scene jars the reader, heightening the lesson’s urgency. The father uses an unfamiliar, even exotic image to say, “This is where drunkenness will take you—far from solid ground, suspended over chaos.” Historical Backdrop By Solomon’s day Israeli ports at Joppa and Ezion-Geber hosted Phoenician and Arabian traders. Listeners would have seen tall masts and rigging but seldom climbed them; the danger was obvious. The proverb seizes that common sight to condemn reckless indulgence. Pastoral and Practical Applications 1. Addiction Counseling: Show how sin’s promises bind rather than liberate; urge repentance and accountability (James 5:16). Christological Perspective While sinners cling to swaying cords, Christ submitted to cords of arrest (John 18:12) and the nails of the cross, securing redemption and safe mooring for all who trust Him (John 8:36). The proverb’s negative picture thus drives hearts to the One who alone steadies life’s storm. Related Biblical Concepts • Binding pledges (חָבַל 2254) warn against encumbering oneself with destructive guarantees (Proverbs 17:18). Forms and Transliterations חִבֵּֽל׃ חבל׃ chibBel ḥib·bêl ḥibbêlLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Proverbs 23:34 HEB: וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּרֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃ NAS: on the top of a mast. KJV: upon the top of a mast. INT: down the top of a mast 1 Occurrence |
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