Lexical Summary chebrah: Company, association, band, group Original Word: חֶבְרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance company Feminine of cheber; association -- company. see HEBREW cheber NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfem. of cheber Definition association, company NASB Translation company (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חֶבְרָה noun feminine association, company (abstract); עִם מִּעֲלֵי אָוֶן ׳וְאָרַה לְח Job 34:8 and he goeth for company with doers of wickedness ("" וְלָלֶכֶת עִםאַֿנְשֵׁיאשֵׁירֶֿשַׁע). Topical Lexicon Overviewחֶבְרָה (chevráh) denotes a gathered company marked by shared purpose. In Job 34:8 Elihu accuses Job of choosing “company with evildoers and walk[ing] with wicked men”, using the noun to spotlight deliberate identification with a collective. Though the term itself appears only here, Scripture consistently treats one’s chosen associations as spiritually determinative. Scriptural Context Job 34 records Elihu’s third speech. Arguing that God cannot act unjustly (Job 34:10–12), he claims Job has “kept company” with the ungodly, an assertion intended to expose the moral danger of alignment with sin. The single use of חֶבְרָה thus functions polemically, reinforcing the covenant principle that fellowship carries ethical weight (compare Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 13:20). Theological Emphasis 1. Spiritual Solidarity Chevráh underscores that individuals are not isolated moral agents; they are shaped by the communities they embrace. Scripture repeatedly warns that proximity to sin hardens the heart (Proverbs 22:24–25; 1 Corinthians 15:33). 2. Covenant Identity Israel’s calling was communal (Exodus 19:6). Fellowship was to be ordered around God’s holiness, so illicit alliances threatened covenant purity (Deuteronomy 7:2–4; Nehemiah 13:23–27). Chevráh in Job highlights the same covenant dynamic—association implies endorsement. 3. Divine Justice Elihu’s charge also anticipates eschatological separation. Jesus affirms that in the final judgment the righteous and the wicked will be sorted according to their “company” (Matthew 13:49). Chevráh functions as a moral dividing line. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Near-Eastern societies relied on tightly knit groups—clans, guilds, and alliances—for protection and identity. Membership signaled loyalty. In Israel this structure was redirected to serve Yahweh alone; any chevráh detached from covenant commitments threatened national fidelity (Hosea 9:10). Job’s alleged alignment with evildoers would therefore be a serious charge in the cultural milieu. Intertextual Echoes While חֶבְרָה is unique to Job 34:8, cognate forms of the root חבר appear widely: • “I am a friend to all who fear You” (Psalm 119:63). These occurrences broaden the idea of fellowship, showing both godly and ungodly possibilities. The singular use of chevráh thus stands as the negative counterpart to righteous companionship. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Discipleship Pastors should evaluate the peer networks of believers. Like Job’s accusers, people may misread outward circumstances, yet Scripture is clear that sustained participation in sinful circles endangers faith (James 4:4). 2. Church Discipline Paul urges separation from unrepentant sinners to preserve corporate holiness (2 Thessalonians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 5:11). The principle embedded in chevráh legitimizes such measures. 3. Evangelism While believers must remain distinct, they are also Christ’s ambassadors within fallen communities (John 17:15). The caution of Job 34:8 balances the Great Commission by insisting that engagement never becomes complicity. Redemptive Trajectory The gospel resolves the tension implicit in chevráh. Jesus “eats with sinners” (Luke 15:2) yet remains sinless, providing the model for sanctified presence. At the cross He is reckoned among transgressors (Isaiah 53:12), so that those once in the company of evildoers might be transferred into “the assembly of the righteous” (Psalm 1:5). Summary חֶבְרָה, though occurring only once, captures a pervasive biblical truth: fellowship shapes destiny. Job 34:8 warns that aligning with wickedness invites divine scrutiny. Conversely, the redeemed are summoned into a holy company, the church, whose shared life proclaims the righteousness of God and anticipates the eternal congregation of the Lamb. Forms and Transliterations לְ֭חֶבְרָה לחברה lə·ḥeḇ·rāh Lechevrah ləḥeḇrāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 34:8 HEB: וְאָרַ֣ח לְ֭חֶבְרָה עִם־ פֹּ֣עֲלֵי NAS: Who goes in company with the workers KJV: Which goeth in company with the workers INT: goes company with the workers 1 Occurrence |
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