הֶבֶל
hebel · heh'bel
emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb
Lexicon
Derivation: or (rarely in the abs.) הֲבֵל; from H1891 (הָבַל);
emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb
- emptiness or vanity
- figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory
- often used as an adverb
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: [idiom] altogether, vain, vanity.
Letters
- הHe5
Picture: a person with both arms raised
- Concrete
- a man calling out · a window · breath
- Extended
- behold! · revelation · to reveal · the (definite article)
- בBet2
Picture: floor plan of a tent or house
- Concrete
- house · tent · dwelling
- Extended
- family · household · what is inside · in
- לLamed30
Picture: shepherd's staff or goad
- Concrete
- staff · goad · yoke · cattle prod
- Extended
- authority · to lead · to teach · to bind · toward
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
to reveal, behold › the house, what is within › authority, the one who leads
To reveal, behold of the house, what is within of authority, the one who leads.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of הֶבֶל above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
73 occurrences · 73 OT · 0 NT · 33 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- vanity10 · 17%
- this is also vanity7 · 12%
- in vain4 · 7%
- of vanities4 · 7%
- with their vanities3 · 5%
- vanities3 · 5%
- is vanity3 · 5%
- this also is vanity3 · 5%
- are vanity2 · 3%
- all is vanity2 · 3%
- of thy vanity2 · 3%
- they are vanity2 · 3%
- i in vain1 · 2%
- ye me in vain1 · 2%
- it; why then are ye thus altogether1 · 2%
- of low degree are vanity1 · 2%
- lighter than vanity1 · 2%
- in vanity1 · 2%
- that they are vanity1 · 2%
- to vanity1 · 2%
- gotten by vanity1 · 2%
- is a vanity1 · 2%
- is vain1 · 2%
- and, behold, all is vanity1 · 2%
- and, behold, this also is vanity1 · 2%
Where it is used, by book.
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.