StrongerBible

ḥavash

חָבַשׁ

HebrewH2280saddle, bind up, ...

Appears 33 times · tap a cell to see the verses

Gen 22:3Exo 29:9Lev 8:13Num 22:21Jdg 19:102Sa 16:12Sa 17:232Sa 19:26(27)1Ki 2:401Ki 13:13 (2×)1Ki 13:231Ki 13:27 (2×)2Ki 4:24Job 5:18Job 28:11Job 34:17Job 40:13Psa 147:3Isa 1:6Isa 3:7Isa 30:26Isa 61:1Ezk 16:10Ezk 24:17Ezk 27:24Ezk 30:21 (2×)Ezk 34:4Ezk 34:16Hos 6:1Jon 2:5(6)
Word studykhah-VASHverb

What ḥavash means

to bind on: to fasten, wrap, or tie something firmly onto or around something else (a saddle onto a donkey, a bandage onto a wound, a turban onto the head)

TranslatabilityPartialCertaintyStrong

At its core this is a hands-on, physical verb: taking one thing and fastening it firmly onto or around another. The same word does the ordinary work of strapping a saddle onto a donkey and the tender work of wrapping a bandage around a wound, because both are the same basic action of binding something on.

That physical picture branches into the word's whole range. Fastening a bandage onto an injury becomes the Bible's favorite image of care and repair, so the word slides naturally from "bandage" to "heal" and "restore." Fastening a headdress or wrapping cloth around the body is part of getting someone dressed, whether a priest being robed or a mourner told to keep his turban on. And binding something so it is held fast gives the word its harder edge: to dam up flowing water, to confine, and by extension to hold the reins of authority.

Because English reaches for a different word in each of these settings (saddle, bandage, bind up, wrap, heal, and in one debated verse govern), it is easy to miss that a single Hebrew verb lies underneath them all. The unifying idea is always the firm fastening of one thing onto or around another.

Nuances

1ato saddle an animal: to strap the saddle or riding gear onto a donkey
Gen 22:3Num 22:21Jdg 19:102Sa 16:12Sa 17:232Sa 19:26(27)1Ki 2:401Ki 13:13 (2×)1Ki 13:231Ki 13:27 (2×)2Ki 4:24
1bto bind up a wound: to dress and bandage an injury, and so to heal or restore
Job 5:18Psa 147:3Isa 1:6Isa 3:7Isa 30:26Isa 61:1Ezk 30:21 (2×)Ezk 34:4Ezk 34:16Hos 6:1
1cto bind on or wrap: to fasten a turban, garment, or cords onto or around something
Exo 29:9Lev 8:13Ezk 16:10Ezk 24:17Ezk 27:24Jon 2:5(6)
1dto bind fast: to hold in, dam up, or confine
Job 28:11Job 40:13
1eto govern: to hold the reins of authority
Job 34:17

What scholars say about ḥavash

The lexica treat חבשׁ as a single verb with a coherent range built on the physical act of binding on: saddling a beast (binding gear on), binding up or bandaging a wound (whence the frequent figurative "heal, restore"), binding on a headdress or wrapping the body, and binding fast so as to dam, confine, or restrain. BDB and HALOT organize the range this way, with the healing usage prominent in the prophets and Psalms and often collocated with רפא. The passive and intensive forms carry the same range (Isaiah 1:6; Ezekiel 30:21; the participle in Psalm 147:3; the intensive form in Job 28:11). The one contested occurrence is Job 34:17, where a governing sense ("shall one who hates justice govern?") is widely adopted as an extension of "bind, hold fast," though the ordinary "bind up" is also defended.

Sources

  • HALOT, s.v. חבשׁlexicon
  • BDB, s.v. חבשׁlexicon
  • TWOT, entry on חבשׁ (no. 599)dictionary

All attested forms of חָבַשׁ

qal consecutive-imperfect 3ms

וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ, וַיַּחֲבָשׁ

Gen 22:3, Lev 8:13, Num 22:21, 2Sa 17:23, 1Ki 2:40, 1Ki 13:23

qal infinitive-construct construct

חֲבֹשׁ, חָבְשָׁ

Isa 30:26, Isa 61:1, Ezk 30:21

qal passive-participle m p absolute

חֲבֻשִׁים, חֲבוּשִׁים

2Sa 16:1, Ezk 27:24, Jdg 19:10

qal conjunctive-imperfect 3ms

וְיֶחְבָּשׁ, וְיַחְבְּשֵׁ

Job 5:18, Hos 6:1

qal consecutive-imperfect 3mp

וַיַּחְבְּשׁוּ, וַיַּחֲבֹשׁוּ

1Ki 13:13, 1Ki 13:27

qal imperative 2mp

חִבְשׁוּ

1Ki 13:13, 1Ki 13:27

qal imperative 2ms

חֲבוֹשׁ, חֲבֹשׁ

Ezk 24:17, Job 40:13

piel participle m s absolute

מְחַבֵּשׁ

Psa 147:3

piel perfect 3ms

חִבֵּשׁ

Job 28:11

pual perfect 3cp

חֻבָּשׁוּ

Isa 1:6

pual perfect 3fs

חֻבְּשָׁה

Ezk 30:21

qal cohortative 1cs

אֶחְבְּשָׁה

2Sa 19:26

qal consecutive-imperfect 1cs

וָאֶחְבְּשֵׁ

Ezk 16:10

qal consecutive-imperfect 3fs

וַתַּחֲבֹשׁ

2Ki 4:24

qal consecutive-perfect 2ms

וְחָבַשְׁתָּ

Exo 29:9

qal imperfect 1cs

אֶחֱבֹשׁ

Ezk 34:16

qal imperfect 3ms

יַחֲבוֹשׁ

Job 34:17

qal participle m s absolute

חֹבֵשׁ

Isa 3:7

qal passive-participle m s absolute

חָבוּשׁ

Jon 2:5

qal perfect 2mp

חֲבַשְׁתֶּם

Ezk 34:4