BDB2041
I. הֶ֫בֶל73
noun masculine
vapour, breath (Late Hebrew id., Syriac
[untranscribed source text 1230]
id.) figurative vanity (so Late Hebrew, Syriac
[untranscribed source text 1231]) — הָ֑בֶל
Eccl 1:2 +; construct
הֲבֵל
Eccl 1:2 (twice in
verse); Eccl 12:8
, suffix הֶבְלִי etc. Eccl 6:12; Eccl 7:15; Eccl 9:9 (twice in verse); plural הֲבָלִים
Jer 10:8 +;
construct הַבְלֵי
Jer 8:19 +, suffix
הַבְלֵיהֶם
Deut 32:21 +; —
1. literal Isa 57:13 all of them (the idols) יִשָּׂארֿוּחַ יִקַּח הָ֑בֶל a
breath (
ᵑ9
aura) will carry away, Prov 21:6 the getting of treasures by a lying tongue is הֶבֶל
נִדָּף a vapour driven away. Elsewhere always
2.
figurative of what is evanescent, unsubstantial, worthless, vanity, as of idols Jer 10:15 = Jer 51:18; Jer 16:19
הֶבֶל וְאֵין בָּם מוֺעִיל || (שֶׁקֶרׅ, heathen observances Jer 10:3, and in phrase
הָלַךְ אַחֲרֵי הַהֶבֶל
Jer 2:5; 2Kgs 17:15;
Prov 13:11
הוֺן מֵהֶבֶל wealth (gotten) out of vanity, (i.e. not by solid toil, opposed
to קֹבֵץ
עַל יָד) is minished (but
ᵐ5
ᵑ9
Ew
מְבֹהָל, see Prov 20:21
Qr
), Prov
31:30
שֶׁקֶר הַחֵן וְהֶבֶל הַיֹּ֑פִי, Lam 4:17
אֶל עֶזְרָתֵנוּ
הֶבֶל to our vain (Dr§ 193 n
.) help; of life Job 7:16
כִּי הֶבֶל יָמָֽי׃, Ps 78:33
וַיְכַל בַּהֶבֶל יְמֵיהֶם consumed their days as (בְּ
I:7 d
vanity, man Ps 39:6; Ps 39:12; Ps 62:10
הֶבֶל בְּנֵי אָדָם ֗֗֗ הֵמָּה מֵהֶבֶל יָחַד׃ they are altogether (made) of vanity
, Ps
94:11; Ps
144:4, especially in Ecclesiastes (31 t. + הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים
Eccl 1:2 (twice in
verse); Eccl 12:8
) of the fruitlessness of all human enterprise and endeavour, Eccl 1:2
הַכֹּל
הֶבֶל, Eccl 1:14
הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ all was vanity and the pursuit of wind, Eccl 2:1; Eccl 2:14; Eccl 2:15 etc.,
Eccl 6:4 (of an
abortion) בַּהֶבֶל בָּא i.e. into a lifeless existence, Eccl 6:11
יֵשׁ דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מַרְבִּים הָ֑בֶל (of discussions leading to no result), note also the
phrases יְמֵי (הֶבְלוֺ, הֶבְלְךָ) הֶבְלִי
Eccl 7:15; Eccl 9:9, ׳
יְמֵי חַיֵּי ה
Eccl 6:12; Eccl 9:9; Job 27:12 (see
הָבַל
), Isa 49:4
לְתֹהוּ וָהֶבֶל for nought and vanity have I spent my strength; as adverb
accusative vainly, to no purpose
Isa 30:7
הֶבֶל וָרִיק יַעֲזֹ֑רוּ, Ps 39:7
אַךְ הֶבֶל יֶהֱמָיוּן they disquiet themselves to no purpose, Job 9:29:
הֶבֶל אִיגָָֽע
Job 35:16,
with נִחַם to comfort Job 21:34; Zech 10:2. Plural
הֲבָלִים of false gods, Deut 32:21
) כִּעֲסוּנִי בְהַבְלֵיהֶם || בְּלֹאאֵֿל) 1Kgs 16:13; 1Kgs 16:26; Jer 8:19
הַבְלֵי נֵכָר || (בִּפְסִילֵיהֶםׅ, Jer 10:8; Jer 14:22
הַבְלֵי הַגּוֺיִם, Ps 31:7
הַשֹּׁמְרִים הַבְלֵישָֿׁוְא empty vanities
Jonah 2:9 in more
general sense Eccl 1:2
(twice in verse); Eccl 12:8
הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים, Eccl 5:6.