I. הֶ֫בֶל73 noun masculine vapour, breath (Late Hebrew id., Syriac id.) figurative vanity (so Late Hebrew, Syriac ) — הָ֑בֶל Praed 1,2 +; construct הֲבֵל Praed 1,2 (twice in verse); Praed 12,8, suffix הֶבְלִי etc. Praed 6,12; Praed 7,15; Praed 9,9 (twice in verse); plural הֲבָלִים Jer 10,8 +; construct הַבְלֵי Jer 8,19 +, suffix הַבְלֵיהֶם 5 Mos 32,21 +; —
1. literal
Es 57,13 all of them (the idols)
יִשָּׂארֿוּחַ יִקַּח הָ֑בֶל a
breath (
ᵑ9 aura) will carry away,
Ord 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;
2 Kong 17,15;
Ord 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
Ord 20,21 Qr),
Ord 31,30 שֶׁקֶר הַחֵן וְהֶבֶל הַיֹּ֑פִי,
Klg 4,17 אֶל עֶזְרָתֵנוּ הֶבֶל to our
vain (
Dr§ 193 n.) help; of life
Job 7,16 כִּי הֶבֶל יָמָֽי׃,
Sl 78,33 וַיְכַל בַּהֶבֶל יְמֵיהֶם consumed their days
as (
בְּ I:7 d vanity, man
Sl 39,6;
Sl 39,12;
Sl 62,10 הֶבֶל בְּנֵי אָדָם ֗֗֗ הֵמָּה מֵהֶבֶל יָחַד׃ they are altogether (made)
of vanity,
Sl 94,11;
Sl 144,4, especially in Ecclesiastes (31 t. +
הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים Praed 1,2 (twice in verse);
Praed 12,8) of the fruitlessness of all human enterprise and endeavour,
Praed 1,2 הַכֹּל הֶבֶל, v
Praed 1,14 הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ all was
vanity and the pursuit of wind,
Praed 2,1;
Praed 2,14;
Praed 2,15 etc.,
Praed 6,4 (of an abortion)
בַּהֶבֶל בָּא i.e. into a lifeless existence, v
Praed 6,11 יֵשׁ דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מַרְבִּים הָ֑בֶל (of discussions leading to no result), note also the phrases
יְמֵי (
הֶבְלוֺ,
הֶבְלְךָ)
הֶבְלִי Praed 7,15;
Praed 9,9,
׳יְמֵי חַיֵּי ה Praed 6,12;
Praed 9,9;
Job 27,12 (see
הָבַל),
Es 49,4 לְתֹהוּ וָהֶבֶל for nought and
vanity have I spent my strength; as adverb accusative
vainly, to no purpose Es 30,7 הֶבֶל וָרִיק יַעֲזֹ֑רוּ,
Sl 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;
Zak 10,2.
Plural הֲבָלִים of false gods,
5 Mos 32,21 ) כִּעֲסוּנִי בְהַבְלֵיהֶם ||
בְּלֹאאֵֿל)
1 Kong 16,13;
1 Kong 16,26;
Jer 8,19 הַבְלֵי נֵכָר ||
(בִּפְסִילֵיהֶםׅ,
Jer 10,8;
Jer 14,22 הַבְלֵי הַגּוֺיִם,
Sl 31,7 הַשֹּׁמְרִים הַבְלֵישָֿׁוְא empty
vanities Jon 2,9 in more general sense
Praed 1,2 (twice in verse);
Praed 12,8 הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים,
Praed 5,6.