Lexical Definition

‎הֶבֶל‎ hebel (heh'bel) vanity ^H:N-M
or (rarely in the abs.) הֲבֵל hăbêl (habale'); from ‎הָבַל‎

[idiom] altogether, vain, vanity.

• emptiness or vanity
• figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory
• often used as an adverb

n m
1) vapour, breath
1a) breath, vapour
1b) vanity (fig.)
adv
2) vainly

See Greek: Ἄβελ · εἴδωλον · ἐκπίπτω · κενός · μάταιος · ματαιότης · ματαιόω

Extended Information

• adv

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎הֶ֫בֶל‎₇₃ noun masculine vapour, breath (Late Hebrew id., Syriac id.) figurative vanity (so Late Hebrew, Syriac ) — ‎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 יָ˜חַד׃‎ 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, vEccl 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, vEccl 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*.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References