Original Word: חֲבַל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: chabal
Pronunciation: khaw-BAL
Phonetic Spelling: (khab-al')
KJV: destroy, hurt
NASB: destroyed, destroy, harmed
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H2254 (חָבַל - To bind)]

1. to ruin

destroy, hurt

(Aramaic) corresponding to chabal; to ruin -- destroy, hurt.

see HEBREW chabal

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to chabal
Definition
to destroy, hurt
NASB Translation
destroy (2), destroyed (3), harmed (1).

[חֲבַל] verb Pa`el destroy, hurt (see Biblical Hebrew II. חבל); — Perfect3masculine plural suffix חַבְּלוּנִי Daniel 6:23 (of lions); Imperative masculine plural suffix חַבְּלוּהִי Daniel 4:20 (suffix of tree); Infinitive לְחַבָּלָה Ezra 6:12 (accusative of temple).

Hithpa. be destroyed: Imperfect3feminine singular תִּתְחַבַּל Daniel 2:44; Daniel 6:27; Daniel 7:14 (בַּ֑ל-; all of kingdom of God).

Occurrences and Narrative Settings

Ezra 6:12 situates חֲבַל in a royal decree that threatens anyone who would “destroy this house of God in Jerusalem.” In the Aramaic chapters of Daniel the verb appears five times. It describes both divine judgment (“Cut down the tree and destroy it,” Daniel 4:23) and divine protection (“They have not harmed me,” Daniel 6:22). Most prominently, it frames the permanence of God’s kingdom: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44; cf. 6:26; 7:14).

Themes of Destruction and Preservation

1. Human Threat versus Sacred Space (Ezra 6:12).

The temple represents God’s dwelling and covenantal presence. Any attempt to חֲבַל it is met with the promise of swift divine retribution, underscoring the inviolability of worship that He Himself has ordained.

2. Judgment on Pride (Daniel 4:23).

Nebuchadnezzar’s tree-vision links חֲבַל to the humbling of arrogant rulers. The command to “destroy” the tree anticipates the king’s temporary dethronement, teaching that earthly sovereignty is conditional upon submission to Heaven.

3. Protection of the Righteous (Daniel 6:22).

The lions are rendered harmless; חֲבַל is expressly negated: “They have not harmed me.” Divine intervention reverses expected destruction, showing that covenant faithfulness secures real-time deliverance.

4. The Indestructible Kingdom (Daniel 2:44; 6:26; 7:14).

The same verb that threatens temples and trees is categorically denied with reference to God’s reign. Repetition of “will never be destroyed” amplifies the contrast between transient empires and the everlasting rule bestowed upon the “Son of Man.”

Historical Setting

חֲבַל surfaces only in the post-exilic Aramaic sections of Scripture, a linguistic reminder that Israel’s God was active in the courts of Persia and Babylon. The verb’s usage by foreign monarchs (Darius, Nebuchadnezzar, Darius the Mede) reflects how pagan rulers became unwitting mouthpieces for divine revelation: they decree that what God secures, no human power can harm or dismantle.

Theological Significance

• Sovereign Immunity: What God establishes—whether temple, servant, or kingdom—cannot be permanently harmed.
• Moral Accountability: Attempts to חֲבַל God’s work invite self-destruction (Ezra 6:12; Daniel 4:30-33).
• Eschatological Assurance: The repeated promise of a kingdom “never to be destroyed” anchors prophetic hope and frames the mission of the church within an unshakeable future.

Christological Foreshadowing

Daniel 7:14’s promise that Messiah’s kingdom “will never be destroyed” is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18). The victory of the cross and resurrection guarantees that the reign entrusted to the Son of Man is immune to every attempt at חֲבַל.

Ministry Application

• Worship: Guard the sanctity of corporate and personal worship, knowing that God defends what He inhabits.
• Courage: Like Daniel, believers can serve with integrity in hostile environments, confident that ultimate harm is impossible without divine permission.
• Evangelism: The certainty of an indestructible kingdom emboldens proclamation; the gospel cannot be thwarted.
• Hope: In times of cultural upheaval, meditate on the thrice-repeated pledge that God’s kingdom “will never be destroyed,” allowing it to shape outlook, priorities, and perseverance.

Summary

חֲבַל highlights the tension between destructive human intent and God’s preservative authority. Six strategic occurrences declare that while temporal structures may be threatened and judged, whatever is joined to God’s eternal purpose—His house, His servants, His kingdom—stands secure, immune to ultimate ruin.

וְחַבְּל֗וּהִי וחבלוהי חַבְּל֑וּנִי חבלוני לְחַבָּלָ֛ה לחבלה תִתְחַבַּ֔ל תִתְחַבַּֽל׃ תתחבל תתחבל׃ chabbeLuni ḥab·bə·lū·nî ḥabbəlūnî lə·ḥab·bā·lāh lechabbaLah ləḥabbālāh ṯiṯ·ḥab·bal titchabBal ṯiṯḥabbal vechabbeLuhi wə·ḥab·bə·lū·hî wəḥabbəlūhîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts