Original Word: סֹבֶל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: cobel
Pronunciation: so-bale' or soob-bahl'
Phonetic Spelling: (so'-bel)
KJV: burden
NASB: burden
Word Origin: [from H5445 (סָבַל - bear)]

1. a load (figuratively)

burden

(only in the form cubbal {soob-bawl'}; from cabal; a load (figuratively) -- burden.

see HEBREW cabal

Word Origin
from sabal
Definition
a burden
NASB Translation
burden (3).

[סֹ֫בֶל] noun masculine^{Isaiah 10:27} burden (always figurative of burden of tyranny); — only suffix סֻבְּלוֺ, Isaiah 10:27 (see references on סֻבְּכוֺ, [סְבֹךְ]), ׳עֹל ס Isaiah 9:3; Isaiah 14:25 (in all conceived as burden resting on shoulders).

Meaning and Scope

סֹבֶל depicts a weight laid on the shoulders—whether a literal load or the figurative pressure of political domination, economic exploitation, or spiritual bondage. The word appears only in the prophecies of Isaiah and is always paired with imagery of the “yoke” (עֹל) that fastens the burden to the neck. Thus, סֹבֶל communicates not merely heaviness but a systemic oppression that demands divine intervention.

Occurrences and Immediate Context

Isaiah 9:4 – “You have shattered the yoke of their burden and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, as in the day of Midian.”

Isaiah 10:27 – “In that day the burden will be lifted from your shoulders and the yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because of the fatness.”

Isaiah 14:25 – “I will break Assyria in My land; on My mountains I will trample him down. Then his yoke will be taken from them and his burden removed from their shoulders.”

In each text סֹבֶל is inseparably linked to God’s promised act of breaking foreign domination—first symbolically (9:4), then historically against Assyria (10:27; 14:25).

Historical Background: Assyrian Oppression

Isaiah preached during the eighth century BC when the Assyrian empire levied heavy tribute, conscripted labor, and threatened Judah’s existence. Tribute lists from Assyrian annals record staggering amounts of silver, gold, and produce demanded from vassal states. Such taxation literally “loaded” the nation. The prophetic use of סֹבֶל voices the national memory of crushing war-taxes, enforced servitude, and the psychological weight of foreign rule.

Prophetic Theology of Burden Removal

1. Divine Initiative – The verbs surrounding סֹבֶל (“shattered,” “lifted,” “removed”) emphasize that only God can destroy the structures that fasten the burden.
2. Covenant Faithfulness – Deliverance fulfills earlier promises: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians” (Exodus 6:7). Isaiah recasts the Exodus motif for a new generation.
3. Messianic Overtones – Isaiah 9:4 precedes the Child-King prophecy (9:6–7). The lifting of סֹבֶל anticipates the righteous reign of the Prince of Peace.
4. Eschatological Pattern – Isaiah 10:27 shifts to “in that day,” a phrase used to telescope near fulfillment (Assyria’s fall) and ultimate fulfillment in the Day of the LORD.
5. Universal Scope – Isaiah 14:25 extends the principle to “My land” and “My mountains,” signaling that the LORD’s redemptive action reverberates beyond Judah to cosmic order.

Intertextual Connections

• Psalm 81:6 recalls the Exodus: “I relieved his shoulder of the burden.” The same redemptive pattern recurs in Isaiah.
• Jeremiah 27–28 uses “yoke” imagery to warn Judah not to throw off Babylon’s discipline prematurely; thus burden-breaking is God-timed, not self-willed.
• Matthew 11:28–30 offers the Christological climax: “My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Jesus lifts the crushing weight of sin that the law could only expose (Acts 15:10; Galatians 5:1).
• Revelation 18 portrays final Babylon falling, marking the ultimate removal of oppressive burdens from the earth.

Ministry and Pastoral Implications

1. Preaching the Gospel – סֹבֶל drives home the reality of humanity’s enslaving burdens—sin, guilt, fear—and the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement to break every yoke.
2. Intercession – Like Isaiah, believers pray for God to dismantle oppressive systems (Psalm 72:4) while ministering relief through acts of justice and mercy (Isaiah 58:6–7).
3. Counseling – The term legitimizes believers’ feelings of weight under trials and directs them to cast their burdens on the LORD (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7).
4. Discipleship – Freedom from the old burden is not autonomy but joyful submission to the Messiah’s “easy yoke,” fostering holiness and mission.
5. Missions – Isaiah’s vision fuels hope for oppressed peoples today; gospel proclamation and humanitarian work embody God’s historic pattern of burden-lifting.

Worship and Personal Devotion

• Thanksgiving – Praise centers on God’s past and present acts of burden-breaking.
• Lament – Honest confession of felt weight positions the worshiper for divine relief.
• Hope – Meditation on Isaiah 9, 10, and 14 anchors believers amid global turmoil, anticipating the day when every oppressive burden is forever removed (Revelation 22:3).

Key Passages for Further Study

Exodus 1:11; Psalm 81:6; Isaiah 58:6; Matthew 11:28–30; Acts 15:10; Galatians 5:1; Revelation 18:1–8.

וְסֻ֨בֳּל֔וֹ וסבלו סֻבֳּל֗וֹ סֻבֳּלוֹ֙ סבלו sub·bo·lōw subboLo subbolōw veSubboLo wə·sub·bo·lōw wəsubbolōwInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts