בַּ/הֶ֥בֶל
𐤁/𐤄𐤁𐤋
hebel
in futility
Breath, vapor, that which quickly passes or lacks substance; by extension, something fleeting, futile, insubstantial, or lacking real value. In many contexts, the term denotes transience, worthlessness, or the absence of lasting meaning, and is sometimes used metaphorically for things thought to be illusory, futile, or deceptive in their promise of significance.
vulu "air, wind" (Luvale) · vulu "air" (Chokwe) · ovulu "air, wind" (Umbundu) +2 morePsalms 78:33 · Word #2
Lexicon H1892
| Lemma | הֶבֶל |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤄𐤁𐤋 |
| Transliteration | hebel |
| Strong's | H1892 |
| Definition | Breath, vapor, that which quickly passes or lacks substance; by extension, something fleeting, futile, insubstantial, or lacking real value. In many contexts, the term denotes transience, worthlessness, or the absence of lasting meaning, and is sometimes used metaphorically for things thought to be illusory, futile, or deceptive in their promise of significance. |
Morphology HRd/Ncmsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
Common Translation
| Phrase | in futility |
SIBI-P1 Translation H1892-01
in the vapor
| Morphological Notes | Preposition בְּ + definite article + masculine singular absolute noun הֶבֶל. |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun הֶבֶל denotes breath or vapor—something fleeting and insubstantial. The prefixed בַּ־ marks "in the" with the definite article, so the rendering preserves both the preposition and the concrete root image of vapor. |
View full lexicon entry for H1892 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
in vanity
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | P1 'in the vapor' is literal, but the context (life's futility) and SILEX definition support the more figurative 'in vanity' which is standard in this passage. |
Bantu Hebrew
בַּ/הֶ֥בֶל (hebel) — Breath, vapor, that which quickly passes or lacks substance; by extension, something fleeting, futile, insubstantial, or lacking real value. In many contexts, the term denotes transience, worthlessness, or the absence of lasting meaning, and is sometimes used metaphorically for things thought to be illusory, futile, or deceptive in their promise of significance.