Proverbs 20:16:7Prov.20.16.W7TAB
חַבְלֵֽהוּ׃
khavelehu
“take as pledge from him”
- Transliteration
- kha-ve-LE-hu
- Extended
- khah-veh-LEE-hu
- IPA
- /ħavˈleːhuː/
Meaning by language
- English
- take as pledge from him
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Chet | ch — deep guttural, as in Scottish loch | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Bet | b with dagesh; v without dagesh | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Tsere | long 'ey' as in they | |
| He | h as in house; silent at word end | |
| Vav | v as in vine; marks long ō / ū |
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Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
kha-ve-LE-hu
- phraseyour reading level
na-khe-RIM na-khe-ri-YA kha-ve-LE-hu
- clause
u-ve-AD na-khe-RIM na-khe-ri-YA kha-ve-LE-hu
- sentence
le-KAKH-bi-ge-DO KI-a-RAV ZAR u-ve-AD na-khe-RIM na-khe-ri-YA kha-ve-LE-hu
Exegesis
The final Piel imperative khavlehu {חַבְּלֵֽהוּ | khăv-lê-hû} ‘bind him for a pledge’ completes the legal instruction. The balanced paratactic structure underscores the principle that anyone acting as guarantor for outsiders must provide collateral. The maintenance of the Hebrew clause order preserves the verse’s emphasis on communal protection.
Root and etymology
ḥ-b-lchet–bet–lamed
“to bind”
In context — Proverbs 20:16
Take his garment if he becomes surety for a stranger, and on behalf of foreigners hold him as a pledge .
About this coordinate
Proverbs 20:16:7 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 7 of Proverbs 20:16, so the Hebrew word חַבְלֵֽהוּ׃ (khavelehu) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written Prov.20.16.W7, which extends further down to each syllable (Prov.20.16.W7.S1) and character.