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Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words

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Concordances
Nave Topical Bible
• Breath
Thompson Chain Reference
• Breath
Dictionaries
Holman Bible Dictionary
• Breath of Life
• Breath
Hastings' NT Dictionary
• Breathing
King James Dictionary
• Breathing
• Breathed
• Breathe
•   (only first 3 shown)
Hawker's Poor Man's Dictionary
• Breath
Vines' Expository Dictionary
• Breath, Breathe
• Spirit; Breath
• Breath
Wilson's Bible Types
• Breath
Webster Dictionary
• Short-Breathed
• Long-Breathed
• Breathing
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Encyclopedias
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Breath; Breathe; Breathing
The Jewish Encyclopedia
• Breath
Lexicons
• ܢܦ݂ܰܚ
• ܢܰܦ݂ܫܳܐ
• ܪܽܘܚܳܐ
• ἐκπνέω
• ἐκψύχω
• ἐμπνέω
•   (only first 3 shown)
• אַף , אַפַּיִם
• גָּוַע
• הֶבֶל
•   (only first 3 shown)

Hebel (הֲבֵל, Strong's #1892), “breath; vanity; idol.” Cognates of this noun occur in Syriac, late Aramaic, and Arabic. All but 4 of its 72 occurrences are in poetry (37 in Ecclesiastes). First, the word represents human “breath” as a transitory thing: “I loathe it; I would not live always: let me alone; for my days are vanity [literally, but a breath]” (Job 7:16). Second, hebel means something meaningless and purposeless: “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity” (Eccl. 1:2). Third, this word signifies an “idol,” which is unsubstantial, worthless, and vain: “They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities …” (Deut. 32:21—the first occurrence).