סָבַךְ
to entwine
Definition
The Hebrew verb סָבַךְ (çâbak) means to entwine, interweave, or wrap together. It describes the action of things becoming densely intertwined, such as roots or thorns. In Job 8:17, it depicts roots becoming tightly wrapped around a heap of stones, illustrating something that appears secure but is ultimately fragile. In Nahum 1:10, it portrays thorns being entangled and drunkards being drenched, conveying a sense of inescapable, chaotic entanglement leading to destruction.
Biblical Usage
This verb is used only twice in the Old Testament, both in poetic contexts. In Job 8:17, it describes the physical intertwining of roots, used in Bildad's metaphor for the fate of the godless. In Nahum 1:10, it is used metaphorically to describe how the enemies of God will be entangled like thorns and consumed. The usage consistently conveys a sense of being bound or trapped, whether literally or figuratively.
Etymology
A primitive root, סָבַךְ is related to the idea of interweaving or netting. Cognates in other Semitic languages suggest meanings around twisting or braiding. It is the root for the noun סְבָךְ (sebak, H5442), meaning 'thicket' or 'interwoven branches,' seen in passages like Ezekiel 31:3.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it portrays God's judgment and the fragility of human security apart from Him. In Job, it illustrates the false stability of the wicked. In Nahum, it depicts the inescapable entanglement and destruction God brings upon His enemies. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the imagery of being ensnared by sin or caught in divine judgment, highlighting themes of justice and the consequences of opposing God.
In an agrarian society, the imagery of entwined roots (Job 8:17) or thorns (Nahum 1:10) was immediately understandable as symbols of either deceptive stability or painful, inescapable entanglement. The metaphor of thorns often represented curse, nuisance, or judgment, making Nahum's usage a powerful cultural reference to complete ruin.
עָקַשׁ (ʿāqaš, H6140) — to twist or pervert, often morally; אָסַר (ʾāṣar, H631) — to bind or tie, more general; שָׂרַךְ (śārak, H8276) — to intertwine or knit together.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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