כְּבֵדֻת

difficulty

Definition

The noun כְּבֵדֻת (kᵉbêduth) refers to a state of heaviness, difficulty, or being made burdensome. It is derived from the root כָּבֵד (kbd), which fundamentally means 'to be heavy' or 'to be honored.' In its sole biblical occurrence in Exodus 14:25, it describes the divinely induced difficulty or clogging of the Egyptian chariot wheels during the pursuit of Israel, rendering them ineffective. This sense of impediment or obstruction flows directly from the core idea of weight or burden. The word captures a physical and metaphorical heaviness that hinders progress.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Exodus 14:25. It appears in the narrative of the parting of the Red Sea, specifically describing the action of God upon the chariots of the Egyptians: 'He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they drove them with difficulty (כְּבֵדֻת).' The usage is in a dramatic, miraculous context of divine intervention for deliverance, where a physical impediment directly thwarts an enemy's military advance.

Etymology

כְּבֵדֻת is the feminine noun form of the adjective כָּבֵד (kābēd, H3515), meaning 'heavy,' 'severe,' or 'honorable.' It stems from the common Semitic root K-B-D, conveying the core meaning of weight, heaviness, or importance. This root gives rise to a wide semantic range, including physical weight (Exodus 17:12), severity (Genesis 12:10), wealth (Genesis 13:2), and honor/glory (as in God's כָּבוֹד, kābôd). כְּבֵדֻת specifically denotes the abstract state or quality of being heavy or burdensome.

Semantic Range

Though used only once, this word is theologically significant as it describes a key mechanism of God's salvation in the Exodus narrative. The 'difficulty' imposed on the Egyptians is not random but a direct act of God to protect His people and defeat their oppressors. It illustrates God's sovereign control over nature and human machinery to accomplish deliverance. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of Exodus 14 by highlighting that the obstacle was a divinely orchestrated 'heaviness'—a tangible manifestation of God intervening to make the enemy's path impossibly burdensome, contrasting with the clear path He provided for Israel.

In the ancient Near Eastern context, chariots represented the pinnacle of military technology and power, especially for the Egyptians. For these chariots to become clogged or heavy was not just a minor inconvenience but a catastrophic failure that would cause panic and disarray in the ranks. The term כְּבֵדֻת would evoke the image of these symbols of imperial strength being rendered utterly useless and burdensome by a superior divine force, a powerful reversal of expected outcomes.

כָּבֵד (kābēd, H3515) — The root adjective meaning 'heavy' or 'severe,' from which כְּבֵדֻת is derived. עָצַם (ʿāṣam, H6105) — Can mean to be vast, mighty, or numerous, sometimes implying a difficult or powerful force, but lacks the specific connotation of burdensome weight. תְּלָאָה (tᵉlāʾâ, H8513) — Refers to trouble, hardship, or weariness, sharing the sense of difficulty but from the idea of weariness rather than physical heaviness.

Word Details

Scripture References