Bible Word Study
הֹבֶן
hôben · ebony
הֹבֶן
ebony
Definition
הֹבֶן (hôben) refers to ebony, a dense, dark, and valuable hardwood. In the Bible, it appears only in Ezekiel 27:15, where it is listed among the luxury goods traded by the city of Tyre. The term specifically denotes the prized, black heartwood of tropical trees, known for its hardness and fine polish, making it a material for high-status items like inlays, furniture, and ornamental carvings. Its singular biblical occurrence highlights its role as an exotic import, symbolizing wealth and international commerce.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Ezekiel 27:15. It appears in a prophetic lament over Tyre, detailing the city's extensive trade network. Here, ebony is listed alongside ivory, embroidered goods, and other luxuries brought from Dedan and other regions, illustrating the opulence and far-reaching economic connections of Tyre before its judgment.
Etymology
Derived from an unused Hebrew root meaning 'to be hard,' הֹבֶן is found only in its plural form (הָבְנִים, havnim) in Ezekiel 27:15. This etymology directly reflects the wood's characteristic hardness. Cognates exist in other Semitic languages, such as Akkadian (hubnu) and Egyptian (hbnj), all referring to ebony, indicating it was a well-known, cross-cultural trade commodity in the ancient Near East.
Semantic Range
In the ancient world, ebony was a prestigious import, sourced primarily from regions like Nubia (modern Sudan) or India via trade routes. Its extreme density and deep black color made it a symbol of luxury and craftsmanship, used for royal furnishings, musical instruments, and religious idols. Its mention in Ezekiel underscores the material excess and global pride of Tyre, a hub of maritime trade, contrasting with the prophet's message of divine judgment on such wealth. עֵץ (ʿēts, H6086) — a general term for 'wood' or 'tree,' whereas הֹבֶן specifies the precious hardwood ebony.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]