Hebrew word · H3525

כֶּ֫בֶל

vakevel

fetter

A fetter or shackle for the feet. It is rare: here and in Psalm 149:8 ("to bind their nobles with fetters of iron").

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

bond(s), fetter(s)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Psalm 105:18

Range of meaning

A fetter or shackle for the feet. It is rare: here and in Psalm 149:8 ("to bind their nobles with fetters of iron").

Against the English

"Fetters" (KJV) and "shackles" (BSB, WEB) are both accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 149:8 pairs kevel with iron, just as this verse does. Prisoners in fetters and neck restraints appear in ancient Near Eastern art and texts, including Egyptian scenes of bound captives.

From the study of Psalm 149:8

Range of meaning

A fetter, specifically for the feet. It occurs only twice in the Bible, here and in Psalm 105:18.

Against the English

"Fetters" (KJV, WEB) or "shackles" (BSB) are both fine. None of the English versions shows that this is a foot-shackle or that the word recalls Joseph.

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 105:18 on Joseph: "They hurt his feet with fetters (bakkevel); his neck was put in iron (barzel)." Both rare words, kevel and barzel, occur together in that verse and in this one.

Where it appears

Psalms · 2

  1. Psalm 105:18 בַכֶּ֣בֶל with <the> shackle[s]

    They bruised his feet with shackles and placed his neck in irons,

    Here: "With the fetter" (the Hebrew joins "with" and "the" to the noun). It means a restraint fixed to the ankles. The word occurs only here and in Psalm 149:8, where it is paired with iron.

  2. Psalm 149:8 בְּכַבְלֵ֥י with shackles of

    to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with shackles of iron,

    Here: "With shackles of." Found elsewhere only in Psalm 105:18, where Joseph's feet were "hurt with fetters". The word is a foot-shackle. Its sound (k-b-l) echoes nikhbedehem (k-b-d) just before it: the honoured are put into shackles.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.