Hebrew word · H3736

כרבל

mekhurbal

be clothed

A passive participle, 'wrapped, clothed, enveloped.' The verb occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible. A related Aramaic noun appears in Daniel 3:21 (karbelātehôn), a garment of the three young men; whether it was a cloak or a cap is debated.

Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to put a mantle on, be-mantle, bind around

1a) (Pual) bemantled (participle)

1b) (Pael) be bound

Also means: ke.phat (כְּפַת "to bind" H3729)

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 1 Chronicles 15:27

Range of meaning

A passive participle, 'wrapped, clothed, enveloped.' The verb occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible. A related Aramaic noun appears in Daniel 3:21 (karbelātehôn), a garment of the three young men; whether it was a cloak or a cap is debated. Later Aramaic and Mishnaic Hebrew use the root for wrapping or covering.

Against the English

English versions say 'clothed,' 'dressed' or (YLT) 'wrapped.' All are fine. What gets lost is that this word replaces 'whirling/dancing' in 2 Samuel 6:14.

Used elsewhere in the period

Hebrew Bible: only here. Aramaic: Dan 3:21. Compare 2 Sam 6:14: wedāwid mekarkēr bekhol-ʿōz, 'and David was whirling with all his might.'

Where it appears

1 Chronicles · 1

  1. 1 Chronicles 15:27 מְכֻרְבָּ֣ל׀ [was] wrapped

    Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the director of music for the singers. David also wore a linen ephod.

    Here: A passive form meaning 'being wrapped' or 'clothed.' This is the only place the verb appears in the Hebrew Bible. It describes a garment wrapped around the body and stands where 2 Samuel 6:14 has 'whirling.'

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