Lexical Summary kebel: Rope, cord Original Word: כֶּבֶל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fetter From an unused root meaning to twine or braid together; a fetter -- fetter. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition a fetter NASB Translation fetters (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs כֶּ֫בֶל noun [masculine] fetter(s), late; — singular collective עִנּוּ רגליו ׳בַכּ Psalm 105:18 they humbled his feet with fetters ("" בַּרְזֶל); plural construct אסר בְּכַבְּלֵי בַרְזֶל Psalm 149:8 ("" זִקִּים). כבן (√ of following, meaning dubious; Late Hebrew כָּבַן, Aramaic כבן, Topical Lexicon Essential Imageryכֶּבֶל evokes the strong, inflexible restraints placed on a captive’s body—iron shackles or fetters that clasp the ankles or wrists. The term is vivid, conjuring both the pain of enforced confinement and the absolute dominance of the one who holds the key. It is never cosmetic; it always implies real loss of liberty. Canonical Occurrences Psalm 105:18 recounts the affliction of Joseph: “They bruised his feet with shackles; his neck was put in irons”. The word depicts the very instrument that ground a faithful servant of God into humiliating bondage. Psalm 149:8 looks forward to a day when such restraints are applied in the opposite direction: “to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron.” Here כֶּבֶל becomes an emblem of divine justice executed through God’s people. Historical and Cultural Setting In the ancient Near East, prisoners of war, political enemies, and common criminals were routinely bound with iron or bronze restraints. Iron fetters signified maximum security: they were heavy, difficult to break, and symbolized irreversible subjection. They also carried a psychological weight; a shackled body announced to onlookers that the prisoner’s fortunes, freedom, and future were held by another. Theological Themes 1. Providential Sovereignty Psalm 105:18 shows God using even humiliating bonds to advance His redemptive plan. The shackles that confined Joseph placed him on the very path God designed for the preservation of Israel (Psalm 105:16-22; Genesis 45:5-8). 2. Reversal of Fortunes Scripture often turns earthly expectations upside down. Joseph’s fetters become the prelude to authority over Egypt. Conversely, Psalm 149:8 portrays proud rulers reduced to the state once endured by the oppressed. 3. Just Retribution כֶּבֶל in Psalm 149:8 forms part of the psalmist’s vision of God’s holy war, where unrighteous powers are finally subject to righteous judgment. The chains that once oppressed the righteous now restrain the wicked. 4. Deliverance Motif The imagery anticipates the Messianic promise: the Lord “releases the prisoners” (Psalm 146:7). Physical fetters mirror spiritual bondage; both require divine intervention for release. Christological Resonance Joseph’s fetters foreshadow Christ’s humiliation. Although Jesus was not chained in iron in the Gospels, His arrest and binding (John 18:12) and the nails of crucifixion parallel the imagery. Resurrection renders every shackle powerless, prefiguring ultimate victory over the “last enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26). Ministry Implications • Intercession for the Persecuted Hebrews 13:3 calls believers to “remember those in prison as if you were imprisoned with them.” Joseph’s experience encourages compassionate solidarity and confidence that God works through suffering. • Proclamation of Freedom Isaiah 61:1—fulfilled in Luke 4:18—proclaims “liberty to the captives.” Christian preaching draws on the כֶּבֶל motif to announce freedom from sin, guilt, and demonic tyranny. • Spiritual Warfare Psalm 149 unites worship and warfare. Praise is not escapist; it anticipates real-world justice. The Church’s song proclaims the certain overthrow of every power that exalts itself against God. Pastoral Reflection Believers may face circumstances that feel like iron shackles—illness, injustice, addiction, or persecution. Joseph’s account teaches that God’s purposes are never hindered by human restraints. Psalm 149 reminds us that history ends not with God’s people in chains but with their vindication. Related Biblical Imagery • חֵלָה (chain) in Judges 16:21 Each term enriches the broader scriptural tapestry of bondage and liberation, but כֶּבֶל focuses the lens on ironclad captivity under sovereign oversight. Summary כֶּבֶל embodies both the severity of human oppression and the certainty of divine reversal. It explains the pain of faithful saints, heralds the downfall of arrogant powers, and ultimately magnifies the God who alone has authority to bind and to loose. Forms and Transliterations בְּכַבְלֵ֥י בַכֶּ֣בֶל בכבל בכבלי ḇak·ke·ḇel ḇakkeḇel bə·ḵaḇ·lê bechavLei bəḵaḇlê vakKevelLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 105:18 HEB: עִנּ֣וּ בַכֶּ֣בֶל [רַגְלָיו כ] NAS: his feet with fetters, He himself KJV: they hurt with fetters: he INT: afflicted fetters be able to endure irons Psalm 149:8 2 Occurrences |
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= wrap round, wrap up).