The Hebrew word "Hevel" ( הבל ) is very interesting to me. In our English translations, it is typically translated as "Vanity" - but to me, that doesn't quite contain the essence of it. A good understanding of Hevel ( הבל ) is vapor or smoke - something that is here one second and gone the next, something that we can't quite grab hold of, as it's constantly changing.
It is used 73 times in The Hebrew Bible (which is very significant in itself) and it is translated as the following:
breath (5), delusion (2), emptily (1), emptiness (2), fleeting (2), fraud (1), futile (1), futility (13), idols (7), mere breath (2), nothing (1), useless (1), vain (3), vainly (1), vanity (19), vanity of vanities (3), vapor (1), worthless (2)
It is most frequently used in The Book of Ecclesiastes, it's used all through that book, verse two is a good representation of just how much this word "Hevel" ( הבל ) is used:
"Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity." - Ecclesiastes 1:2
הבל הבלים אמר קהלת הבל הבלים הכל הבל
"Hevel ( הבל ) Hevalim ( הבלים ) Amar ( אמר ) Qohelet ( קהלת ) Hevel ( הבל ) Hevalim ( הבלים ) HaKol ( הכל ) Hevel ( הבל )."
As well as being used 73 times in scripture, the Numeric Value of "Hevel" ( הבל ) is 37. As you probably know, I am constantly finding the number 37 encoded in The Word and I do my best to document it and break the down the significance of that, see here for more:
It seems odd to me that this perfect number of 37 is the value of Hevel, since it is tied to "vanity", "worthlessness", "idols", etc. Many times I have found that when different words have the same numeric values, they have some type of mystical bond, but not do not necessarily mean the same thing. Here is a very good example - Serpent ( Nachesh - נחש ) and Messiah (Mashiach - משיח ).
Messiah (Mashiach - משיח ) = 358
Serpent ( Nachesh - נחש ) = 358
The ( Nachesh - נחש ) is the word used for the Serpent in The Garden of Eden, who tricked mankind into sin and brought death into this world.
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. "He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” - Genesis 3:1
והנחש היה ערום מכל חית השדה אשר עשה יהוה אלהים ויאמר אל־האשה אף כי־אמר אלהים לא תאכלו מכל עץ הגן׃
So what is the link from the Serpant ( Nachesh - נחש ) to Messiah (Mashiach - משיח )?
YESHUA IS MESSIAH - where the serpant brought sin and phyisical death into this world, Yeshua HaMassiach is The Atonement for mankind's sin and our faith in Him brings us everlasting spiritual life. Essentially, Messiah (Mashiach - משיח ) is the answer and the remedy for the Serpent ( Nachesh - נחש ).
Understanding this mystical numeric connection gives us a much deeper understanding of the Bronze Serpent that Moses constructed in the wilderness. When Israel wandered through the wilderness, due to their lack of faith and consistent complaining, G*d sent a judgment against the people for their sin; consisting of poisonous serpents that bit the people and in turn, they began to die. When Moses prayed for the people, God instructed him to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole so the people could be healed:
"Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.
And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”
So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live." - Numbers 21:6-9
There are several Hebrew words used for "snake" or "serpent" - six that I know of (very interesting...) - but it is no coincidence that this particular bronze serpent is ( Nachesh - נחש ). This was a divine lesson in faith. When the people looked up to the serpent on that pole and had faith in what G*d told them, they were immediately healed. Just as it's our Faith in what Yeshua done for us on The Cross (Pole) gives us everlasting life. Yeshua Himself confirmed this for us.
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." - John 3:14-15
Most people know this story, so this probably isn't news to anyone. However, I cannot. in good consciousness, continue this post without highlighting another lesson here. Of course, throughout generations, the Israelites began to worship this bronze serpent...they even named it "Nehushtan" ( נחשתן ). Fortunately, there was a righteous king, Hezekiah, that put an end to this idoltary.
"He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan)." - 2 Kings 18:4
This is an extremely important lesson that King Hezekiah gave us. As a firm Believer in Yeshua, who is constantly striving to be a Good Disciple, I must say that we need to pay close attention here. We are not to bow down and worship a cross, or any man-made symbol of our faith, not then and not ever. Just as the Bronze Serpent pointed to The Power of G*d, the Cross points to The Glory of G*d. Hopefully this does not fall on deaf ears...now let's get back into Hevel.
With all of this being said, I believe that the 37 value of Hevel is directing us to the fact that we are are made in The Image of G*d, but our life here is Hevel (like Vapor) - here one second and then gone the next and is unpredictable. It's important not to chase the things in this life that keeps us in bondage, that we cling to Our Creator always - everything else is just Hevel. Another interesting thing about Hevel is that this is actually the Hebrew Name of Eve's Second Son, translated as "Abel".
"And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground." - Genesis 4:2
ותסף ללדת את־אחיו את־הבל ויהי־הבל רעה צאן וקין היה עבד אדמה׃
Just like Hevel, vapor or smoke, Abel was here one minute and then gone the next; his life was cut short at the hands of his own brother. None of us are promised another day on this earth, get right with G*d and give your life to Yeshua (Jesus) right now, don't wait until tomorrow...which may never come. Share The Gospel and Help Others find The Light, this is our only true purpose in this world and is the meaning of life at its core.
חסד ושלום עליכם והרבה אהבה וברכות
Grace and Peace Be Upon You and Much Love and Blessings!
Good post! I've heard some people say that it means, "meaningless". Without Yeshua, it is, but... how does that apply to Christians?