סָבַל

# H5445 (סָבַל) – "To Bear" The Hebrew verb *sabal* carries the primary sense of physically bearing or carrying something, with its nine biblical occurrences concentrated in contexts requiring sustained effort or endurance. The term appears to denote not merely momentary holding but rather the sustained bearing of weight or burden—whether literal or figurative. This semantic range suggests the word describes an action that demands perseverance rather than a simple, instantaneous act. The relatively small number of occurrences (nine times) indicates this was a specialized rather than common term in biblical Hebrew. The specific contexts where *sabal* appears would reveal whether it was used predominantly for physical loads, emotional burdens, or abstract concepts like suffering or responsibility. The word's linguistic position among Hebrew vocabulary suggests it held a particular nuance distinct from more frequent synonyms for carrying or bearing. Understanding *sabal* requires attention to its specific textual contexts, as the nine instances would clarify whether the word maintained consistent meaning across different types of burden-bearing or whether it specialized in particular situations. Without examining those individual passages, the lemma itself indicates a verb fundamentally concerned with the act of sustaining weight or burden over time.