the Berasit Hebrew Dictionary

הבדיל

hebedil is a verb meaning “to separate”. More specifically, it implies separation due to idealistic opposition between people or a physical separating; splitting and moving apart.

The word occurs 39 times.

The first occurrence of 'hebedil' is in Genesis 1:4. Recall that the word bara was used in verse 1, but now this apparent synonym is chosen instead. Hebedil occurs here in terms of dividing light and darkness. Thus, there is a diametric opposition involved. This type of usage indicating a diametric opposite appears in several contexts; light vs. dark (Genesis 1:14,18), clean vs unsanitary (Leviticus 10:10, 11:47, 20:25, Ezekiel 22:26, etc.)

However, 'hebedil' does not uniformly imply this type of dichotomy. For example, in Genesis 1:6 'hebedil' is used quite differently. In fact, the two things being separated are essentially the same. In the traditional translation we read “let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let it divide between the waters [and] the waters”. The division is of water vs water. Clearly this is not a dichotomy. Our new translation renders the phrase a bit differently. “we are structure in the middle of the Mim. We are divided the sons of the Mim. Here the division appears to be between the Mim, and the sons of the Mim. I.e. there is a division between generations, or perhaps between eras¹⁾. Although it is not immediately clear, the next verse may indicate that the division is defined by a location or possibly some kind of structure. In isolation, this passage seems too obscure to draw any further conclusion about the word 'hebedil'.

Another particularly obscure usage occurs in Exodus 26:33; the single instance which applies 'hebedil' to the qeresim within the Tabernacle. Again, this passage will be discussed further in another article.

Twice in the book of Leviticus (Leviticus 1:17, 5:8), 'hebedil' appears in the context of butchering, indicating a fileting technique which prevents the meat from becoming completely separated.

In each of the above cases, we seem to have a separation of like objects.

This brings us to the context which is by far the most frequent usage; that of division between people.

This concept is introduced in Leviticus 20:24-26 which lays out two parallel concepts in order to make the point clear. Jehovah compares the separation of what has already been determined to be “clean and unclean” foods, whether for sanitary reasons or otherwise, with a further command to the people that they are to separate themselves culturally from their neighbors. Another phrase used here encourages them to “distinguish themselves” form the other peoples.

Thus, it seems that there is a cultural dichotomy being established. This division, or distinguishing, is not a physical one, but does indeed appear to be ideologically based. Once this precedence is set, it becomes the standard meaning of 'hebedil' in almost every subsequent instance.

The same concept applies to the separation of the priestly class of Levites (Numbers 8:14, Numbers16:9, Deuteronomy 10:8, 1 Chronicles 23:13, Ezra 8:24), King David's hand selected secret service operatives (1 Chronicles 12:9) and other elite royal duties (1 Chronicles 25:1), a zealous group of loyalists (Ezra 6:21) and to the “cities of refuge” (Deuteronomy 4:41, Deuteronomy 19:2,7)

Several cases (1 Kings 8:53, Ezra 9:1, Ezra 10:11, Nehemiah 9:2, Nehemiah 10:28) apply the same concept to the entire nation of Israel which harken back to their original “distinguishing themselves” reference in Leviticus.

Deuteronomy 29:21 and Ezra 10:8 use 'hebedil' to indicate a particular man targeted for retribution due to his ideologically based actions.

In conclusion, the use of 'hebedil' rather than one of its synonyms (bara, pered) implies a division due to ideological rationale.

LexID 914