חֹב (chov)
chov
breast
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun chov refers to the breast or bosom, serving as a concrete term for the space between the shoulders and chest. In the single verse where it appears in the Hebrew Bible, Job 31:33, Job uses this word while defending his integrity against secret sin.
Here, Job contrasts his open conduct with the hidden shame of those who cover their iniquity "in his bosom." The image suggests something kept close to the body, concealed from public view yet held intimately within one’s own sphere. This usage highlights the physical reality of hiding something against oneself, emphasizing the personal nature of the secret.
While often translated as "bosom" in English Bibles, the term captures the anatomical region rather than a metaphorical embrace. It grounds Job’s argument in tangible human experience, illustrating how private wrongs are physically held close before they are ever revealed to others.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chov points to the physical chest or bosom, a place where we instinctively hold things close. In Job 31:33, this term highlights the tension between public integrity and private concealment. Job uses it to describe hiding sin against his own body, showing how shame often feels like a heavy weight we carry internally.
For your faith life, this reminds us that God sees what remains hidden. We do not need to guard our failures in secret or let them fester in the dark. Instead, we can bring our whole selves before Him, trusting that His grace covers even the parts of our lives we struggle to face openly.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in/ bosom/ my1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בְּ/חֻבִּ֣/י1×
Key Verses
-
Job 31:33
if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
The word grounds Job's defense by contrasting his open conduct with those who physically hide their iniquity close to their body.