חֲבַרְבֻּרָה (cha.var.bu.rah)
cha.var.bu.rah
spot
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun chavvurah refers to a spot, stripe, or distinct mark on a surface. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Jeremiah 13:23, where it describes the patterned markings on an animal’s coat.
In this verse, the prophet uses the word to illustrate the difficulty of changing one’s nature. Just as a person cannot alter the spots on their skin or the stripes on a leopard’s hide, the people of Judah are portrayed as unable to do good after they have become accustomed to evil. The term highlights a fixed characteristic rather than a temporary condition.
Because the word is so rare, its meaning is defined entirely by this single context. It serves as a concrete image for inherent traits that resist change, emphasizing the depth of the spiritual struggle described in the passage.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chavvurah describes a distinct spot or stripe on an animal’s coat. In Jeremiah 13:23, it highlights how deeply ingrained habits shape who we are. Just as a leopard cannot change its spots, our repeated choices become part of our nature over time.
This image reminds us that spiritual growth is not about quick fixes but about lasting transformation. When evil feels familiar, it can seem impossible to do good. Yet the prophet’s point is not that we are stuck forever, but that true change requires a new heart and reliance on God’s grace.
May you find hope in knowing that while habits run deep, God’s power can renew even the most entrenched patterns of sin.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- spots/ its1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֲבַרְבֻּרֹתָ֑י/ו1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 13:23
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil.
The word chavvurah appears here to illustrate how ingrained evil habits become like fixed spots on a leopard, making good deeds seem unnatural without divine intervention.