Chabburah (plural: chaberburowth) refers to a stripe, bruise, or wound left on the body — specifically the mark left by a blow. It appears in several contexts: the law of Exodus 21:25 ('stripe for stripe'), the description of a drunkard who gets unexplained bruises (Prov 23:29), and most powerfully in Isaiah 53:5 — 'by his chaberburowth we are healed.' The word carries the visceral reality of physical suffering inflicted on a body.
Isaiah 53:5 is the theological apex of chabburah. The Servant of the LORD is described as bearing stripes — actual physical wounds — and from those wounds comes our healing. Peter quotes this verse directly (1 Pet 2:24) and applies it to Christ's crucifixion. The theology is substitutionary: His stripes instead of ours. His wounds purchase our wholeness. This word stands at the intersection of the most painful human experience — being beaten — and the deepest divine purpose — redemptive suffering that heals.