וַ֠/יָּחֵלּוּ
𐤅/𐤉𐤇𐤋𐤅
vayachelu
they began
a primitive root (compare חָלָה); also denominative (from חָלִיל); properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute); begin ([idiom] men began), defile, [idiom] break, defile, [idiom] eat (as common things), [idiom] first, [idiom] gather the grape thereof, [idiom] take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain, wound.
2 Chronicles 29:17 · Word #1
Lexicon H2490
| Lemma | חָלַל |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤇𐤋𐤋 |
| Transliteration | châlal |
| Strong's | H2490 |
| In-context | they began |
Morphology HC/Vhw3mp
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state |
| Binyan | h — Hiphil — Causative active |
| Conjugation | w — Sequential Imperfect — Imperfect with waw-consecutive, narrating past events |
| Person | 3 — 3rd person — Third person ("he/she/they") |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | p — Plural — Plural |
SIBI-P1 H2490-58
and they began
| Morphological Notes | Conjunction וַ + Hiphil waw-consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine plural (Vhw3mp). The Hiphil stem conveys causative force; the waw-consecutive converts the imperfect to past narrative sequence. |
| Rendering Rationale | The verb is Hiphil (causative) with waw-consecutive, 3rd masculine plural, indicating a completed past action by "they." In the Hiphil stem חלל commonly carries the sense "to begin," understood as causing an opening or initiation; thus "and they began" preserves both the root’s idea of opening and the masculine plural subject. |
View full lexicon entry for H2490 →
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root חלל (to bore, pierce, open, wound, profane, initiate)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
H2490-01 |
achalel | I will profane |
H2490-02 |
achel | I will make a beginning |
H2491-01 |
bachalal | a pierced man |
Word Usage (143 occurrences of H2490)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis 4:26 | הוּחַ֔ל | huchal | began |
| Genesis 6:1 | הֵחֵ֣ל | hechel | men began |
| Genesis 9:20 | וַ/יָּ֥חֶל | vayachel | began |