לְ/הֵ֖חַלּֽ/וֹ
𐤋/𐤄𐤇𐤋/𐤅
lehechalo
to profane himself
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.
Leviticus 21:4 · Word #5
Lexicon H2490
| Lemma | חָלַל |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤇𐤋𐤋 |
| Transliteration | châlal |
| Strong's | H2490 |
| In-context | to profane himself |
Morphology HR/VNc/Sp3ms
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state |
| Binyan | N — Niphal — Simple passive or reflexive |
| Conjugation | c — Infinitive Construct — The verbal noun ("to ...") |
SIBI-P1 H2490-27
to profane him
| Root | חלל (ḥ-l-l) |
| Core Meanings | piercing, boring through, wounding, profaning, defiling, beginning (by opening) |
| Semantic Range | to profane or desecrate a person or sacred thing; to treat as common; to defile; to violate; in other stems also to wound, pierce, begin, or play a flute (from the idea of boring). |
| Conceptual Significance | חלל expresses the violation of what is holy or set apart, marking the serious boundary between sacred and common in Israel’s covenant life. To "profane him" signifies the stripping away of sanctity or honor, a grave theological act in a culture where holiness defines relationship to YHWH. |
| Morphological Notes | Verb, Hiphil infinitive construct (causative) with prefixed לְ and 3ms pronominal suffix ("him"). The dagesh in לּ reflects the Hiphil pattern of the geminate root חלל. |
| Rendering Rationale | The form לְהֵחַלּוֹ is a Hiphil infinitive construct with a 3rd masculine singular pronominal suffix. The Hiphil stem gives a causative sense, and with the object suffix "him," the most faithful root-aware rendering is "to profane him," preserving both the core idea of desecration (from the root sense of piercing or violating what is set apart) and the masculine singular object. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root חלל (piercing, boring through, wounding, profaning, defiling, beginning (by opening))
| 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 |