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חָלַץ

𐤇𐤋𐤑

châlats

H2502 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To draw off, to equip, to rescue. The verb חָלַץ generally denotes the action of drawing out or removing, especially in contexts of extracting from danger (rescue), stripping away (armor, clothing), or preparing/equipping for battle. In some settings, it means to arm or equip, particularly for military purposes. It can also carry the sense of readying oneself or being made strong for a particular task or danger.

Semantic Range

to remove, to strip off (such as armor or clothing), to draw out (from danger), to rescue, to deliver, to equip for battle, to prepare, to arm (for war), to ready oneself, to withdraw

Root / Etymology

Root ח־ל־ץ (חלץ), with the base sense of drawing out or removing. Derived primary meaning is 'to draw off, pull out,' which develops semantically into 'to equip with' (especially equipment/armor), 'to remove' (as in stripping), and 'to rescue' (by drawing out of peril). The nominal form חָלָץ means 'loin,' from the idea of that which protrudes or is ready for action, reflecting preparedness or strength.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, חָלַץ occurs in several semantic environments: (1) removing or drawing out persons from danger (rescue/deliverance, e.g., Judges 6:14; Psalms 34:7); (2) stripping off or removing items, as in taking off armor (1 Kings 20:11); (3) equipping, arming, or readying for battle (Numbers 31:3, 1 Samuel 17:39), particularly by reference to 'men equipped for war.' In the late biblical and post-biblical periods, the sense of rescue and deliverance becomes more general. English translations often render חָלַץ as 'deliver,' 'rescue,' 'equip,' or 'arm,' but each usage should be read contextually. The use for 'making fat' or 'loosing' is rare and mostly idiomatic or poetic. The word contrasts with more common roots for 'deliver' (נצל, פלט), which can have broader or more legal connotations, whereas חָלַץ often carries a vivid, concrete sense of being pulled out or readied physically. The later English term 'armed' or phrases like 'armed men' reflect a specialized military usage that was present already in early Israelite society, especially concerning defense or action in peril.

Translation Consistency

primary "equip" 1 occurrence

Across occurrences the verb most often carries the sense of arming or readying (equip/armed) — preparing or outfitting for battle or action. "Equip" is natural English, covers the common meanings (arm, ready, prepare) while remaining usable where the idea is making ready or outfitting; rarer senses like "rescue/deliver" can be handled in context-specific renderings.

Alternatives (43 occurrences):
"equipped one" (6x) "equipped ones of" (5x) "rescued" (5x) "rescue" (4x) "equipped ones" (3x) "armed men" (2x) "delivered" (2x) "remove" (1x) "taken away" (1x) "arm ourselves" (1x) "equipped" (1x) "draw off" (1x) "unsandaled" (1x) "drew me out" (1x) "take off" (1x) "strengthen" (1x) "withdrawn" (1x) "draws them out" (1x) "deliver" (1x) "drew you out" (1x) "delivers" (1x) "bare" (1x) "army" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to pull off; hence (intensively) to strip, (reflex.) to depart; by implication, to deliver, equip (for fight); present, strengthen; arm (self), (go, ready) armed ([idiom] man, soldier), deliver, draw out, make fat, loose, (ready) prepared, put off, take away, withdraw self.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

חלץ (Chelets) — to equip, arm, draw out, gird

Root חלץ to draw off, to equip, to rescue
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2488 חֲלִיצָה his battle-armor
H2503 חֶלֶץ Helez
H2504 חָלָץ loins
H4254 מַחֲלָצָה the changeable garments

Word Forms

29 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2502-08 חֲלוּצֵ֥י chalutsey HVqsmpc equipped equipped ones of equipped ones of 5
H2502-07 חֲל֥וּץ chaluts HVqsmsc armed equipped one equipped one 4
H2502-09 חֲלוּצִ֣ים chalutsim HVqsmpa armed equipped ones equipped ones 3
H2502-13 הֶֽ/חָלוּץ֙ hechaluts HTd/Vqsmsa the-armed the equipped one the armed men 3
H2502-24 וְ/הֶ֣/חָל֔וּץ vehechaluts HC/Td/Vqsmsa and-the-armed and the equipped one and the equipped one 3
H2502-27 יְחַלְּצֵ֖/נִי yechaletseni HVpi3ms/Sp1cs He delivered he will draw me out he drew me out 2
H2502-29 יֵחָלְצ֣וּ/ן yechaletsun HVNi3mp/Sn they may be delivered they will be drawn out they may be delivered 2
H2502-01 אֲ֝חַלְּצֵ֗/הוּ achaletsehu HVpi1cs/Sp3ms I-will-deliver-him I will draw him out I will rescue him 1
H2502-02 אֲ֝חַלֶּצְ/ךָ֗ achaletsekha HVpi1cs/Sp2ms I-will-deliver-you I will draw you out I will deliver you 1
H2502-03 חָלַ֖ץ chalats HVqp3ms he has withdrawn he drew out he has withdrawn 1

Occurrences in Scripture

44 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2502-23 Leviticus 14:40 וְ/חִלְּצוּ֙ vechiletsu HC/Vpq3cp and they shall remove and they equipped and they shall remove
H2502-11 Leviticus 14:43 חִלֵּ֣ץ chilets HVpp3ms he has taken away he equipped he has taken away
H2502-12 Numbers 31:3 הֵחָלְצ֧וּ hechaletsu HVNv2mp Arm yourselves Be equipped Equip yourselves
H2502-08 Numbers 31:5 חֲלוּצֵ֥י chalutsey HVqsmpc armed equipped ones of equipped ones of
H2502-14 Numbers 32:17 נֵחָלֵ֣ץ nechalets HVNi1cp will arm ourselves we will be equipped we will arm ourselves
H2502-17 Numbers 32:20 תֵּחָֽלְצ֛וּ techaletsu HVNi2mp you arm yourselves you will be equipped you will be equipped
H2502-07 Numbers 32:21 חָל֛וּץ chaluts HVqsmsa armed man equipped one equipped one
H2502-07 Numbers 32:27 חֲל֥וּץ chaluts HVqsmsc armed equipped one equipped one
H2502-07 Numbers 32:29 חָל֤וּץ chaluts HVqsmsa armed equipped one equipped one
H2502-09 Numbers 32:30 חֲלוּצִ֖ים chalutsim HVqsmpa armed equipped ones equipped ones
H2502-09 Numbers 32:32 חֲלוּצִ֛ים chalutsim HVqsmpa armed equipped ones equipped ones
H2502-09 Deuteronomy 3:18 חֲלוּצִ֣ים chalutsim HVqsmpa armed equipped ones equipped ones
H2502-21 Deuteronomy 25:9 וְ/חָלְצָ֤ה vechaletsah HC/Vqq3fs and she shall remove and she drew off and she will draw off
H2502-07 Deuteronomy 25:10 חֲל֥וּץ chaluts HVqsmsc of the one whose [shoe was] loosed equipped one the unsandaled
H2502-08 Joshua 4:13 חֲלוּצֵ֣י chalutsey HVqsmpc ready armed equipped ones of equipped ones of
H2502-24 Joshua 6:7 וְ/הֶ֣/חָל֔וּץ vehechaluts HC/Td/Vqsmsa and the armed man and the equipped one and the equipped one
H2502-24 Joshua 6:9 וְ/הֶ/חָל֣וּץ vehechaluts HC/Td/Vqsmsa armed men and the equipped one and the armed men
H2502-24 Joshua 6:13 וְ/הֶ/חָלוּץ֙ vehechaluts HC/Td/Vqsmsa and-the-armed and the equipped one and the equipped one
H2502-27 2 Samuel 22:20 יְחַלְּצֵ֖/נִי yechaletseni HVpi3ms/Sp1cs He delivered he will draw me out he drew me out
H2502-08 Isaiah 15:4 חֲלֻצֵ֤י chalutsey HVqsmpc the armed men of equipped ones of equipped ones of
H2502-16 Isaiah 20:2 תַחֲלֹ֖ץ tachalots HVqi2ms you-shall-take-off you will draw off you will take off
H2502-25 Isaiah 58:11 יַחֲלִ֑יץ yachalits HVhi3ms he will strengthen he will draw out he will strengthen
H2502-03 Hosea 5:6 חָלַ֖ץ chalats HVqp3ms he has withdrawn he drew out he has withdrawn
H2502-04 Psalms 6:5 חַלְּצָ֣/ה chaletsah HVpv2ms/Sh deliver Fully draw out! Rescue
H2502-18 Psalms 7:5 וָ/אֲחַלְּצָ֖/ה vaachaletsah HC/Vpw1cs/Sh or I have rescued him and I equipped and I rescued
H2502-27 Psalms 18:20 יְ֝חַלְּצֵ֗/נִי yechaletseni HVpi3ms/Sp1cs He delivered me he will draw me out he rescued me
H2502-20 Psalms 34:8 וַֽ/יְחַלְּצֵֽ/ם vayechaletsem HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3mp and delivers them and he drew them out and he draws them out
H2502-02 Psalms 50:15 אֲ֝חַלֶּצְ/ךָ֗ achaletsekha HVpi1cs/Sp2ms I-will-deliver-you I will draw you out I will deliver you
H2502-29 Psalms 60:7 יֵחָלְצ֣וּ/ן yechaletsun HVNi3mp/Sn they may be delivered they will be drawn out they may be delivered
H2502-19 Psalms 81:8 וָ/אֲחַ֫לְּצֶ֥/ךָּ vaachaletsekha HC/Vpw1cs/Sp2ms and I delivered you and I drew you out and I drew you out
H2502-01 Psalms 91:15 אֲ֝חַלְּצֵ֗/הוּ achaletsehu HVpi1cs/Sp3ms I-will-deliver-him I will draw him out I will rescue him
H2502-29 Psalms 108:7 יֵחָלְצ֣וּ/ן yechaletsun HVNi3mp/Sn they may be delivered they will be drawn out they may be delivered
H2502-10 Psalms 116:8 חִלַּ֥צְתָּ chilatseta HVpp2ms you have delivered you have rescued you have rescued
H2502-22 Psalms 119:153 וְ/חַלְּצֵ֑/נִי vechaletseni HC/Vpv2ms/Sp1cs and deliver me and draw me out and rescue me
H2502-05 Psalms 140:2 חַלְּצֵ֣/נִי chaletseni HVpv2ms/Sp1cs deliver me Draw me out! Rescue me
H2502-15 Proverbs 11:8 נֶחֱלָ֑ץ nechelats HVNrmsa is delivered rescued one is rescued
H2502-28 Proverbs 11:9 יֵחָלֵֽצוּ yechaletsu HVNi3mp are delivered they will be rescued they will be rescued
H2502-26 Job 36:15 יְחַלֵּ֣ץ yechalets HVpi3ms He delivers he will draw out he delivers
H2502-06 Lamentations 4:3 חָ֣לְצוּ chaletsu HVqp3cp bare they drew off they bare
H2502-13 1 Chronicles 12:24 הֶֽ/חָלוּץ֙ hechaluts HTd/Vqsmsa the-armed the equipped one the equipped one
H2502-08 1 Chronicles 12:25 חֲלוּצֵ֥י chalutsey HVqsmpc equipped equipped ones of equipped ones of
H2502-08 2 Chronicles 17:18 חֲלוּצֵ֥י chalutsey HVqsmpc equipped equipped ones of equipped ones of
H2502-13 2 Chronicles 20:21 הֶֽ/חָל֔וּץ hechaluts HTd/Vqsmsa the army the equipped one the army
H2502-13 2 Chronicles 28:14 הֶֽ/חָל֗וּץ hechaluts HTd/Vqsmsa the armed men the equipped one the armed men
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