חַטִּיל
𐤇𐤈𐤉𐤋
Chatil
H2411 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name designating a family group, specifically one among the returnees from the Babylonian exile. In biblical usage, חַטִּיל (Chaṭṭîyl) refers to a clan or family group identified in Ezra and Nehemiah among descendants of 'Solomon's servants', indicating a socio-ethnic group within the restored post-exilic community. The meaning of the name itself is uncertain, and the lexical meaning beyond its status as a proper name is not preserved in biblical sources.
Semantic Range
Proper name for a post-exilic clan or family group; term referring to a group descended from 'Solomon's servants'; not a common noun; limited to genealogical lists
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain. The name is traditionally connected with a supposed root meaning 'to wave, fluctuate,' but no such root is attested in Hebrew. It is likely a personal or clan name of non-Hebrew (possibly Aramaic or foreign) origin and may reflect the diverse origins of groups integrated into the Israelite community after the exile.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חַטִּיל appears in Ezra 2:57 and Nehemiah 7:59 among lists of returnees from Babylon considered descendants of 'Solomon's servants,' a group probably originating as non-Israelite or foreign servants incorporated into Israelite society. The term does not denote an Israelite tribal or familial identity but rather a servile class connected historically with the monarchy. In these lists, such families are enumerated alongside the Nethinim (temple servants). Later English Bibles (e.g. KJV: Hattil) treat the term as a proper name, but this obscures its original social designation. The meaning 'to wave, fluctuate' suggested by Strong's is speculative and does not reflect actual lexical evidence; the root is unknown, and any supposed meaning is unattested. The name's presence is limited to post-exilic genealogical lists—there is no theological or narrative context attached to it, and it does not reappear in earlier Israelite history.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root apparently meaning to wave; fluctuating; Chattil, one of 'Solomon's servants'; Hattil.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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unknown (unknown) — uncertain; proper name of a clan
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2411-01 |
חַטִּ֗יל | chatil | HNp |
Hattil | Chattil | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2411-01 |
Ezra 2:57 | חַטִּ֗יל | chatil | HNp |
Hattil | Chattil |
H2411-01 |
Nehemiah 7:59 | חַטִּ֗יל | chatil | HNp |
Hattil | Chattil |