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חָלַל

𐤇𐤋𐤋

châlal

H2490 verb

SILEX Entry

Root חלל to bore, pierce, wound, violate, profane, begin

Definition

To bore, pierce, or wound (physically); to profane, violate, or treat as common (ritually or ethically, especially what is considered sacred); to begin or initiate (something previously unbegun); to play an instrument (specifically the flute, as a denominative sense); to defile, desecrate, dishonor, or pollute persons, places, or objects.

Semantic Range

to pierce, wound, physically injure; to profane, violate, desecrate (ritually, ethically, or morally); to make common, to defile or pollute; to begin, to initiate; to play flute (denominative)

Root / Etymology

From the root חָלַל (ḥ-l-l), which fundamentally means 'to bore through' or 'to pierce.' The primary sense is physical piercing, from which metaphorical extensions developed: 'profane' (to pierce or breach the sanctity of), and 'begin' (to open, as to make a beginning). The denominative form from חָלִיל (flute) refers to playing the flute (literally, a bored-out pipe), though this sense is preserved only in nominal/derived forms.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite contexts, חָלַל is used for both physical wounding (to pierce or wound someone) and for cultic or ethical profanation (to violate the sacredness of something, such as the Sabbath, sacred objects, or God's name). In legal and ritual texts, it frequently refers to the violation of sanctity ('profaning the Sabbath,' 'defiling oneself through contact with the dead,' etc.). The metaphor expands from literal injury (piercing flesh) to moral/ritual injury (piercing sanctity). The sense 'to begin' (Genesis 4:26; 'then men began...') is likely based on the idea of 'opening up' an action, possibly seen as entering an unviolated domain. In derivation, the word for flute (חָלִיל, ḥālîl) comes from the same concept: a bored or pierced instrument. English 'profane' or 'defile' represent the cultic sense but can flatten the range of meaning—sometimes it is more about violating boundaries or status than general impurity. Rarely, חָלַל can mean 'to make common' (as opposed to holy). In different periods, the term keeps both its physical and figurative applications. The sense 'to play (flute)' arises denominatively and is not a primary verbal usage in the biblical period. Later Hebrew retains and expands some senses, especially in prophetic and legal writings.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

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.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חלל (ḥ-l-l) — to bore, pierce, wound; to profane, violate, desecrate; to begin

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2426 חֵיל Begin!
H2455 חֹל the common
H2471 חַלָּה perforated bread-cake
H2474 חַלּוֹן in the pierced opening
H2479 חַלְחָלָה paralyzing trembling

Word Forms

72 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2490-20 הֵחֵ֣ל hechel HVhp3ms began he caused to begin 19
H2490-22 הֵחֵ֣לּוּ hechelu HVhp3cp they began they initiated 7
H2490-12 חִלְּל֣וּ chilelu HVpp3cp they profaned they desecrated 7
H2490-57 וַ/יָּ֥חֶל vayachel HC/Vhw3ms and began and he profaned 6
H2490-71 יְחַלְּל֔וּ yechalelu HVpi3mp they profane they profane 4
H2490-58 וַ/יָּחֵ֡לּוּ vayachelu HC/Vhw3mp and they began and they caused to begin 4
H2490-62 וְ/חִלֵּֽלוּ vechilelu HC/Vpq3cp and they shall pollute and they desecrated 4
H2490-10 חִלֵּ֑ל chilel HVpp3ms has profaned he desecrated 4
H2490-44 תְחַלְּלוּ֙ techalelu HVpi2mp you-defile(pl) you men will profane 3
H2490-69 יְחַלֵּ֔ל yechalel HVpi3ms he shall profane he will profane 3

Occurrences in Scripture

143 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2490-23 Genesis 4:26 הוּחַ֔ל huchal HVHp3ms began was profaned
H2490-20 Genesis 6:1 הֵחֵ֣ל hechel HVhp3ms men began he caused to begin
H2490-57 Genesis 9:20 וַ/יָּ֥חֶל vayachel HC/Vhw3ms began and he profaned
H2490-20 Genesis 10:8 הֵחֵ֔ל hechel HVhp3ms began he caused to begin
H2490-16 Genesis 11:6 הַחִלָּ֣/ם hachilam HVhc/Sp3mp they have begun their initiating
H2490-56 Genesis 41:54 וַ/תְּחִלֶּ֜ינָה vatechileynah HC/Vhw3fp began and they caused to begin
H2490-20 Genesis 44:12 הֵחֵ֔ל hechel HVhp3ms he began he caused to begin
H2490-06 Genesis 49:4 חִלַּ֖לְתָּ chilaleta HVpp2ms you defiled you profaned
H2490-53 Exodus 20:25 וַ/תְּחַֽלְלֶֽ/הָ vatechaleleha HC/Vpw2ms/Sp3fs you have profaned it you desecrated her
H2490-30 Exodus 31:14 מְחַֽלְלֶ֨י/הָ֙ mechaleleyha HVprmpc/Sp3fs profaners of it her desecrators
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