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חֵלֶם

𐤇𐤋𐤌

chêlem

H2493 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ח־ל־ם to dream, experience visions in sleep

Definition

A mental experience or vision occurring during sleep, usually understood as bearing significance or conveying a message (often divinely sent or interpreted), especially within narrative or royal contexts. In Aramaic biblical passages, 'חֵלֶם' denotes a 'dream,' often as the subject of interpretation or divine communication.

Semantic Range

dream (as an event or experience during sleep); dream as an omen or message; mental vision or symbolic experience during sleep

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root ח־ל־ם (חָלַם), meaning 'to dream.' The Aramaic noun 'חֵלֶם' shares this root with the Hebrew חֲלוֹם, also 'dream.' The formation reflects standard Aramaic noun development from the root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term 'חֵלֶם' occurs only in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (notably in Daniel), always referring to a dream—often one bearing profound significance and requiring interpretation (e.g., Daniel 2:1, 2:3–7:28). In these contexts, dreams are typically experienced by rulers (e.g., Nebuchadnezzar) or individuals considered recipients of divine messages. This noun is distinct from the Hebrew חֲלוֹם (chalom), though both are cognates from the same root. In the Aramaic context of the Book of Daniel, dream narratives echo earlier Israelite traditions of significant dreams but are presented in a distinctly imperial, courtly setting. English translations usually render the term as 'dream,' effectively capturing its basic sense, though in context these dreams are often more than ordinary nocturnal experiences; they function as vehicles for revelatory content, omens, or divine warnings.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to חָלַם; a dream; dream.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חלם (ḥ-l-m) — to dream, experience visions in sleep

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2472 חֲלוֹם in the dream
H2492 חָלַם he dreamed
H2494 חֵלֶם to Helem
H2495 חַלָּמוּת bland herb
H5161 נֶחֱלָמִי the Nechelamite

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2493-02 חֶלְמָ֛/א chelema ANcmsd/Td the dream the dream 15
H2493-01 חֵ֥לֶם chelem ANcmsa a dream dream-vision 2
H2493-06 וְ/חֶלְמָ֗/א vechelema AC/Ncmsd/Td and the dream and the dream 2
H2493-03 חֶלְמָ֨/ךְ chelemakhe ANcmsc/Sp2ms your dream your dream 1
H2493-05 חֶלְמִין֩ chelemin ANcmpa dreams dreams 1
H2493-04 חֶלְמִ֧/י chelemi ANcmsc/Sp1cs of my dream my dream 1

Occurrences in Scripture

22 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2493-02 Daniel 2:4 חֶלְמָ֛/א chelema ANcmsd/Td the dream the dream
H2493-02 Daniel 2:5 חֶלְמָ֣/א chelema ANcmsd/Td the dream the dream
H2493-02 Daniel 2:6 חֶלְמָ֤/א chelema ANcmsd/Td the dream the dream
H2493-02 Daniel 2:6 חֶלְמָ֥/א chelema-2 ANcmsd/Td the dream the dream
H2493-02 Daniel 2:7 חֶלְמָ֛/א chelema ANcmsd/Td the dream the dream
H2493-02 Daniel 2:9 חֶלְמָ/א֩ chelema ANcmsd/Td the dream the dream
H2493-02 Daniel 2:9 חֶלְמָ/א֙ chelema-2 ANcmsd/Td the dream the dream
H2493-02 Daniel 2:26 חֶלְמָ֥/א chelema ANcmsd/Td the dream the dream
H2493-03 Daniel 2:28 חֶלְמָ֨/ךְ chelemakhe ANcmsc/Sp2ms your dream your dream
H2493-02 Daniel 2:36 חֶלְמָ֔/א chelema ANcmsd/Td is the dream the dream
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