חֵלֶם
𐤇𐤋𐤌
chêlem
H2493 noun
SILEX Entry
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
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
ח־ל־ם (chêlem) — to dream, experience visions in sleep
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2493-02 |
חֶלְמָ֛/א | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
the dream | the dream | the dream | 15 |
H2493-01 |
חֵ֥לֶם | chelem | ANcmsa |
a dream | dream-vision | dream | 2 |
H2493-06 |
וְ/חֶלְמָ֗/א | vechelema | AC/Ncmsd/Td |
and the dream | and the dream | and the dream | 2 |
H2493-03 |
חֶלְמָ֨/ךְ | chelemakhe | ANcmsc/Sp2ms |
your dream | your dream | your dream | 1 |
H2493-04 |
חֶלְמִ֧/י | chelemi | ANcmsc/Sp1cs |
of my dream | my dream | of my dream | 1 |
H2493-05 |
חֶלְמִין֩ | chelemin | ANcmpa |
dreams | dreams | dreams | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
22 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2493-02 |
Daniel 2:4 | חֶלְמָ֛/א | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
the dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 2:5 | חֶלְמָ֣/א | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
the dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 2:6 | חֶלְמָ֤/א | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
the dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 2:6 | חֶלְמָ֥/א | chelema-2 | ANcmsd/Td |
the dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 2:7 | חֶלְמָ֛/א | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
the dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 2:9 | חֶלְמָ/א֩ | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
the dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 2:9 | חֶלְמָ/א֙ | chelema-2 | ANcmsd/Td |
the dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 2:26 | חֶלְמָ֥/א | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
the dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-03 |
Daniel 2:28 | חֶלְמָ֨/ךְ | chelemakhe | ANcmsc/Sp2ms |
your dream | your dream | your dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 2:36 | חֶלְמָ֔/א | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
is the dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 2:45 | חֶלְמָ֖/א | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
the dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-01 |
Daniel 4:2 | חֵ֥לֶם | chelem | ANcmsa |
a dream | dream-vision | dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 4:3 | חֶלְמָ֖/א | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
dream-its | the dream | the dream |
H2493-06 |
Daniel 4:4 | וְ/חֶלְמָ֗/א | vechelema | AC/Ncmsd/Td |
and the dream | and the dream | and the dream |
H2493-06 |
Daniel 4:5 | וְ/חֶלְמָ֖/א | vechelema | AC/Ncmsd/Td |
and the dream | and the dream | and the dream |
H2493-04 |
Daniel 4:6 | חֶלְמִ֧/י | chelemi | ANcmsc/Sp1cs |
of my dream | my dream | of my dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 4:15 | חֶלְמָ֣/א | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 4:16 | חֶלְמָ֤/א | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
the-dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 4:16 | חֶלְמָ֥/א | chelema-2 | ANcmsd/Td |
the-dream | the dream | the dream |
H2493-05 |
Daniel 5:12 | חֶלְמִין֩ | chelemin | ANcmpa |
dreams | dreams | dreams |
H2493-01 |
Daniel 7:1 | חֵ֣לֶם | chelem | ANcmsa |
a dream | dream-vision | dream-vision |
H2493-02 |
Daniel 7:1 | חֶלְמָ֣/א | chelema | ANcmsd/Td |
the dream | the dream | the dream |