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חֵלֶף

𐤇𐤋𐤐

chêleph

H2500 preposition

SILEX Entry

Root חלף to pass, to change, to substitute, to succeed, to exchange

Definition

An act or state of exchange, succession, or substitution. The term denotes the replacement of one thing by another, an exchange or something given in place of something else. As a preposition or in construct, it can mean 'in place of,' 'instead of,' or 'in exchange for.'

Semantic Range

exchange, substitution, place of (in place of), instead of, compensation, replacement

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חָלַף (ḥālap̄), meaning 'to pass, change, succeed, exchange.' The noun form חֵלֶף (ḥêleph) denotes the product or act of exchange or substitution and can be used abstractly or with concrete referents. The root connotes movement or passage, particularly with reference to replacing or succeeding.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חֵלֶף occurs infrequently in the Hebrew Bible but is significant in legal and narrative contexts where exchange or substitution is central, such as in Leviticus 27:10,33 regarding redemption and substitution of offerings, or in Psalm 106:20 referencing the exchange of glory for the image of an ox. In such cases, חֵלֶף captures not only the transaction but often the resulting state after exchange or substitution. The use of חֵלֶף as a preposition in the construct form (חֵלֶף + noun) is distinctive and conveys 'in place of' or 'instead of,' often with the sense of making up for a loss or providing a substitute. The term does not bear the nuance of barter, trade, or commercial exchange found in other terms such as מִכְרָה (mekhrah, sale) or מָכַר (to sell), but is closely tied to the concepts of replacement and substitution, particularly in cultic, legal, and metaphorical contexts. The English translation 'for' often renders חֵלֶף, but may not always convey the fullness of the Hebrew conception of substitution or equivalence, especially in ritual or juridical settings where a precise exchange or substitution is regulated. The conceptual framework is not tied to later legal or commercial terms in post-biblical Hebrew. In later periods, synonymous or analogous terms may emerge, but חֵלֶף is largely limited to biblical and early Second Temple contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָלַף; properly, exchange; hence (as preposition) instead of; [idiom] for.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חלף (ḥ-l-p̄) — to pass, to change, to substitute, to succeed, to exchange

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2475 חֲלוֹף survivor
H2487 חֲלִיפָה my change
H2498 חָלַף he passed
H2499 חֲלַף they will pass on
H2501 חֶלֶף from Cheleph

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2500-01 חֵ֤לֶף chelef HR in return for in place of 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2500-01 Numbers 18:21 חֵ֤לֶף chelef HR in return for in place of
H2500-01 Numbers 18:31 חֵ֥לֶף chelef HR in-return-for in place of
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