הָלָא (ha.la)
ha.la
to cast far off
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb hala appears only once in the Old Testament, found in Micah 7:19. In this Niphal form, it carries the specific meaning of being cast far away or removed to a distant place. The imagery is spatial and decisive, suggesting that something is not merely set aside but pushed out of reach entirely.
This word describes God’s action toward sin in the final verse of Micah. Rather than keeping the transgressions close for ongoing punishment, He removes them far off from His people. The physical distance implies a complete separation between the offender and their guilt, emphasizing the thoroughness of divine forgiveness as portrayed in this prophetic text.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The verb hala describes an action of casting something far away, creating a decisive spatial separation. In Micah 7:19, this imagery assures us that God does not keep our sins close for ongoing punishment. Instead, He removes them to a distant place, ensuring they no longer stand between Him and His people.
This complete removal offers profound comfort. It means forgiveness is not just a covering but a thorough clearing of the record. When you feel weighed down by past mistakes, remember that God’s grace pushes those burdens far out of reach, allowing you to walk forward without the heavy anchor of guilt.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ the/ [one who was] straying1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/הַ/נַּהֲלָאָ֖ה1×