חֶ֫דֶל (che.del)
che.del
world
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun che.del appears only once in the entire Old Testament, found in Isaiah 38:11. Its core meaning is rest or cessation, describing a state where activity has come to an end. In this single instance, King Hezekiah uses the word while lamenting his impending death, expressing that he will no longer see the Lord "in the land of the living." Here, che.del signifies the finality of life’s cessation, marking the boundary between existence and the grave.
Because it is so rare, the word carries a heavy weight in its context. It does not refer to a peaceful Sabbath rest, but rather to the abrupt stopping of one’s days. The sources identify it strictly as a term for this kind of termination. Translators often render it as "the land of the living" or imply the cessation of life itself, highlighting the sharp contrast Hezekiah feels between his current suffering and the permanent silence that awaits him.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When King Hezekiah faced a terminal diagnosis, he used this rare Hebrew word to describe the silence that follows life. It captures the profound grief of realizing one will no longer walk among the living. This is not a gentle sunset but an abrupt cessation, a door closing on earthly experiences and relationships.
Yet, even in this stark description of finality, there is space for hope. The Bible does not leave us staring only at the grave. For those who trust in God, death is not the absolute end of connection with Him. While Hezekiah feared separation, Christian faith looks forward to a resurrection where the boundary between earth and eternity is crossed.
This word reminds us that our time here is finite. It encourages us to value every moment of fellowship with God while we can. The silence of the grave is real, but it is not the final word for those who believe in His power over death.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- cessation1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חָֽדֶל\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 38:11
I said, “I won’t see Yah, Yah in the land of the living. I will see man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
Hezekiah uses this term to express the painful finality of dying, marking the point where he will no longer see God in the realm of the living.