חַי (chay)
chay
alive; kinsfolk; living thing; community; life
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 363 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew word chay primarily describes something that is alive or living. It applies to people, animals, and even vegetation, as seen when Genesis mentions green plants. The term also extends to water, describing it as fresh or flowing, which suggests vitality rather than just physical existence.
Beyond simple biological life, chay carries the sense of being lively or active. In Proverbs, it often describes a person who is vigorous and energetic. The sources note that this word can refer to one’s kinsfolk or community, linking the concept of life closely with social relationships and mutual sustenance.
A notable usage appears in the phrase "the living God," which emphasizes God as the source of life rather than a static idol. This distinction highlights the dynamic nature of divine presence. Translators usually render chay as "alive" or "living," capturing both the physical state and the active energy inherent in the word.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chay reminds us that life is not just a biological state but a dynamic gift from God. In Genesis, He breathes into dust to create living beings, showing that our vitality comes directly from His presence. This connection between the Creator and the created means that every heartbeat is an act of sustained grace.
Chay also points to community and relationship. When Adam names the animals, he recognizes their distinct life, yet finds his own completeness in fellowship. Our lives thrive not in isolation but in shared purpose and mutual care. This word invites us to see others as fellow recipients of God’s breath, worthy of dignity and respect.
Even when life feels fragile or threatened, chay assures us that God remains the source of all vitality. Whether in the renewal after the flood or the promise of eternal life, this term anchors our hope in the One who gives and sustains existence. We can trust that His life-giving power is always at work.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 363 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [by] [the] life44×
- living39×
- life32×
- <the>/ living22×
- alive20×
- life/ his14×
- [the] life of12×
- [by] [the] life of12×
- life/ your11×
- life/ my11×
- <the> animal of11×
- the/ living10×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חַי\־48×
- חַיִּ֑ים16×
- חַיִּֽים\׃12×
- חַיַּ֥ת10×
- חַיִּ֖ים10×
- חָ֑י9×
- חַיֵּ֣י9×
- חַ֖י9×
- חָֽי\׃8×
- חַיַּ֣ת8×
- חַיֶּֽי/ךָ\׃7×
- חַיָּ֖ה6×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 2:7
Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
This verse defines the origin of human life, showing that chay describes the state of being animated by God's breath rather than mere physical matter.
-
Genesis 1:20
God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”
Here chay characterizes creatures in their natural element, emphasizing the abundance and active movement of life within the waters as part of God's good design.
-
Genesis 3:20
The man called his wife Eve because she would be the mother of all the living.
Eve is named mother of all living, linking the concept of chay to lineage and the continuation of human community through generations.
-
Genesis 7:15
Pairs from all flesh with the breath of life in them went into the ship to Noah.
The preservation of pairs in the ark highlights chay as a fragile state dependent on God's mercy and specific instruction for survival.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chay mean in Genesis 2:7?
Is chay only used for humans?
How does chay relate to community?
Every Occurrence (363 verses across 28 books)
Genesis 56 verses
God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the…
Genesis 1:21God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their…
Genesis 1:24God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the…
Genesis 1:25God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on…
Genesis 1:28God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish…
Genesis 1:30To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there…
Genesis 2:7Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a…
Genesis 2:9Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, including the…
Genesis 2:19Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man…
Genesis 2:20The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there…
Genesis 3:1Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God…
Genesis 3:14Yahweh God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal…
Genesis 3:17To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and have eaten from the tree, about which I commanded…
Genesis 3:20The man called his wife Eve because she would be the mother of all the living.
Genesis 3:22Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand,…
Genesis 3:24So he drove out the man; and he placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned…
Genesis 6:17I, even I, will bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the…
Genesis 6:19Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They…
Genesis 7:11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the…
Genesis 7:14they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the…
Genesis 7:15Pairs from all flesh with the breath of life in them went into the ship to Noah.
Genesis 7:21All flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, livestock, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the…
Genesis 7:22All on the dry land, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died.
Genesis 8:1God remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and God made a wind to pass…
Genesis 8:17Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping…
Genesis 8:19Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatever moves on the earth, after their families, went out of the…
Genesis 8:21Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma. Yahweh said in his heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake…
Genesis 9:2The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything…
Genesis 9:3Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you.
Genesis 9:5I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of…
Genesis 9:10and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of…
Genesis 9:12God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with…
Genesis 9:15I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no…
Genesis 9:16The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every…
Genesis 18:10He said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.”…
Genesis 18:14Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will…
Genesis 23:1Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life.
Genesis 25:6but Abraham gave gifts to the sons of Abraham’s concubines. While he still lived, he sent them away from Isaac his son,…
Genesis 25:7These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years.
Genesis 25:17These are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years. He gave up his spirit and died, and was…
Genesis 26:19Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of flowing water.
Genesis 27:46Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters…
Genesis 37:20Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has…
Genesis 37:33He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s tunic. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in…
Genesis 42:15By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go out from here, unless your youngest brother comes…
Genesis 42:16Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is…
Genesis 43:7They said, “The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still…
Genesis 43:27He asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?”
Genesis 43:28They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed down humbly.
Genesis 45:3Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Does my father still live?” His brothers couldn’t answer him; for they were…
Genesis 45:26They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart fainted, for he…
Genesis 45:28Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Genesis 46:30Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.”
Genesis 47:8Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”
Genesis 47:9Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are one hundred thirty years. The days of the years of my life have…
Genesis 47:28Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred…