חָיָה (cha.yah)
cha.yah
to live
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 210 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb chayah denotes the state of being alive, whether in the physical sense of breathing or the broader experience of sustaining life. It appears frequently across the Old Testament, from the genealogies in Genesis to the prayers of the Psalms, describing everything from simple survival to thriving prosperity. The word captures the full spectrum of vitality, indicating not just existence but the active continuation of life.
A notable feature of chayah is its use to describe restoration and revival. In various contexts, it means to be quickened or brought back from faintness, sickness, or even death. For instance, in Genesis 45:27, the family of Jacob is described as being revived when they hear that Joseph remains alive. This nuance highlights a dynamic view of life, where vitality can be renewed by divine intervention or natural recovery.
The word also carries a theological weight regarding God’s role as the source of life. In passages like Psalm 16:11, chayah is linked to the fullness of joy and pleasures found in God’s presence. This connection suggests that true living is not merely biological but is deeply tied to a relationship with the Creator, who preserves and sustains life.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word chayah describes life in its fullest sense. It is not just about breathing or existing. It points to the vibrant energy that sustains us day by day. When you read the genealogies in Genesis, this word marks the long years of each patriarch. These are not empty dates. They show God’s patience and His steady hand holding history together.
Life here is more than survival. It includes family, legacy, and the simple act of continuing forward. Even when circumstances seem difficult, this word reminds us that life is a gift maintained by the Creator. We do not sustain ourselves by sheer will. We rely on the One who gives breath to all things.
Think of how your own days feel. Are they filled with purpose? The biblical view invites you to see every moment as part of a larger story. God cares about your daily existence. He preserves you so you can walk in His ways. This assurance brings peace to the heart, knowing that your life is held securely in His hands.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 210 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ he lived42×
- and/ he will live17×
- may he live10×
- and/ live10×
- preserve alive/ me9×
- you will live8×
- he will live7×
- he lived5×
- you may live4×
- to/ preserve alive4×
- I will live4×
- so/ we may preserve alive3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וַֽ/יְחִי\־12×
- וַ/יְחִ֣י8×
- וַֽ/יְחִ֣י7×
- יְחִ֥י6×
- חַיֵּֽ/נִי\׃6×
- וָ/חָֽי\׃6×
- וַ/יֶּֽחִי\׃4×
- וִֽ/חְי֑וּ4×
- יִחְיֶ֥ה3×
- יְחִ֖י3×
- תִֽחְיֶֽה\׃2×
- תִֽחְיֶ֔ה2×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 3:22
Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever—”
This verse highlights the profound theological weight of eternal life, showing that living forever is tied directly to access to the tree of life and divine presence.
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Genesis 6:19
Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female.
Here the word emphasizes physical preservation, as Noah gathers animals specifically to keep them alive during the flood, demonstrating God’s care for all living creatures.
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Genesis 5:3
Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
This occurrence grounds the concept of life in human lineage, showing how chayah marks the continuation of family lines and the passing of generations from father to son.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chayah mean in the Old Testament?
How is chayah different from other words for life?
Where does this word appear most often?
Every Occurrence (210 verses across 26 books)
Genesis 59 verses
Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand,…
Genesis 5:3Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him…
Genesis 5:5All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred thirty years, then he died.
Genesis 5:6Seth lived one hundred five years, then became the father of Enosh.
Genesis 5:7Seth lived after he became the father of Enosh eight hundred seven years, and became the father of other sons and…
Genesis 5:9Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan.
Genesis 5:10Enosh lived after he became the father of Kenan eight hundred fifteen years, and became the father of other sons and…
Genesis 5:12Kenan lived seventy years, then became the father of Mahalalel.
Genesis 5:13Kenan lived after he became the father of Mahalalel eight hundred forty years, and became the father of other sons and…
Genesis 5:15Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Jared.
Genesis 5:16Mahalalel lived after he became the father of Jared eight hundred thirty years, and became the father of other sons and…
Genesis 5:18Jared lived one hundred sixty-two years, then became the father of Enoch.
Genesis 5:19Jared lived after he became the father of Enoch eight hundred years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:21Enoch lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Methuselah.
Genesis 5:25Methuselah lived one hundred eighty-seven years, then became the father of Lamech.
Genesis 5:26Methuselah lived after he became the father of Lamech seven hundred eighty-two years, and became the father of other…
Genesis 5:28Lamech lived one hundred eighty-two years, then became the father of a son.
Genesis 5:30Lamech lived after he became the father of Noah five hundred ninety-five years, and became the father of other sons and…
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 6:20Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind,…
Genesis 7:3Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth.
Genesis 9:28Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood.
Genesis 11:11Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and became the father of more sons and…
Genesis 11:12Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah.
Genesis 11:13Arpachshad lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Shelah, and became the father of more sons and…
Genesis 11:14Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber.
Genesis 11:15Shelah lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Eber, and became the father of more sons and…
Genesis 11:16Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg.
Genesis 11:17Eber lived four hundred thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and became the father of more sons and…
Genesis 11:18Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu.
Genesis 11:19Peleg lived two hundred nine years after he became the father of Reu, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:20Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug.
Genesis 11:21Reu lived two hundred seven years after he became the father of Serug, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:22Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor.
Genesis 11:23Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:24Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah.
Genesis 11:25Nahor lived one hundred nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and became the father of more sons and…
Genesis 11:26Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Genesis 12:12It will happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will…
Genesis 12:13Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”
Genesis 17:18Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”
Genesis 19:19See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown…
Genesis 19:20See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my…
Genesis 19:32Come, let’s make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve our father’s family line.”
Genesis 19:34It came to pass on the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father.…
Genesis 20:7Now therefore, restore the man’s wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don’t…
Genesis 25:7These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years.
Genesis 27:40You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, that you will…
Genesis 31:32Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” For…
Genesis 42:2He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may…
Genesis 42:18Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this, and live, for I fear God.
Genesis 43:8Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the boy with me, and we’ll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die,…
Genesis 45:7God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance.
Genesis 45:27They told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them. When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry…
Genesis 47:19Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be…
Genesis 47:25They said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
Genesis 47:28Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred…
Genesis 50:20As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today.
Genesis 50:22Joseph lived in Egypt, he, and his father’s house. Joseph lived one hundred ten years.