חֵילֵךְ (che.lek)
che.lek
Helech
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 200 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The form chelek is a construct state of the common Hebrew noun chayil, meaning "your army" or "your forces." It appears in only two verses, both in Jeremiah (25:25 and 49:35), referring to the military might of nations like Babylon or Elam. In these contexts, it describes the tangible power and host that God promises to break or scatter.
The root word chayil has a broad range, covering strength, wealth, valor, and efficiency. It can refer to material resources as well as martial prowess, often describing men of ability or noble character. Here, however, it is strictly military, pointing to the organized strength of an enemy nation that stands against God’s people.
Its rarity in Scripture highlights its specific rhetorical weight. By naming "your army" directly, the prophet emphasizes the personal and national scope of divine judgment. The word underscores that no amount of human force or wealth can withstand the sovereign will described in these passages.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chelek appears in Jeremiah as a construct form of chayil, meaning "your army" or "your forces." In these rare instances, it points to the military might and organized strength of nations like Babylon or Elam. The prophet uses this term to highlight the tangible power that stands against God’s people.
These passages remind us that no human force can withstand divine judgment. When Scripture mentions such vast resources, it underscores the sovereignty of God over history. This word invites reflection on how earthly powers are ultimately subject to His will.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 200 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- strength48×
- [the] army of23×
- ability16×
- the/ armies13×
- army/ his10×
- the/ army9×
- <the>/ strength9×
- an army7×
- with/ an army6×
- wealth6×
- [the] wealth of6×
- wealth/ their4×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חַ֖יִל13×
- חָֽיִל\׃12×
- חַ֔יִל12×
- חֵ֣יל12×
- חָ֑יִל10×
- חֵיל֔/וֹ7×
- חַ֣יִל5×
- חַ֜יִל5×
- חַ֛יִל5×
- חֵ֨יל5×
- חֵ֥יל5×
- חַ֙יִל֙4×