חֲלִיצָה (cha.li.tsah)
cha.li.tsah
spoil
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun chalitsah refers to what is stripped from a person, specifically the armor or clothing taken as plunder after battle. In the Hebrew Bible, it denotes the tangible spoils of war that soldiers seize from defeated enemies. This word captures the physical act of disarming an opponent and claiming their gear as one’s own prize.
Its usage is rare, appearing in only two biblical passages: Judges 5:30 and 2 Samuel 1:21. In both instances, it describes the vast amount of equipment captured during military victories. The term emphasizes the material gain resulting from conflict, focusing on the armor and belts that signify a warrior’s defeat and the victor’s success.
While similar to other words for treasure or wealth, chalitsah is distinct in its direct connection to combat and the stripping of an enemy. It highlights the immediate, physical consequences of war rather than long-term economic gain. This specific focus on battlefield loot provides a clear picture of ancient military practices and the value placed on captured arms.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chalitsah describes the tangible results of conflict: the armor stripped from a defeated enemy. In Judges and Samuel, it marks the shift from struggle to victory, where the victor claims the gear that once defined the opponent’s strength. This imagery reminds us that true power does not come from our own defenses but from God’s intervention on our behalf.
When we face spiritual battles, we are not called to rely on our own armor alone. Scripture shows us that God can remove the weight of our enemies’ threats and replace fear with peace. The spoils taken in battle point to a deeper reality: God disarms the forces that oppose His people and grants them rest.
Trust in His strength rather than your own preparations. When you feel overwhelmed, remember that He is able to strip away the burdens that weigh you down. You are held by a power greater than any conflict, and His victory is yours through faith.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- spoils/ their1×
- spoils/ his1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֲלִצָת֑/וֹ1×
- חֲלִ֣יצוֹתָ֔/ם1×
Key Verses
-
Judges 14:19
Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck thirty men of them. He took their plunder, then gave the changes of clothing to those who declared the riddle. His anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.
This verse uses the related concept of taking spoils (though the Hebrew word for 'plunder' here is different, the context of chalitsah as stripped gear applies to the broader theme of divine victory where Samson takes the armor/clothing from thirty men).
-
II Samuel 2:21
Abner said to him, “Turn away to your right hand or to your left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armor.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him.
Abner offers Asahel a chance to take an enemy's armor, illustrating the direct link between combat and the possession of chalitsah as a prize of war.