חָלָל (cha.lal)
cha.lal
slain: killed; profaned; slain: wounded
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 51 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew word cha.lal primarily describes someone who is pierced, fatally wounded, or slain. In the Old Testament, it appears fifty-one times, often in contexts of battle or judgment, such as when armies are defeated and their soldiers fall (2 Samuel 18:7). The term conveys the physical reality of a wound that leads to death, emphasizing the finality of the violence.
Beyond its literal sense of killing, cha.lal also carries the meaning of profaning or defiling something holy. This usage appears in laws concerning divorce and ritual purity (Leviticus 21:7). The connection between physical piercing and spiritual defilement suggests a breaking of integrity, where what is set apart is violated. Translators often render this as "profane" to distinguish it from mere physical death.
This dual meaning highlights a biblical theme: violence against life is linked to the violation of sacred order. When cha.lal describes slaying, it underscores the gravity of taking a life; when it describes profaning, it warns against treating holy things with disrespect. Both usages point to a breach in the fabric of God's created order.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word cha.lal carries a heavy weight, describing life pierced by violence or sacred boundaries crossed by defilement. In the Old Testament, it marks the tragic reality of battle where soldiers fall and cities are plundered. It also warns against treating holy things with disrespect, linking physical death to spiritual violation. This duality reminds us that sin breaks the integrity God intended for both our bodies and our worship.
For your faith, this word highlights the seriousness of how we treat life and holiness. When Scripture speaks of the slain, it underscores the gravity of taking a life. When it mentions profaning, it calls us to guard what is set apart for God. We can find comfort in knowing that God sees these breaches and offers a path to restoration through His mercy.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 51 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [those] slain of7×
- slain5×
- [one] slain5×
- the/ [ones] slain4×
- the/ [one] slain3×
- slain [ones]3×
- [those] slain3×
- slain [ones]/ their2×
- fatally wounded2×
- and/ a [woman] profaned2×
- [those] fatally wounded2×
- [is] slain2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֲלָלִ֖ים5×
- חָלָ֑ל3×
- חַלְלֵי\־3×
- חַֽלְלֵ֥י3×
- חֲלָלִ֥ים3×
- חָלָֽל\׃2×
- חָלָ֖ל2×
- חַֽלְלֵ֤י2×
- חֲלָלִ֤ים2×
- הַ/חֲלָלִ֑ים2×
- הֶ/חָלָ֑ל2×
- מֵֽ/חַלְלֵ֖י1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 34:27
Jacob’s sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.
This verse uses the word to describe the defilement of Jacob’s sister, linking physical violence against her to the moral violation committed by her brothers.
-
Leviticus 21:7
“‘They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, or profane. A priest shall not marry a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God.
Here the term applies to a priest marrying a profaned woman, showing how ritual impurity affects those serving in the holy sanctuary.
-
I Samuel 31:1
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.
The fall of Israel’s army on Mount Gilboa uses this word to depict the finality of death in battle against the Philistines.
-
II Samuel 1:25
How the mighty have fallen in the middle of the battle! Jonathan was slain on your high places.
David’s lament calls Jonathan slain on the high places, emphasizing the personal tragedy and loss of a mighty warrior in war.