חָלָץ (cha.lats)
cha.lats
loin
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 10 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb chalats primarily denotes the act of loosening or removing a garment, specifically the belt or girdle around the loins. In the Old Testament, this physical action carries significant symbolic weight, often marking a transition from a state of readiness to one of rest, mourning, or vulnerability. The sources note its use in contexts involving sexual intimacy, where the removal of the belt signifies the end of active labor and the beginning of private union.
Its range of meaning extends to expressions of grief and distress. For instance, the imagery of loosening the girdle appears in descriptions of pain or anguish, such as the travail of childbirth or the shock of disaster. In Job and Jeremiah, this gesture reflects a stripping away of dignity or strength, leaving the person exposed to suffering. The word anchors these emotional states in a tangible, bodily action that every ancient reader would recognize.
Translators typically render chalats as "loosen," "untie," or "remove" depending on context. While modern readers might overlook the cultural importance of the belt as a symbol of preparedness, the biblical text uses this specific verb to highlight moments when that preparation is deliberately set aside. This shift from tension to release, whether in joy, sorrow, or intimacy, gives the word its distinctive theological and narrative force.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew verb chalats describes the physical act of loosening or removing a belt. In ancient times, a girdle held clothing tight and allowed for swift movement, symbolizing readiness for work or battle. To untie it was to signal a shift from active labor to rest, intimacy, or vulnerability. This tangible gesture grounds our spiritual experiences in real human life.
When Scripture uses this word, it marks significant transitions. In Isaiah 5:27, the belt remains tied because God’s judgment is relentless and exhausting. Conversely, in Job 38:3, God calls Job to brace himself like a man, tightening his spiritual loins to face divine questions. These moments show that our posture—whether prepared or relaxed—matters deeply before God.
Understanding this word helps us see how biblical authors used everyday actions to express deep truths. Whether we are in seasons of intense preparation or times of necessary rest, God understands the weight of our burdens and the relief of laying them down. His Word meets us in these honest moments of human experience.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 10 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- loins/ his3×
- from/ loins/ your3×
- loins/ your2×
- loins/ its1×
- loins1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֲלָצֶ֑י/ךָ2×
- מֵֽ/חֲלָצֶ֔י/ךָ1×
- מֵ/חֲלָצֶ֥י/ךָ1×
- מֵ/חֲלָצֶ֔י/ךָ1×
- חֲלָצָי/ו֙1×
- חֲלָצָֽיִם\׃1×
- חֲלָצָֽי/ו\׃1×
- חֲלָצָ֔י/ו1×
- חֲלָצָ֑י/ו1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 5:27
No one shall be weary nor stumble among them; no one shall slumber nor sleep, neither shall the belt of their waist be untied, nor the strap of their sandals be broken,
This verse uses the word to describe a state of relentless energy where even the belt is not untied, emphasizing the exhausting nature of divine judgment.
-
Job 38:3
Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me!
God commands Job to 'brace yourself,' using the imagery of tightening the girdle to signify mental and spiritual readiness for a serious encounter.
-
Isaiah 11:5
Righteousness will be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his waist.
Here the word appears in a metaphor where righteousness and faithfulness serve as the belt, symbolizing strength and stability rooted in character rather than labor.
-
Jeremiah 30:6
Ask now, and see whether a man travails with child. Why do I see every man with his hands on his waist, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned pale?
The prophet describes men holding their waists in pain like women in travail, using the physical tension of the girdle area to illustrate intense anguish.