חֲשַׁל (cha.shal)
cha.shal
to shatter
A:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:V
Word Overview
The Aramaic verb cha.shal means to subdue, crush, or shatter something completely. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Daniel 2:40, where it describes the fourth kingdom’s power to break and dominate all previous empires.
This word is related to the Hebrew root for being feeble or weak, creating a sharp contrast between the victim’s fragility and the conqueror’s destructive force. The imagery suggests not just defeat, but the violent fragmentation of an opponent’s strength.
Translators typically render this as "shatter" or "break," emphasizing the total nature of the victory. In Daniel’s vision, it highlights the terrifying efficiency of the final empire, which leaves no part of its rivals intact.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word cha.shal carries the force of shattering or crushing completely. In Daniel 2:40, it describes a kingdom so powerful it breaks everything in its path like iron. This imagery reminds us that human empires and political powers are fragile compared to God’s eternal plan.
When you face overwhelming circumstances, remember that no earthly power is final. The same God who allows history to unfold also holds the ultimate authority. Your hope does not rest in stable governments or lasting wealth, but in the Kingdom that will never be destroyed.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ [is] crushing1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/חָשֵׁל֙1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 2:40
The fourth kingdom will be strong as iron, because iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things; and as iron that crushes all these, it will break in pieces and crush.
The verb emphasizes the total fragmentation of rivals by the fourth kingdom, highlighting the contrast between earthly strength and divine sovereignty.