חָלַל
châlal · khaw-lal'
properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute)
Lexicon
Derivation: a primitive root (compare H2470 (חָלָה)); also denominative (from H2485 (חָלִיל))
properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute)
- properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve
- figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge')
- to play (the flute)
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: begin ([idiom] men began), defile, [idiom] break, defile, [idiom] eat (as common things), [idiom] first, [idiom] gather the grape thereof, [idiom] take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain, wound.
Letters
- חHet8
Picture: courtyard wall or enclosure
- Concrete
- wall · fence · tent wall
- Extended
- to separate · protection · the inside vs. the outside · private
- לLamed30
Picture: shepherd's staff or goad
- Concrete
- staff · goad · yoke · cattle prod
- Extended
- authority · to lead · to teach · to bind · toward
- לLamed30
Picture: shepherd's staff or goad
- Concrete
- staff · goad · yoke · cattle prod
- Extended
- authority · to lead · to teach · to bind · toward
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
to separate and protect › authority, the one who leads › authority, the one who leads
To separate and protect of authority, the one who leads of authority, the one who leads.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of חָלַל above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
143 occurrences · 143 OT · 0 NT · 118 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- began19 · 33%
- he began4 · 7%
- to profane3 · 5%
- sake, that it should not be polluted3 · 5%
- begin2 · 4%
- will i begin2 · 4%
- from polluting2 · 4%
- neither shalt thou profane2 · 4%
- by profaning2 · 4%
- they began2 · 4%
- and have profaned2 · 4%
- and began1 · 2%
- neither shall he profane1 · 2%
- then defiledst thou1 · 2%
- nor profane1 · 2%
- and this they begin1 · 2%
- if she profane1 · 2%
- and not profane1 · 2%
- and to profane1 · 2%
- do not prostitute1 · 2%
- because he hath profaned1 · 2%
- she profaneth1 · 2%
- unto you: every one that defileth1 · 2%
- upon it, thou hast polluted1 · 2%
- then began men1 · 2%
Where it is used, by book.
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.