Lexical Definition

‎הֵיכָל‎ hêykâl (hay-kawl') temple ^H:N-M
probably from ‎יָכֹל‎ (in the sense of capacity)

palace, temple.

• a large public building, such as a palace or temple

1) palace, temple, nave, sanctuary
1a) palace
1b) temple (palace of God as king)
1c) hall, nave (of Ezekiel's temple)
1d) temple (of heavenly temple)

See Greek: θησαυρός · θρόνος · ναός · οἶκος · ὀχύρωμα

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎הֵיכָל‎ noun masculine^{Nah 2:7*} (on Isa 44:28 compare Che Di) palace, temple (see also Late Hebrew id. temple, Aramaic ‎הֵיכָלָא‎, ‎הֵיכְלָא‎, , palace, temple, Palmyrene ‎הכלא‎ temple Vog¹⁶; compare Arabic (probably Aramaic loan-word according to Frä²⁷⁴), Ethiopic temple; Assyrian ekallu, palace, temple; — probably loan-word from Akkadian e-gal, great house, compare Schr^{HI 148} COT 2Kgs 20:18 Hpt^{E-vowel 11 f.} Lehmann^{Šamaššumukîn 126}, and on usage Dl³³⁸; > from ‎יכל‎ (‎וכל‎) = ‎כול‎ contain Ew^{§ 162 b} Thes Add⁸⁴; compare Ol^{§ 191 b} Hoffm^{AGG xxxvi. Mai 1889:25} Dl^w; from an original ‎יכל‎ Lag^{BN 121}, but compare Hom^{ZMG 1890.547}) absolute ‎׳‎‎ה‎ Amos 8:3 + 27 t. (‎׳‎‎הַה‎ 1Kgs 6:17 +); construct ‎הֵיכַל‎ Mic 1:2 + 35 t.; suffix ‎הֵיכָלָ֑ךָ‎ Ps 48:10* + 2 t.; ‎הֵיכָלוֺ‎ Jer 50:28 + 7 t.; plural ‎הֵיכָלוֺת‎ Hos 8:14 construct ‎הֵיכְלֵי‎ Isa 13:22 + 2 t.; suffix ‎הֵיכְלֵיכֶם‎ Joel 4:5* — never in Hexateuch, rarely in Samuel & pre-exile prophets; especially frequently in Ki Ezekiel & late prophets, also Chronicles; occasionally in Psalms; —

1. rather seld. (royal) palace (so almost always in Assyrian); of Ahab 1Kgs 21:1, of king of Babylon 2Kgs 20:18 = Isa 38:17; 2Chr 36:7, compare Dan 1:4, and plural ‎הֵיכְלֵי עֹנֶג‎ Isa 13:22 luxurious palaces; at Nineveh ‎נָמוֺג‎ ‎׳‎‎וְהַה‎ Nah 2:7* not clearly defined are ‎הֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ‎ Ps 45:16* and ‎הֵיכְלֵי שֵׁן‎ vPs 45:9* ‎הֵיכָלוֺת‎ Hos 8:14 (in Northern Israel); see also ‎וְהֵילִילוּ שִׁירוֺת הֵיכָל בַּיּוֺם הַהוּא‎ Amos 8:3 and palace-songs shall be howlings in that day; compare also (probably) of Phoenician palaces Joel 4:5* quite general ‎הֵיכְלֵי מֶלֶךְ‎, Prov 30:28, & ‎תַּבְנִית הֵיכָל‎ Ps 144:12 (simile of well-proportioned daughters); — usual term for royal palace in Hebrew is ‎בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ‎, see ‎בית‎.

2. of palace of God considered as king, = house of God or of ‎׳‎‎י‎, temple (compare ‎׳‎‎הַה‎ Isa 6:1
e. below where prophet sees ‎אדני ישֵׁב עַלכִּֿסֵּא‎):
a. of early, pre-Solomonic house at Shiloh ‎׳‎‎הֵיכַל י‎ 1Sam 1:9; 1Sam 3:3 (= ‎׳‎‎בֵּית י‎ 1Sam 1:7; 1Sam 3:15 ‎פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֺעֵד‎ 1Sam 2:22 omitted by ᵐ5 We Klo Dr) with doors (‎דלתות‎, 1Sam 3:15) & a doorpost (‎מזוזה‎ 1Sam 1:9) (compare 2Sam 22:7 = Ps 18:7* e below).
b. of Solomon's temple: specifically the hall or nave of the temple (the holy place, distinguished from the ‎דְּבִּיר‎ the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, and with this included in the more general term ‎׳‎‎בֵּית י‎ or ‎הַבַּיִת‎, 1Kgs 6:1; 1Kgs 6:2 + often) 1Kgs 6:17 (compare v1Kgs 6:19 v1Kgs 6:20 & v1Kgs 6:2) also v1Kgs 6:5 v1Kgs 6:33; 1Kgs 7:50 = 2Chr 4:22 further 2Chr 4:7; 2Chr 4:8; Ezek 8:16 (twice in verse) ‎הָאוּלָם עַלפְּֿנֵי‎ ‎הֵיכַל הַבַּיִת‎ 1Kgs 6:3 ‎אֻלָם הַהֵיכָל‎ 1Kgs 7:21 || ‎עַלפְּֿנֵי‎ ‎הַהֵיכָל‎ 2Chr 3:17 ‎׳‎‎הֵיכַל י‎ 2Kgs 18:16 also in wide sense (apparently = ‎׳‎‎בֵּית י‎), ‎׳‎‎הֵיכַל י‎ 2Kgs 23:4; 2Kgs 24:13 (|| ‎׳‎‎בֵּית י‎), Jer 7:4 (3 t. in verse) (|| ‎׳‎‎בֵּית י‎ vJer 7:2), Jer 24:1 see also ‎נִקְמַת‎ ‎הֵיכָלוֺ‎ Jer 50:28; Jer 51:11 (both || ‎׳‎‎נִקְמַת י‎); 2Chr 26:16; 2Chr 27:2, compare 2Chr 29:16 (|| ‎׳‎‎פְּנִ֫ימָה בֵית י‎; opposed to ‎׳‎‎י‎ ‎׳‎‎חֲצַר ב‎), in all three ‎׳‎‎הֵיכַל י‎.
c. hall or nave of Ezekiel's temple, the holy place (see above) (included in ‎הַבַּיִת‎, the general term embracing the whole group of buildings) Ezek 41:1; Ezek 41:4; Ezek 41:15; Ezek 41:21; Ezek 41:23; Ezek 41:25 (compare vEzek 41:20) Ezek 42:8.
d. general designation of 2 nd temple, ‎הַהֵיכָל‎ Zech 8:9 (|| ‎צְבָאוֺת‎ ‎׳‎‎בֵּית י‎); oftener ‎׳‎‎הֵיכַל י‎ Hag 2:15; Hag 2:18; Zech 6:12; Zech 6:13; Zech 6:14; Zech 6:15; Ezra 3:6; Ezra 3:10, ‎הֵיכָלוֺ‎ Mal 3:1; Ps 27:4 ‎בּוֺנִים הֵיכָל ליהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל‎ Ezra 4:1 ‎(הַ)הֵיכָל‎ Neh 6:10 (twice in verse) (|| ‎בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים‎), vNeh 6:11; Isa 44:28, compare also Isa 66:6. — ‎הֵיכָל‎ occurs occasionally in Psalms, without conclusive evidence, in all cases, to what temple reference is had; apparently distinguished from ‎׳‎‎בֵּית י‎ (as below b) Ps 5:8* (‎הֵיכַל קָדְשְׁךָ‎; see ‎בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ‎ vPs 5:7*); perhaps also Ps 68:30* (distinguished from Holy of Holies by De Che; yet verse obscure); but no distinction evident Ps 79:1; Ps 138:2; Jonah 2:5*; Jonah 2:8* (all ‎הֵיכַל קָדְשְׁךָ‎); compare ‎קְדשׁ הֵיכָל֑ךָ‎ Ps 65:5* (|| ‎בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ‎); as containing the worshipping assembly Ps 48:10*.
e. of the heavenly temple where ‎׳‎‎י‎ sits enthroned Isa 6:1 his abode in the heavens 2Sam 22:7 = Ps 18:7*; Ps 11:4 (|| ‎שָׁמַיִם‎; compare ‎זְבֻל קָדְשׁוֺ‎ Isa 63:15, || id.), Isa 29:9 ‎אֲדֹנָי מֵהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֺ‎ Mic 1:2, compare Hab 2:20 ‎ויהוה בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֺ‎.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References