Lexical Definition

‎חָיָה‎ châyâh (khaw-yaw') to live ^H:V
a primitive root (compare ‎חָוָה‎, ‎חָיָה‎)

keep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.

• to live, whether literally or figuratively
• causatively, to revive

1) to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to live
1a1a) to have life
1a1b) to continue in life, remain alive
1a1c) to sustain life, to live on or upon
1a1d) to live (prosperously)
1a2) to revive, be quickened
1a2a) from sickness
1a2b) from discouragement
1a2c) from faintness
1a2d) from death
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to preserve alive, let live
1b2) to give life
1b3) to quicken, revive, refresh
1b3a) to restore to life
1b3b) to cause to grow
1b3c) to restore
1b3d) to revive
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to preserve alive, let live
1c2) to quicken, revive
1c2a) to restore (to health)
1c2b) to revive
1c2c) to restore to life

See Greek: ἀναψύχω · ἀνίστημι · βιόω · γίνομαι · διασώζω · διδάσκω · ἐκτείνω · ἐκτρέφω · ἐξανίστημι · ζάω · ζωγρέω · ζωή · ζωογονέω · ζωοποιέω · ἰάομαι · καταπαύω · περιποιέομαι · σώζω · τρέφω · ὑγιής · φυλάσσω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎חוה‎ (Phoenician ‎חוא‎ live = Hebrew ‎חָיָה‎ q. v.)

‎חָיָה‎₂₈₃ verb live (Late Hebrew Phoenician id.; Arabic , ; Sabean ‎חיו‎ Mordt^{ZMG 1876, 28}; Ethiopic Aramaic , ‎חֲיָא‎; Palmyrene ‎חיי‎ life, life-time, Vog^{32, 74}) —

Qal₂₀₃ Perfect ‎חָיָה‎ Eccl 6:6 + 4 t.; ‎יְ֯חָיָה‎ Jer 21:9; Jer 38:2 ‎חַי‎ Gen 5:5 + 23 t. (this and the following form are treated as ‎עע֞‎, the original weakness of the stem final ‎י‎ admitting of either ‎לה֞‎ or ‎עע֞‎, Ges^{«GKC:76»§ 76} (2) g); ‎וְחֵי‎ Lev 25:36 (Bö^{§ 1181}); 3 feminine singular ‎חָֽיְתָה‎ Gen 12:13; Jer 38:17 ‎וָחָ֑יָה‎ Exod 1:16 (for ‎חַיָּה‎ Bö^{§ 1123} (3), Samaritan ‎חיתה‎); 2 masculine singular ‎חָיִיתָ‎ Deut 30:16, ‎חָיִתָה‎ Jer 38:17 3 masculine plural ‎חָיוּ‎ Num 14:38, ‎וְחָיוּ‎ consecutive Num 4:19 + Zech 10:9 (where read Pi`el ‎וְחִיּוּ‎ Sta^{ZAW i. 1881, 22} so ᵐ5); ‎וִחְיִיתֶם‎ Ezek 37:5 + 2 t.; Imperfect ‎יִחְיֶה‎ Gen 17:18 + 27 t.; ‎יְחִי‎ Deut 33:6 + 10 t.; ‎וִיחִי‎ Ps 49:10* + 2 t.; ‎וְיֶחִ֑י‎ Isa 38:21, ‎וַיְחִי‎ Gen 5:3 + 37 t.; ‎וַיֶּחִ֑י‎ Deut 4:33 + 4 t.; 3 feminine singular ‎תִּחְיֶה‎ Josh 6:17, ‎תְּחִי‎ Gen 19:20 + 5 t.; 2 masculine singular ‎תִּחְיֶה‎ Gen 27:40 + 7 t.; 2 feminine singular ‎תִּחְיִי‎ 2Kgs 4:7 1 singular ‎אֶחְיֶה‎ 2Kgs 1:2 + 8 t.; 3 masculine plural ‎יִחְיוּ‎ Josh 9:21 + 8 t.; 3 feminine plural ‎תִּחְיֶינָה‎ Ezek 13:19; Ezek 37:3 2 masculine plural ‎תִּחְיוּ‎ Deut 4:1 + 2 t.; ‎תִּחְיוּן‎ Deut 5:30; Deut 8:1 1 plural ‎נִחְיֶה‎ 2Kgs 7:4 + 7 t.; Imperative ‎וֶחְיֵה‎ Gen 20:7; Prov 4:4, ‎וֶחְיֶ֯ה‎ Prov 7:2 feminine singular ‎חֲיִי‎ Ezek 16:6 (twice in verse); masculine plural ‎וִחְיוּ‎ Gen 42:18 + 7 t.; Infinitive absolute ‎חָיֹה‎ 2Kgs 8:10 + 6 t.; ‎חָיוֺ‎ Ezek 3:21 + 3 t.; construct ‎לִחְיוֺת‎ Ezek 33:12, suffix ‎חֲיוֺתָם‎ Josh 5:8 —

1. live:
a. have life, Gen 31:32 (E), Exod 33:20 (J), Num 4:19 (P), Deut 30:16 +; also in phrase ‎וַיְחִי‎ and he lived (so many years) with accusative of time, Gen 5:3-30 (16 t.) Gen 9:28; Gen 11:11-26 (14 t.) Gen 47:28 (all P), Gen 50:22 (E), 2Kgs 14:17 = 2Chr 25:25; Job 42:16.
b. continue in life, remain alive Gen 20:7 (E), Lev 25:36; 2Sam 12:22 +; also ‎נפשׁ‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ live, of the soul or the self Gen 12:13; Gen 19:20 (J), 1Kgs 20:32; Ps 119:175; Jer 38:2; Jer 38:17; Jer 38:20; Isa 55:3 ‎וְחַי הַיָּ֑לֶד‎ and the boy may live 2Sam 12:22 ‎לִפְנֵי‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ live in the presence of Gen 17:18 (P) Hos 6:2 ‎׳‎‎ב‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ live among Lam 4:20.
c. sustain life, live on or upon (‎על‎), of the animal life, by the sword Gen 27:40 (J), by bread Deut 8:3 elsewhere in pregnant sense of fulness of life in divine favour, sustained by (‎על‎) everything that issueth out of the mouth of ‎׳‎‎י‎ Deut 8:3 his promises (?) Isa 38:16 of wicked man, by repentance Ezek 33:19 with ‎בְּ‎ by the statutes and judgments of ‎׳‎‎י‎ if a man do them, Lev 18:5 (H) Ezek 20:11; Ezek 20:13; Ezek 20:21; Ezek 20:25; Neh 9:29 ‎צַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֺ יִחְיֶה‎ a righteous man by his faithfulness shall live Hab 2:4.
d. live (prosperously) ‎יְחִי הַמֶּלֶך‎ may the king live 1Sam 10:24; 2Sam 16:16 (twice in verse); 1Kgs 1:25; 1Kgs 1:31; 1Kgs 1:34; 1Kgs 1:39; 2Kgs 11:12; 2Chr 23:11 ‎יְחִי‎ ‎לְבַבְכֶם‎ Ps 22:27*; Ps 69:33* ‎המלך לעולם יחיה‎ Neh 2:3.

2. be quickened, revive:
a. from sickness Num 21:8; Num 21:9; Josh 5:8 (E) 2Kgs 1:2; 2Kgs 8:8; 2Kgs 8:9; 2Kgs 8:10; 2Kgs 8:14; 2Kgs 20:1; 2Kgs 20:7 = Isa 38:1; Isa 38:9; Isa 38:21.
b. from discouragement of the spirit Gen 45:27 (E).
c. from faintness Judg 15:19.
d. from death 2Kgs 13:21; Job 14:14; Isa 26:14; Isa 26:19 by return of ‎נפשׁ‎ 1Kgs 17:22, of ‎רוּהַ‎ Ezek 37:3; Ezek 37:5; Ezek 37:6; Ezek 37:9; Ezek 37:10; Ezek 37:14 (and so Judg 15:19 c). Pi`el Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎חִיָּה‎ Ps 22:30* 3 feminine singular suffix ‎חִיָּ֑תְנִי‎ Ps 119:50 2 masculine singular suffix ‎חִיִּיתַנִי‎ Ps 30:4* ‎חִיִּיתָ֑נִי‎ Paslm Ps 119:93 3 plural ‎חִיּוּ‎ Judg 21:14, ‎הַחִיִּיתֶם‎ Num 31:15 Imperfect ‎יְחַיֶּה‎ 1Sam 27:9 +, etc.; Imperative suffix ‎חַיֵּנִי‎ Ps 119:25 + 8 t., ‎חַיֵּיהוּ‎ Hab 3:2 Infinitive construct ‎חַיּוֺת‎ Gen 7:3; Ezek 13:19 suffix ‎חַיֹּתֵנוּ‎ Deut 6:24 +, etc.; Participle ‎מְחַיֶּה‎ Neh 9:6; 1Sam 2:6 —

1. preserve alive, let live Exod 1:17; Exod 1:18; Exod 1:22; Exod 22:17*; Josh 9:15 (JE), Gen 12:12 (J), Num 31:15 (P), Deut 6:24; Deut 20:16; Judg 21:14; 1Sam 27:9; 1Sam 27:11; 1Kgs 18:5; 2Kgs 7:4; Jer 49:11; Ezek 3:18; Hab 3:2; Job 36:6; Ps 30:4*; Ps 33:19; Ps 41:3*; Ps 138:7 ‎נפשׁ‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ preserve oneself alive Ps 22:30*; Ezek 18:27, or preserve persons alive Ezek 13:18; Ezek 13:19, or preserve life 1Kgs 20:31 ‎זרע‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ preserve seed alive Gen 7:3; Gen 19:32; Gen 19:34 (J); keep in existence heaven and earth Neh 9:6 nourish, young cow Isa 7:21, lamb 2Sam 12:3.

2. give life, to man when created Job 33:4.

3. quicken, revive, refresh:
a. restore to life, the dead 1Sam 2:6; Deut 32:39; Hos 6:2 the dying Ps 71:20.
b. cause to grow, grain Hos 14:8*.
c. restore, a ruined city 1Chr 11:8, stones destroyed by fire Neh 3:34*.
d. revive, the people of ‎׳‎‎י‎ by ‎׳‎‎י‎ himself with fulness of life in his favour Ps 80:19*; Ps 85:7*; Ps 119:25; Ps 119:37; Ps 119:40; Ps 119:50; Ps 119:88; Ps 119:93; Ps 119:107; Ps 119:149; Ps 119:154; Ps 119:156; Ps 119:159; Ps 143:11; Eccl 7:12. Hiph`il Perfect ‎הֶחֱיָה‎ Josh 6:25 + 5 t.; 2 masculine singular suffix ‎הֶחֱיִתָנוּ‎ Gen 47:25 1 singular ‎הֶחֱיֵיתִי‎ Num 22:33, ‎הַחֲיִתֶם‎ Josh 2:13; Judg 8:19 Imperative suffix ‎הַחֲיֵינִי‎ Isa 38:16 ‎הַחֲיוּ‎ Num 31:18 Infinitive absolute ‎הַחֲיֵה‎ Josh 9:20 construct ‎הַחֲיוֺת‎ Gen 6:20 + 6 t.; ‎הַחֲיֹת‎ Gen 6:19; Gen 50:20 suffix ‎הַחֲיֹתוֺ‎ Ezek 13:22 —

1. preserve alive, let live Gen 45:7; Gen 50:20 (E), Gen 47:25; Num 22:33; Josh 2:13; Josh 6:25 (all J), Josh 14:10 (D); Gen 6:19; Gen 6:20; Num 31:18; Josh 9:20 (P), Judg 8:19; 2Sam 8:2; Ezek 13:22 with ‎נפשׁ‎ Gen 19:19 (J).

2. quicken, revive:
a. restore to health, a leper 2Kgs 5:7, Hezekiah Isa 38:16.
b. revive the ‎לֵב‎ and ‎רוּחַ‎ Isa 57:15 (twice in verse).
c. restore to life, the dead 2Kgs 8:1; 2Kgs 8:5 (3 t. in verse).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References