Lexical Definition

‎חֵיל‎ chêyl (khale) rampart ^H:N-M
or (shortened) חֵל chêl (khale); a collateral form of ‎חַיִל‎

army, bulwark, host, [phrase] poor, rampart, trench, wall.

• an army
• also (by analogy,) an intrenchment

1) rampart, fortress, wall
1a) rampart
1b) fortress

See Greek: ἀρχή

Extended Information

• Also means: che.lah (‎ח‎ֵ‎יל‎ָ‎ה‎ "bulwark" חֵילָה)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Also see: חֵילָה

‎חֵל‎, ‎חֵיל‎ noun masculine^{Obad 1:20} rampart, fortress (perhaps originally surrounding wall, compare SabDenkm^{91 n. 2}) — absolute ‎חֵיל‎ Nah 3:8, ‎חֵל‎ Lam 2:8 + 3 t.;(+ Ps 10:10 Qr see ‎חלכה‎); construct ‎חֵל‎ 1Kgs 21:23 suffix ‎חֵילֵךְ‎ Ps 122:7, ‎חֵילָהּ‎ Zech 9:4 ‎חֵילָה‎ = ‎חֵילָהּ‎ Ps 48:14*, Ol^{§ 40 approximately 75g. 96 e} Sta^{§ 347 c}; —

1. rampart (defined by Jews as ‎בֶּן‎ ‎חוֺמָה‎, i.e. a little wall, compare Ki under the word), of an outer fortification 2Sam 20:15 (others, by metonymy, of space between outer and inner fortification, including moat, see Dr Kit); Isa 26:1; Lam 2:8 (both || ‎חוֺמוֺת‎); in general of defences, or sea-power of Tyre ‎וְהִכָּה בַיָּם חֵילָהּ‎ Zech 9:4 (see Sta^{ZAW i.1881, 15}), of No-Amon (Thebes) ‎אֲשֶׁר חֵיל‎ ‎יָם מִיָּם חוֺמָתָהּ‎ Nah 3:8 of Zion Ps 122:7, also Ps 48:14* (‎חילה‎ = ‎חֵילָהּ‎, compare above; both || ‎ארמנותיך‎). — For ‎חֵל‎ 1Kgs 21:23 read probably ‎חֵלֶק‎, q. v.

2. fortress ‎גָּלֻת הַחֵל הַזֶּה‎ Obad 1:20 the exiles of this fortress (Hi-St; Or, AV RV this army, ‎חֵל‎ = ‎חַיִל‎).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References