Lexical Definition
חַיִל chayil (khah'-yil) strength: soldiers H:N-M
from חוּל
able, activity, ([phrase]) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, ([phrase]) valiant(-ly), valour, virtuous(-ly), war, worthy(-ily).
- probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources
- an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength
1) strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army
1a) strength
1b) ability, efficiency
1c) wealth
1d) force, army
See Greek: δύναμαι · δύναμις · δύναμις · δυνατός · δυνατός · ἔθνος · εὐπορία · ἰσχύς · ἰσχύω · ὄχλος · παῖς · πλοῦτος · πόλεμος · στρατεία · στρατιά · στρατόπεδον · συναγωγή · σῶμα
| Form | Translated As | In Verse(s) |
|---|---|---|
| וְחֵילֵ֗ךְ | and Helech | Ezek.27.11 |
Extended Information
- a place near Arvad and Gammad
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Aramaic form: חַיִל
חַ֫יִל244 noun masculine2Kgs 10:2 strength, efficiency, wealth, army; — absolute ׳ח Gen 47:6 +, חָ֑יִל Ps 60:14* +, חָ֑יִל Ps 60:14* +, חֵיל Isa 36:2; 2Kgs 18:17 construct חֵיל Exod 14:28 + (on Ps 10:10 see חלכה); suffix חֵילִי Job 31:25 + 2 t.; חֵילְךָ Jer 15:13 +; חֵילוֺ Exod 14:4 +, etc.; plural חֲיָלִים 1Chr 7:5 + 19 t.; suffix חֵילֵיהֶם Isa 30:6 —
1. strength, usually physical:
a. seldom alone (chiefly in poetry) 1Sam 2:4; Ps 18:33*; Ps 18:40* = 2Sam 22:33; 2Sam 22:40 also ׳נָָּֽברוּ ח Job 21:7, compare Eccl 10:10 מֵחַיִל אֶלחָֿ֑יִל Ps 84:8* ׳בְּכֹחַ ח 2Chr 26:13 of virility Prov 31:3 of ׳י's power Ps 59:12*; Ps 110:3, compare Hab 3:19 strength of horse Ps 33:17 figurative of product of vine and fig-tree Joel 2:22 (|| פְּרִי).
b. of result or display of strength ׳עשׂה ח achieve might = do valiantly Num 24:18 (JE), 1Sam 14:48; Ps 60:14* = Ps 108:14*; Ps 118:15; Ps 118:16.
c. often in phrases ׳גִּבּוֺר(הַ)ח, ׳גִּבּוֺרֵי(הַ)ח hero(es) of strength, mighty man (men) of valour Josh 1:14 (D), Josh 6:2; Josh 8:3; Josh 10:7 (all J E), Judg 6:12; Judg 11:1; 1Sam 9:1; 1Sam 16:18; 1Kgs 11:28; 2Kgs 5:1; 2Kgs 15:20; 2Kgs 24:14; 2Kgs 24:16; 1Chr 5:24; 1Chr 7:2; 1Chr 7:9; 1Chr 8:40 + (very frequently in Chronicles), note especially ׳הַגִּבּוֺרִים וכל גבורי ח 1Chr 28:1 also ׳ח ׳ג 2Chr 13:3 (|| מלחמה ׳ג); (הַ)חֲיָלִים ׳ג 1Chr 7:5; 1Chr 7:7; 1Chr 7:11; 1Chr 7:40; 1Chr 11:26 (see also גִּבּוֺר, p. 150); ׳בֶּןֿ(הַ)ח, ׳בְּנֵי(הַ)ח Deut 3:18; Judg 18:2 + (see בֵּן 8, p. 121); ׳אִישׁ ח, ׳אַנְשֵׁי ח Judg 3:29; Judg 20:44; Judg 20:46; Judg 1:12; Judg 11:16; 2Sam 23:20 (Qr; Kt חי, on phrase בןאֿישׁ חיל compare Dr) = 1Chr 11:22 (Kt חיל), 2Sam 24:9; Nah 2:4*; Jer 48:15; 1Chr 10:12; Neh 11:6; Ps 76:6* ironical לִמְסֹךְ שֵׁכָר ׳ח ׳א Isa 5:22 = (|| גבורים לשׁתות יין ); Eccl 12:3 metaphor of legs.
2. ability, efficiency, often involving moral worth ׳אַנְשֵׁי ח Gen 47:6 (J), Exod 18:21; Exod 18:25 (both E); of a woman אֵשֶׁת ׳ח Prov 12:4; Prov 31:10; Ruth 3:11 compare 1Kgs 1:42; 1Kgs 1:52 (opposed to רעה), and especially יִרְאֵי אלהים אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת שׂנְאֵי בָּ֑צַע ׳אַנְשֵׁי ח Exod 18:21(E); עָשָׂה חיל Prov 31:29 do worthily, efficiently, perhaps also Ruth 4:11 late (with weakened meaning of גִּבּוֺר) גִּבּוֺרֵי חֵיל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבוֺדַת בֵּית הָאלהים 1Chr 9:13, compare בַּכִּחַ לַעֲבֹדָה ׳אישׁ ח 1Chr 26:8. So also 1Sam 10:26 (read ׳בְּנֵי ח, see ᵐ5 We Dr, men of worth, opposed to בני בליעל v1Sam 10:27) for ᵑ0 ׳ח force, band.
3. wealth Gen 34:29 = Num 31:9 (both P), Deut 8:17; Deut 8:18; Deut 33:11; Isa 8:4; Isa 10:14; Isa 30:6 (|| אוֺצְרֹתָם), Isa 60:5 (|| הֲמוֺן יָם) vIsa 60:11; Isa 61:6; Mic 4:13; Jer 15:13; Jer 17:3 (both || אצרות), Zeph 1:13; Ezek 26:12; Ezek 28:4; Ezek 28:5 (twice in verse); Zech 14:14; Job 5:5; Job 15:29; Job 20:15; Job 20:18; Job 31:25; Ps 49:7*; Ps 49:11*; Ps 62:11*; Ps 73:12; Prov 13:22.
4. force, army, very often Exod 14:4; Exod 14:9; Exod 14:17; Exod 14:28 (all P), Exod 15:4 (song), 1Sam 17:20; 2Sam 8:9; 2Kgs 6:4; 2Kgs 6:15; 2Kgs 25:1; 2Kgs 25:5 (twice in verse); 2Kgs 25:10; 2Chr 13:3 (בְּחַיִל גִּבּוֺרֵי מלחמה), 2Chr 14:7*; 2Chr 16:7; 2Chr 23:14 +; so usually Jeremiah: Jer 32:2; Jer 34:1 +; frequently Ezekiel: Ezek 17:17; Ezek 27:10 +; Dan 11:7; Dan 11:13; Dan 11:25 (twice in verse); Dan 11:26 = a band 1Sam 10:26 (ᵑ0, but see 2, adfin.); of train of Queen of Sheba גדול ׳ח 1Kgs 10:2 = 2Chr 9:1 חֵיל כָּבֵד Isa 36:1 = 2Kgs 18:17 a powerful army (on form compare Sta§ 194 c); also (late) חֵיל הַצָּבָא 1Chr 20:1; 2Chr 26:13, חֵיל עָם Esth 8:11 הֲמוֺן חֲיָלִים Dan 11:10 ׳שַׂרהֿח 2Sam 24:2 = captain of the host, ׳שָׂרֵי הח v2Sam 24:4 v2Sam 24:4 שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים captains of armies (bands, divisions) 1Kgs 15:20 = 2Chr 16:4; 2Kgs 25:23; Jer 40:7; Jer 40:13; Jer 41:11; Jer 41:13; Jer 41:16; Jer 42:1; Jer 42:8; Jer 43:4; Jer 43:5. פִּקּוּדֵי החִיל Num 31:14 (P). — חֵילוּ Ezek 32:31 omitted by B Hi Co: for חֵילֵךְ Ezek 27:11 read probably a proper name, of a location, compare Da; Co proposes חתלון (compare Ezek 47:15; Ezek 48:1), HalMÈl. Epigr. 1874, 69 חלך = Cilicia, see LagM i. 211.
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
Profile
Helech • A place or people mentioned in Ezekiel's prophecy.
Helech was either a place, possibly in Cilicia, or a term referring to the army of Tyre, mentioned in Ezekiel's prophecy against Tyre.
Helech is a term that appears only once in the Bible, in Ezekiel 27:11, as part of a prophecy against the city of Tyre. The exact meaning and identity of Helech is uncertain, and Bible scholars have proposed different interpretations.
One view is that Helech refers to a place, possibly the Assyrian name for the region of Cilicia, located north of the Taurus Mountains. The Cilicians were known for their warlike character and could have served as mercenaries in the army of Tyre, which would fit the context of Ezekiel's prophecy.
Another interpretation is that Helech is not a place name but rather a Hebrew term derived from the root word חיל (ḥayil), meaning "strength" or "army." In this case, the final letter of Helech would be understood as a feminine form of the pronoun "you," referring to the city of Tyre. This interpretation is supported by the King James Version and the American Standard Version, which translate Helech as "thine army."
The Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, seems to favor the interpretation of Helech as a term for Tyre's army rather than a place name.
Given the limited information provided in the single biblical reference, the exact identity of Helech remains uncertain. The mention of Helech in Ezekiel's prophecy serves to emphasize the strength and military might of Tyre, which would ultimately be brought to ruin by God's judgment, as declared by the prophet Ezekiel.
All entries for Helech: חַיִל