הֵחֵ֕לּוּ
𐤄𐤇𐤋𐤅
châlal
they began
To bore, pierce, or wound (physically); to profane, violate, or treat as common (ritually or ethically, especially what is considered sacred); to begin or initiate (something previously unbegun); to play an instrument (specifically the flute, as a denominative sense); to defile, desecrate, dishonor, or pollute persons, places, or objects.
Ezra 3:6 · Word #5
Lexicon H2490
| Lemma | חָלַל |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤇𐤋𐤋 |
| Transliteration | châlal |
| Strong's | H2490 |
| Definition | To bore, pierce, or wound (physically); to profane, violate, or treat as common (ritually or ethically, especially what is considered sacred); to begin or initiate (something previously unbegun); to play an instrument (specifically the flute, as a denominative sense); to defile, desecrate, dishonor, or pollute persons, places, or objects. |
Morphology HVhp3cp
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state |
| Binyan | h — Hiphil — Causative active |
| Conjugation | p — Perfect — Completed action |
| Person | 3 — 3rd person — Third person ("he/she/they") |
| Gender | c — Common — Common (both genders) |
| Number | p — Plural — Plural |
Common Translation
| Phrase | they began |
SIBI-P1 Translation H2490-22
they initiated
| Morphological Notes | Hiphil perfect, 3rd person common plural verb. |
| Rendering Rationale | In the Hiphil stem, חלל commonly carries the causative sense "to cause to begin" or "to initiate," reflecting the root idea of opening or making an initial breach. The 3rd person common plural perfect form is rendered "they initiated," preserving both causative force and plural morphology. |
View full lexicon entry for H2490 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
they began
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | 'They began' is contextually clearer and matches the common translation of this form in sacrificial contexts. P1 'they initiated' is accurate but less idiomatic for this frequently used verb in context. |