חִיל
𐤇𐤉𐤋
chîyl
H2427 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A sensation or experience of intense bodily pain, especially in the form of labor pains associated with childbirth, but also extending metaphorically to severe anguish, distress, or turmoil. The primary sense refers to the physical convulsions of pain (throes), but the word also denotes heightened states of emotional affliction or fear, often as a reaction to impending disaster or crisis.
Semantic Range
convulsion (as of pain or fear), birth pang, labor pain, throes of anguish, distress, tremor, quaking, writhing (literal and metaphorical), severe emotional turmoil
Root / Etymology
From the root חול (ח-ו-ל), whose core meaning is 'to whirl, twist, writhe.' The form חִיל (chîyl) develops the sense of writhing or convulsing, particularly in pain or fear, based on the underlying idea of twisting or turning as in physical or emotional turmoil.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חִיל is most frequently used in poetic contexts, especially in prophetic and wisdom literature, to describe the intense agony of childbirth, such as the labor pains of a woman in travail. Over time, its usage broadened metaphorically to encompass violent shaking or terror in the face of siege, catastrophe, or sudden fear, as seen in descriptions of soldiers or cities 'writhed' with fear. It is sometimes interchangeable with other roots denoting pain or tumult (e.g., חיל vs. חבל or ייסור), but חיל uniquely emphasizes the involuntary, overwhelming bodily or emotional convulsion. In many English translations, the metaphorical breadth (writhe, be seized with trembling, reel in anguish) is often collapsed into narrower renderings such as 'pain,' 'anguish,' or 'sorrow,' potentially obscuring the vividness and physicality of the Hebrew term. The feminine form חִילָה appears in the same senses, typically to match feminine nouns (especially 'woman,' 'city'). Distinct from later rabbinic use, where the root may develop further ceremonial or legal associations, the biblical use retains an immediate, visceral sense regardless of context.
Translation Consistency
Pang best captures the primary sense of חִיל as a sharp, convulsive bodily pain (especially labor pains) while also naturally extending to sudden emotional distress or anguish ("pangs of grief/conscience"). It is a common, idiomatic English word that fits both the physical and metaphorical uses in the SILEX range, providing a consistent, natural rendering across forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
and (feminine) חִילָה; from חוּל; a throe (expectant of childbirth); pain, pang, sorrow.
Bantu Hebrew
| Language | Bantu Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luba-Katanga | kusila | to be in pain, to suffer, be afflicted | |
| Luba-Lulua | kusila | to be in pain, to suffer | |
| Ngongo | kusila | to suffer, be afflicted |
Root Family
חול (Chavilah) — to whirl, twist, circle
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2341 | חֲוִילָה | Whirling Region |
| H2343 | חוּל | and Whirl |
| H2344 | חוֹל | in whirling sand |
| H2426 | חֵיל | encircling rampart |
| H2473 | חֹלוֹן | Sandy-Place |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2427-01 |
חִ֣יל | chil | HNcmsa |
pain | writhing throe | writhing pang | 6 |
H2427-02 |
בְ֭/חִילָה | vechilah | HR/Ncfsa |
in unsparing pain | writhed convulsion | in anguish | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2427-01 |
Exodus 15:14 | חִ֣יל | chil | HNcmsa |
anguish | writhing throe | writhing pang |
H2427-01 |
Jeremiah 6:24 | חִ֖יל | chil | HNcmsa |
pain | writhing throe | writhing pang |
H2427-01 |
Jeremiah 22:23 | חִ֖יל | chil | HNcmsa |
pain | writhing throe | writhing pang |
H2427-01 |
Jeremiah 50:43 | חִ֖יל | chil | HNcmsa |
pain | writhing throe | writhing pang |
H2427-01 |
Micah 4:9 | חִ֖יל | chil | HNcmsa |
pangs | writhing throe | writhing pang |
H2427-01 |
Psalms 48:7 | חִ֝֗יל | chil | HNcmsa |
pain | writhing throe | writhing pang |
H2427-02 |
Job 6:10 | בְ֭/חִילָה | vechilah | HR/Ncfsa |
in unsparing pain | writhed convulsion | in anguish |