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חֲלוֹם

𐤇𐤋𐤅𐤌

chălôwm

H2472 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חלם to dream, have (or experience) a dream

Definition

Mental images, visions, or experiences occurring during sleep; in biblical contexts, often regarded as means of communication, frequently from the divine or from one’s own subconscious. The term can refer both to ordinary dreams as part of sleep as well as to revelatory or prophetic experiences experienced in dreams.

Semantic Range

dream (as experience during sleep), dream as vehicle for divine message or prophecy, dream as an unreliable or fleeting image, dreamer (in a derivative or participial sense)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חָלַם (ḥālam), meaning 'to dream.' The noun חֲלוֹם (chălôm) denotes the thing dreamed or the dream experience itself. The connection from root to noun is straightforward, with no significant divergence in semantic fields between root and noun.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Across the Hebrew Bible, חֲלוֹם is used for both mundane and significant (often revelatory) dreams. In patriarchal narratives (e.g., Genesis), dreams serve as major conduits for divine messages (Joseph, Jacob). In later periods (e.g., Daniel), the term continues to designate revelatory experiences, but can also refer to dreams of foreign leaders interpreted by Israelites. In poetic and wisdom literature, dreams are sometimes placed in parallel with fleeting or unreliable phenomena, indicating a nuanced understanding of their significance. The word differs from terms describing waking visions (e.g., מַרְאָה, חָזוֹן), but it sometimes overlaps functionally when describing means of divine revelation. English translations generally render this as 'dream', though they may miss distinctions between ordinary dreams and ones regarded as supernatural messages. In later Second Temple and Rabbinic literature, the interpretation of dreams becomes a more specialized field, but this lexeme continues to mean 'dream' without inheriting these later interpretive connotations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (shortened) חֲלֹם; from חָלַם; a dream; dream(-er).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חלם (ḥ-l-m) — to dream, experience a dream

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2492 חָלַם he dreamed
H2493 חֵלֶם dream-vision
H2494 חֵלֶם to Helem
H2495 חַלָּמוּת bland herb
H5161 נֶחֱלָמִי the Nechelamite

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2472-05 חֲל֔וֹם chalom HNcmsa a dream dream 18
H2472-01 בַּ/חֲל֣וֹם bachalom HR/Ncmsa in a dream in the dream 8
H2472-11 הַ/חֲל֥וֹם hachalom HTd/Ncmsa the dream the dream 7
H2472-06 חֲלֹמ/וֹ֙ chalomo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his dream his dream 5
H2472-07 חֲלֹמ֥וֹת chalomot HNcmpc dreams dreams of 4
H2472-02 בַּ/חֲלוֹמִ֕/י bachalomi HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs in my dream in my dream 4
H2472-15 וַֽ/חֲלֹמוֹת֙ vachalomot HC/Ncmpc and-dreams dreams of 3
H2472-08 חֲלֹמֹתָ֖י/ו chalomotayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his dreams his dreams 3
H2472-13 כַּֽ/חֲלוֹם֙ kachalom HR/Ncmsa like a dream like a dream 3
H2472-03 בַּ/חֲלֹמ֛וֹת bachalomot HRd/Ncmpa by dreams in the dreams 2

Occurrences in Scripture

64 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2472-01 Genesis 20:3 בַּ/חֲל֣וֹם bachalom HR/Ncmsa in a dream in the dream
H2472-01 Genesis 20:6 בַּ/חֲלֹ֗ם bachalom HR/Ncmsa in a dream in the dream
H2472-01 Genesis 31:10 בַּ/חֲל֑וֹם bachalom HR/Ncmsa in a dream in the dream
H2472-01 Genesis 31:11 בַּ/חֲל֖וֹם bachalom HR/Ncmsa in the dream in the dream
H2472-01 Genesis 31:24 בַּ/חֲלֹ֣ם bachalom HR/Ncmsa in a dream in the dream
H2472-05 Genesis 37:5 חֲל֔וֹם chalom HNcmsa a dream dream
H2472-08 Genesis 37:8 חֲלֹמֹתָ֖י/ו chalomotayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his dreams his dreams
H2472-05 Genesis 37:9 חֲל֣וֹם chalom HNcmsa dream dream
H2472-05 Genesis 37:9 חֲלוֹם֙ chalom-2 HNcmsa a dream dream
H2472-11 Genesis 37:10 הַ/חֲל֥וֹם hachalom HTd/Ncmsa the dream the dream
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