חֳלִי (H2483) — Hebrew Lexicon

חֳלִי

𐤇𐤋𐤉

chŏlîy

H2483 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חלה to be weak, to be sick, to become ill

Definition

A physical or mental illness, sickness, or affliction; by extension, condition of weakness or suffering resulting from disease or calamity, at times encompassing metaphorical maladies such as distress, anguish, or misfortune depending on context. While primarily denoting tangible sickness or disease, it can also reference collective malaise or metaphorical afflictions impacting a people or land.

Semantic Range

sickness, illness, disease, affliction, physical weakness, suffering caused by illness, illness of a nation or land, metaphorical distress or calamity

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חלה (ḥ-l-h), which means 'to be weak, to be sick, to become ill.' The noun form חֳלִי (chŏlîy) concretizes the root idea into an actual condition or state of weakness or sickness. The root's core meaning involves loss of health or strength, but the derived noun extends this into physical and occasionally emotional or societal affliction.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, חֳלִי denotes individual illness (e.g., a person's disease or physical sickness) but is also used collectively (e.g., the 'sickness' of a nation). In a few poetic or prophetic passages, the term broadens to cover not just medical illness but also distress, suffering, or the impact of disaster. Notably, English translations sometimes render the term as 'grief' or 'calamity,' but these are usually situations in which physical or national sickness is tied to wider suffering or judgment. The word overlaps with other terms for disease (e.g., מַחֲלָה machalah), but חֳלִי is more general, less technical, and can have broader metaphorical resonance. In later tradition, 'sickness' carried increasing metaphorical connotations relating to sin or spiritual malaise, but in biblical usage, it primarily refers to tangible, observable illness or weakened condition.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָלָה; malady, anxiety, calamity; disease, grief, (is) sick(-ness).

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Root Family

חלה (ḥ-l-h) — to be weak, to be sick, to become ill

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H2342	חוּל	sickness
H2470	חָלָה	in their becoming weak
H2481	חֲלִי	delicate ornaments
H2482	חֲלִי	and Hali
H2484	חֶלְיָה	and her ornament
H4244	מַחְלָה	Mahlah
H4245	מַחֲלֶה	in sickness-of
H4248	מַחְלוֹן	Sickly-one
H4249	מַחְלִי	to Machli
H4251	מַחְלֻי	in diseases
H4257	מַחֲלַת	sickness
H4258	מַחֲלַת	Machalath

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H2483-05`	חֹ֑לִי	choli	`HNcmsa`	sickness	sickness	5
`H2483-03`	חָלְי/וֹ֙	chaleyo	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	his sickness	his sickness	5
`H2483-09`	מֵ/חֳלִ֥י	mecholi	`HR/Ncmsa`	from this sickness	from sickness	3
`H2483-07`	לָ/חֳלִ֔י	lacholi	`HR/Ncmsa`	is sick	sickness	2
`H2483-12`	בְ/חָלְיֽ/וֹ	vechaleyo	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms`	in his illness	his sickness	2
`H2483-06`	הַ/חֹ֔לִי	hacholi	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the sickness	the sickness	1
`H2483-08`	מֵ/חָלְיֽ/וֹ	mechaleyo	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms`	from his sickness	his sickness	1
`H2483-04`	חֳלָיֵ֨/נוּ֙	cholayenu	`HNcmpc/Sp1cp`	our sicknesses	our sicknesses	1
`H2483-01`	בָּ/חֳלָיִ֥ים	bacholayim	`HR/Ncmpa`	in sicknesses	in sicknesses	1
`H2483-02`	בְּ/חָלְי/וֹ֙	bechaleyo	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms`	in his disease	in his sickness	1
`H2483-11`	וָ/חֳלִ֥י	vacholi	`HC/Ncmsa`		sickness	1
`H2483-10`	וָ/חֳלָיִ֥ם	vacholayim	`HC/Ncmpa`	and sicknesses	and sicknesses	1

Occurrences in Scripture

24 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H2483-05`	Deuteronomy 7:15	חֹ֑לִי	choli	`HNcmsa`	sickness	sickness
`H2483-10`	Deuteronomy 28:59	וָ/חֳלָיִ֥ם	vacholayim	`HC/Ncmpa`	and sicknesses	and sicknesses
`H2483-05`	Deuteronomy 28:61	חֳלִי֙	choli	`HNcmsa`	sickness	sickness
`H2483-03`	1 Kings 17:17	חָלְי/וֹ֙	chaleyo	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	his sickness	his sickness
`H2483-09`	2 Kings 1:2	מֵ/חֳלִ֥י	mecholi	`HR/Ncmsa`	from this sickness	from sickness
`H2483-09`	2 Kings 8:8	מֵ/חֳלִ֥י	mecholi	`HR/Ncmsa`	from sickness	from sickness
`H2483-09`	2 Kings 8:9	מֵ/חֳלִ֥י	mecholi	`HR/Ncmsa`	from this sickness	from sickness
`H2483-03`	2 Kings 13:14	חָלְי֔/וֹ	chaleyo	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	his illness	his sickness
`H2483-07`	Isaiah 1:5	לָ/חֳלִ֔י	lacholi	`HR/Ncmsa`	is sick	sickness
`H2483-08`	Isaiah 38:9	מֵ/חָלְיֽ/וֹ	mechaleyo	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms`	from his sickness	his sickness
`H2483-05`	Isaiah 53:3	חֹ֑לִי	choli	`HNcmsa`	with grief	sickness
`H2483-04`	Isaiah 53:4	חֳלָיֵ֨/נוּ֙	cholayenu	`HNcmpc/Sp1cp`	our sicknesses	our sicknesses
`H2483-05`	Jeremiah 6:7	חֳלִ֥י	choli	`HNcmsa`	sickness	sickness
`H2483-05`	Jeremiah 10:19	חֳלִ֖י	choli	`HNcmsc`	is a sickness	sickness
`H2483-03`	Hosea 5:13	חָלְי֗/וֹ	chaleyo	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	sickness	his sickness
`H2483-12`	Psalms 41:4	בְ/חָלְיֽ/וֹ	vechaleyo	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms`	in his illness	his sickness
`H2483-12`	Ecclesiastes 5:16	וְ/חָלְי֥/וֹ	vechaleyo	`HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms`		his sickness
`H2483-11`	Ecclesiastes 6:2	וָ/חֳלִ֥י	vacholi	`HC/Ncmsa`		sickness
`H2483-03`	2 Chronicles 16:12	חָלְי֑/וֹ	chaleyo	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	his disease	his sickness
`H2483-02`	2 Chronicles 16:12	בְּ/חָלְי/וֹ֙	bechaleyo	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms`	in his disease	in his sickness
`H2483-01`	2 Chronicles 21:15	בָּ/חֳלָיִ֥ים	bacholayim	`HR/Ncmpa`	in sicknesses	in sicknesses
`H2483-06`	2 Chronicles 21:15	הַ/חֹ֔לִי	hacholi	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the sickness	the sickness
`H2483-07`	2 Chronicles 21:18	לָ/חֳלִ֖י	lacholi	`HR/Ncmsa`	to-disease	sickness
`H2483-03`	2 Chronicles 21:19	חָלְי֔/וֹ	chaleyo	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	his sickness	his sickness

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