Lexical Summary chuwl: To twist, whirl, dance, writhe, travail, be in anguish, be pained Original Word: חוּל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bear, make to bring forth, make to calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously with painOr chiyl {kheel}; a primitive root; properly, to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear; figuratively, to wait, to pervert -- bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake, shapen, (be) sorrow(-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded. Brown-Driver-Briggs I. חוּל [חִיל] verb whirl, dance, writhe (Late Hebrew, Aramaic id., dance; Arabic  change, turn; Assyrian —îlu, writhe in fear DlPr 191 (on — =  see DHMZK i. 357); on form of Hebrew verb see NöZMG. 1883, 536) — Qal Perfect3feminine singular חָ֫לָה Micah 1:12 2t.; וְחָלָה֫ consecutive Hosea 11:6; חַלְתִּי Isaiah 23:4; חָ֫לוּ Jeremiah 5:3 (but see below), Lamentations 4:6; וְחָלוּ֫ Deuteronomy 2:25; חַ֫לְנוּ Isaiah 26:18; Imperfect יָחוּל Jeremiah 23:19; Jeremiah 30:23; 3feminine singular תָּחוּל Ezekiel 30:16 Qr (Kt Co תחיל); וַתָּחֹ֑ל Jeremiah 51:29; אחולה Jeremiah 4:19 Kt (Qr אוֺחִילָה, Hiph`il יחל); יָחֻ֫לוּ 2 Samuel 3:29; but also יָחִיל Psalm 55:5 (Job 20:21 see II. חול); וַיָּ֫חֶל 1 Samuel 31:3 = 1 Chronicles 10:3 + Genesis 8:10 (where read probably וַיִּיָּ֫חֶל as Genesis 8:12; = וַיְיַחֵל Ol Di); 3 feminine singular תָּחִיל Isaiah 26:17 2t. + Ezekiel 30:16 Kt (compare above); וַתָּ֑חֶל Psalm 97:4; 2feminine singular תְּחִלִין Isaiah 45:10; וָחִילוּ Psalm 77:17+ 3t. (Psalm 10:5 see II. חול); וַיָּחִ֫ילוּ Judges 3:25; יְחִילוּן Isaiah 13:8; תָּחִ֫ילוּ Jeremiah 5:22; Imperative feminine singular חוּ֫לִי Micah 4:10; Psalm 114:7; masculine plural חִילוּ Psalm 96:9; 1 Chronicles 16:30; Infinitive construct (לָ)חוּל Judges 21:21; Ezekiel 30:16 ( = Infinitive absolute); Participle feminine singular חוֺלָה Jeremiah 4:31 see Gf Gie and Ges§ 72 R. 1; — 1 dance Judges 21:21 (לָחוּל בַּמְּחֹלוֺת). 2 twist, writhe: a. in pain, especially childbirth Isaiah 26:17; Isaiah 45:10 ׳מַהתֿח ("" מהתֿוליד; metaphor, of sea Isaiah 23:4 ("" ילד); Israel Isaiah 26:18 ("" חרה), Isaiah 54:1 ("" ילד); Zion Isaiah 66:7,8 ("" id.), Micah 4:10 ("" גֹּ֫חִי, simile כיולדה; compare see 9), Jeremiah 4:31. b. figurative, be in severe pain, or anguish (mostly in poetry and elevated prose), followed by מפני Deuteronomy 2:25 ("" רגז, compare also מַּחַד and יִרְאָה va); Ezekiel 30:16; Psalm 96:9; Jeremiah 5:22 ("" ירא); followed by מִלִּפְנֵי 1 Chronicles 16:30; Psalm 114:7; absolute Psalm 55:5 ("" אימות מָוֶת נפלו עלי), Jeremiah 4:19 Kt, Psalm 77:17 ("" רגז) Psalm 97:4; Isaiah 13:8; Isaiah 23:5; Jeremiah 51:29 ("" רָעַשׁ), Joel 2:6; Zechariah 9:5 ("" ירא), probably also 1 Samuel 31:3 (compare 1 Samuel 28:5) = 1 Chronicles 10:3, compare Öttli; figurative of mountains Habakkuk 3:10. c. in contrition Jeremiah 5:3, חָ֫לוּ derived from חול Ew Gf Gie; < ᵑ6 Ra Hi Ke and others from חלה (wrongly accented; see חלה Qal 2). d. in anxious longing עַד בּוֺשׁ Judges 3:25, followed by לְ Micah 1:12 (on Genesis 8:10, compare above) 3 whirl, whirl about עַלרֿאֹשׁ יוֺאָב (i.e. blood — דמים — of Abner, from sword) 2 Samuel 3:29; of attack of sword itself Hosea 11:6 ("" כִּלָּה, אכל), compare Lamentations 4:6 לא חָ֫לוּ בה ידים; of tempest על ראשׁ רשׁעים יחול Jeremiah 23:19 (v:a סער מִתְחוֺלֵל) = Jeremiah 30:23 (v:a סַעַר מִתְגּוֺרֵר). Po`lel. Imperfect יְחוֺלֵל Psalm 29:9; 3feminine singular תְּחוֺלֵל Proverbs 25:23; suffix תְּחוֺלֶלְכֶם Isaiah 51:2; 2masculine singular תְּחוֺלֵל Job 35:14; וַתְּחוֺלֵל Psalm 90:2; Infinitive construct חֹלֵל Job 39:1; Participle מְחוֺלֵל Proverbs 26:10; מְחֹלֶלְךָ Deuteronomy 32:18; מְחֹלְלֶוֺת Judges 21:23; — 1 Samuel 18:6; Psalm 87:7 see below; on חֹלְלָה Job 26:13 see חלל; — 1 dance Judges 21:23, so perhaps also 1 Samuel 18:6 (read הַמְּחֹלְלוֺת ᵐ5 We Dr; and חֹלֲלִים participle (מ omitted) Psalm 87:7 RV Pe De Che Bae; compare Qal 1). 2 writhe in travail with, bear, bring forth (poetry), of Sarah, mother of Israel, Isaiah 51:2 ("" אַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם); of hinds Job 39:1; Psalm 29:9 (causative ); figurative of ׳יs producing earth Psalm 90:2 ("" יֻלָּד֑וּ); of his bringing forth Israel (with difficulty, see Di) Deuteronomy 32:18 of north wind bringing forth rain Proverbs 25:23; רַב מְחוֺלֵל כִּ֑ל Proverbs 26:10 a master produceth everything (on transitive see VB; Ew and others derive from חלל wound). 3 wait anxiously (compare Qal 2 d), followed by לְ Job 35:14 (Elihu). Po`lal. Perfect חוֺלָ֑לתִּי Psalm 51:7 2t.; חוֺלָ֑לְתָּ Job 15:7; Imperfect יְחוֺלָ֑לוּ Job 26:5; — 1 be made to writhe Job 26:5 (הָֽרְפָאִים). 2 be brought forth Job 15:7 ("" תִּוָּלֵד), Psalm 51:7 ("" יחם), metaphor of wisdom Proverbs 8:24,25. Hiph`il Imperfect יָחִיל Psalm 29:8 (twice in verse) cause to be an anguish, with accusative מִדְבָּר, subject ׳י. Hoph`al Imperfect יוּחַל Isaiah 66:8 be born (= travailed with, Che), subject אֶרֶץ ("" יִוָּלֵד גוי). Hithpo`el 1. Participle מִתְחוֺלֵל whirling ׳סַעַר מתח Jeremiah 23:19 ( = סער מִתְגּוֺרֵר Jeremiah 30:23). 2 writhing, suffering torture Job 15:20 (of life of wicked). 3 Imperative הִתְחוֺלֵל Psalm 37:7 wait longingly followed by לְ for, "" דּוֺם. Hithpalpel Imperfect3feminine singular וַתִּתְחַלְחַל Esther 4:4 and she writhed in anxiety. II. [חול, חִיל] verb be firm, strong (Aramaic Pa`el strengthen, חֵילָא, Qal Imperfect in לֹא יָחִיל טוּבוֺ Job 20:21 his prosperity is not firm (does not endure); יָחִילוּ דְרָכָוּ֯ בְּכָלעֵֿת Psalm 10:5 his ways are always firm (stable, prosperous), so Ol De Pe Che and others Topical Lexicon Scope of UsageThe verb חוּל occurs roughly sixty times across the Old Testament, spanning narrative, poetry, and prophecy. It paints vivid pictures of motion—both joyful and terrifying—and repeatedly evokes the pains of childbirth as a metaphor for crisis and hope. Its settings range from rustic celebrations in Judges to cosmic convulsions in the Psalms and apocalyptic birth pangs in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Micah, and Zechariah. Whirling, Dancing, and Festal Joy In its happiest nuance the word depicts rhythmic movement before the Lord. At Shiloh the daughters of Israel “perform their dances” (Judges 21:21), a rural festival whose energy is captured by the root’s sense of whirling. Though the narrative is marred by the subsequent abduction, the verse still preserves a glimpse of ancient covenant community life: music, circular dance, and covenantal marriage. The same root underlies words translated “dance” in worship (e.g., Psalm 150:4 through its noun derivative), reminding modern readers that the God of Israel delights in embodied rejoicing. Trembling Earth and Panic-Stricken Armies Elsewhere the motion turns from celebration to terror. When Jonathan attacks the Philistine outpost “the garrison and the raiders trembled, and the earth quaked” (1 Samuel 14:15). The Psalms extend the image to creation itself: “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord” (Psalm 114:7; cf. Psalm 97:4; Psalm 96:9). Divine self-disclosure shakes both nations and nature; human power melts when the Creator steps onto the field of history. Birth Pangs: Literal and Prophetic By far the largest cluster of occurrences revolves around labor pains. Isaiah repeatedly likens national crisis to a woman “writhing and crying out in her pain” (Isaiah 26:17; 13:8; 42:14; 54:1; 66:7-9). Jeremiah hears “a cry like that of a woman in labor” as Jerusalem faces invasion (Jeremiah 4:31; 6:24; 13:21; 22:23; 30:6). Micah urges Zion to “writhe in agony… like a woman in labor” before the exile but also promises a future delivery when “she who is in labor has given birth” and Messiah’s kingdom emerges (Micah 4:10; 5:3). Hosea warns that Ephraim, though pressed by contractions, “does not come to the opening of the womb” (Hosea 13:13). In every case birth pangs are transitional: judgment precedes restoration, sorrow precedes joy, exile precedes return. Waiting, Hoping, and the Quiet Agony of Delay Several poetic contexts draw on the same verb to express the inner churn of waiting. Elihu advises Job, “the case is before Him, and you must wait for Him” (Job 35:14). Psalmists speak of eyes that fail while they look for God (Psalm 69:3 via the related noun). The vocabulary suggests not passive resignation but an internal, almost visceral, turning—anticipation so intense it feels like muscle spasms. The believer is invited to embrace the tension: longing that trusts. Eschatological Resonance New Testament writers pick up the imagery. Paul declares, “the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Romans 8:22), echoing Isaiah’s vision of cosmic travail. Jesus uses birth pangs to describe the onset of the last days (Matthew 24:8). In both cases the Old Testament precedent grounds Christian eschatology: present convulsions herald future glory. Ministry Implications 1. Pastoral care: The metaphor of childbirth dignifies pain. Suffering saints are not merely enduring but laboring toward promised joy (John 16:21). Christological Fulfillment Isaiah’s question, “Can a land be brought forth in one day? Can a nation be born in a single moment?” (Isaiah 66:8), finds its first-fruits answer at Pentecost when three thousand are added to the church in a day (Acts 2). The ultimate fulfillment awaits the return of Christ, but the Spirit’s present work assures that the labor is not in vain. Summary From rustic dance floors to quaking battlefields, from delivery room cries to eschatological travail, חוּל captures movement at the extremities of human experience. Scripture harnesses the verb to reveal a God who shakes, births, and ultimately rejoices over His people, inviting all who read to join the dance, endure the contractions, and await the day when trembling gives way to everlasting joy. Forms and Transliterations אֹוחִ֜ילָה אוחילה הֲי֤וּחַל הַמְּחֹלְל֖וֹת היוחל המחללות וְהִתְח֪וֹלֵ֫ל וְחָל֖וּ וְחָלָ֥ה וְיָחִיל֙ וְתָחִ֣יל וַיָּ֖חֶל וַיָּ֣חֶל וַיָּ֥חֶל וַיָּחִ֣ילוּ וַתְּח֣וֹלֵֽל וַתִּתְחַלְחַ֥ל וַתָּחֵ֣ל וַתָּחֹ֑ל וּתְח֥וֹלֵֽל והתחולל וחלה וחלו ויחיל ויחילו ויחל ותחולל ותחיל ותחל ותתחלחל ח֣וּלִי ח֤וּל ח֧וּלִי חִ֤ילוּ חִ֥ילוּ חַ֔לְנוּ חַ֣לְתִּי חָ֔לָה חָ֔לוּ חָ֛לָה חָ֥לוּ חֹלֵ֖ל חוֹלָ֑לְתִּי חוֹלָֽלְתִּי׃ חוֹלָֽלְתָּ׃ חול חולי חוללת׃ חוללתי חוללתי׃ חילו חלה חלו חלל חלנו חלתי יְחִיל֑וּן יְחוֹלֵ֣ל יְחוֹלָ֑לוּ יָ֘חִ֤ילוּ יָחִ֑ילוּ יָחִ֖ילוּ יָחִ֙ילוּ֙ יָחִ֣יל יָחִ֣ילוּ יָחִ֥יל יָחֻ֙לוּ֙ יָחֽוּל׃ יחול׃ יחולל יחוללו יחיל יחילו יחילון יחלו לָח֣וּל לחול מְחֹלְלֶֽךָ׃ מְחֽוֹלֵֽל־ מִתְחוֹלֵ֑ל מחולל־ מחללך׃ מתחולל תְּח֣וֹלֵֽל תְּחִילִֽין׃ תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶ֑ם תָּחִ֖יל תָּחִ֥יל תָחִ֔ילוּ תָּחוּל֙ תחול תחולל תחוללכם תחיל תחילו תחילין׃ ’ō·w·ḥî·lāh ’ōwḥîlāh Chalah Chalnu Chalti Chalu Chilu choLalta choLalti choLel chul Chuli ḥā·lāh ḥā·lū hă·yū·ḥal ḥal·nū ḥal·tî ḥālāh ḥalnū ḥaltî ḥālū ham·mə·ḥō·lə·lō·wṯ hammecholeLot hamməḥōləlōwṯ haYuchal hăyūḥal ḥî·lū ḥîlū ḥō·lêl ḥō·w·lā·lə·tā ḥō·w·lā·lə·tî ḥōlêl ḥōwlālətā ḥōwlālətî ḥū·lî ḥūl ḥūlî lā·ḥūl laChul lāḥūl mə·ḥō·lə·le·ḵā mə·ḥō·w·lêl- mecholel mecholeLecha məḥōləleḵā məḥōwlêl- miṯ·ḥō·w·lêl mitchoLel miṯḥōwlêl oChilah ṯā·ḥî·lū tā·ḥîl tā·ḥūl taChil taChilu taChul tāḥîl ṯāḥîlū tāḥūl tə·ḥî·lîn tə·ḥō·w·lêl tə·ḥō·w·lel·ḵem techiLin teCholel techolelChem təḥîlîn təḥōwlêl təḥōwlelḵem ū·ṯə·ḥō·w·lêl uteCholel ūṯəḥōwlêl vaiYachel vaiyaChilu vattaChel vattaChol vatteCholel vattitchalChal vechaLah vechaLu vehitChoLel vetaChil veyaChil wat·tā·ḥêl wat·tā·ḥōl wat·tə·ḥō·w·lêl wat·tiṯ·ḥal·ḥal wattāḥêl wattāḥōl wattəḥōwlêl wattiṯḥalḥal way·yā·ḥel way·yā·ḥî·lū wayyāḥel wayyāḥîlū wə·ḥā·lāh wə·ḥā·lū wə·hiṯ·ḥō·w·lêl wə·ṯā·ḥîl wə·yā·ḥîl wəḥālāh wəḥālū wəhiṯḥōwlêl wəṯāḥîl wəyāḥîl yā·ḥî·lū yā·ḥîl yā·ḥu·lū yā·ḥūl yaChil yaChilu yaChul yaChulu yāḥîl yāḥîlū yāḥūl yāḥulū yə·ḥî·lūn yə·ḥō·w·lā·lū yə·ḥō·w·lêl yechiLun yechoLalu yechoLel yəḥîlūn yəḥōwlālū yəḥōwlêlLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 8:10 HEB: וַיָּ֣חֶל ע֔וֹד שִׁבְעַ֥ת NAS: So he waited yet another KJV: And he stayed yet other seven INT: waited yet seven Deuteronomy 2:25 Deuteronomy 32:18 Judges 3:25 Judges 21:21 Judges 21:23 1 Samuel 31:3 2 Samuel 3:29 1 Chronicles 10:3 1 Chronicles 16:30 Esther 4:4 Job 15:7 Job 15:20 Job 20:21 Job 26:5 Job 35:14 Job 39:1 Psalm 10:5 Psalm 29:8 Psalm 29:8 Psalm 29:9 Psalm 37:7 Psalm 51:5 Psalm 55:4 Psalm 77:16 60 Occurrences |
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strength; Palmyrene רב חילא רבא general-in-chief VogNo. 28 and others; Sabean חֿיל SabDenkm91 (on חֿל in Sabean: proper name see HalJAS Juin, 1872, 533); Ethiopic 
be strong, 
strength, army, 
strong; Assyrian —â(i)ltu, army Flood Tabl.iii. 22 (—aiialtu JägerBAS i. 461); possibly compare Arabic 
horses (as strong ones? compare