Lexical Summary Chalach: Halah Original Word: חֲלַח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Halah Probably of foreign origin; Chalach, a region of Assyria -- Halah. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originprobably of foreign origin Definition an area under Assyr. control NASB Translation Halah (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs חֲלַח proper name, of a location a city or district under Assyrian control, whither Israel captives were taken 2 Kings 17:6 = 2 Kings 18:11, 1 Chronicles 5:26, compare –ala——u in Mesopotamia, SchrCOT on 2 Kings 17:8; > HalMél. Epigr. 1874, 70 Cilica (= Phoenician חלך, LagM. i. 211, Assyrian –ilakku, LyonSargontexte) LagBN 57. Topical Lexicon Biblical ReferencesHalah appears three times, each in connection with the Assyrian deportations of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and of the Trans-Jordanian tribes (Reuben, Gad, half-Manasseh): • 2 Kings 17:6 “In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the towns of the Medes.” (2 Kings 17:6) Historical Context The three notices span two major waves of exile: 1. Tiglath-Pileser III (Pul) initiated the first removals about 733 BC (1 Chronicles 5:26). Assyrian policy deliberately scattered conquered peoples into distant districts to break national identity and discourage rebellion. Halah, together with Habor and Gozan, formed part of a chain of resettlement centers east of the Euphrates. Geographical Setting Halah is linked to “the Habor, the river of Gozan,” placing it in Upper Mesopotamia, probably along the tributaries of the Khabur River in modern northeastern Syria or northwestern Iraq. Assyrian texts mention a province Halhu—likely the same region—situated south of Guzana (Tell Halaf). While its exact coordinates remain debated, Scripture presents Halah as: • Within Assyrian territory, Theological Significance Judgment for Covenant Unfaithfulness The exile to Halah fulfilled long-standing warnings (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). The summary in 2 Kings 17 attributes the dispersion to sin: “They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves” (2 Kings 17:15). God’s Sovereignty over Nations 1 Chronicles 5:26 states that “the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria,” highlighting the Lord’s direct orchestration of geopolitical events. Even a pagan emperor serves divine purposes. Preservation amid Dispersion Though uprooted, the exiles were not abandoned. Prophets such as Hosea and Amos had promised both judgment and eventual restoration. The very record of where they were placed—Halah, Habor, Gozan—lays groundwork for later prophetic calls to return (Isaiah 11:11; Jeremiah 31:10). Foreshadowing the Universal Gospel Israel’s scattering foreshadows the later sending of the Gospel “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). What began as punishment becomes, by divine grace, a paradigm for mission: God’s people living as witnesses among the nations. Ministry Applications • Holiness and Obedience: Halah stands as a memorial that disregard for God’s Word brings real consequences. Related Passages for Study Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 28:64; 2 Kings 17:13-18; Isaiah 10:5-6; Hosea 11:5-11; Amos 5:27. Summary Halah is more than an obscure Assyrian outpost; it is a fixed point on the biblical map of redemptive history. Its brief mentions encapsulate the justice, sovereignty, and mercy of God—warning against covenant infidelity while simultaneously affirming His ongoing plan to bless all nations through a faithful remnant and, ultimately, through the Messiah. Forms and Transliterations בַּחְלַ֧ח בחלח לַחְלַ֨ח לחלח bachLach baḥ·laḥ baḥlaḥ lachLach laḥ·laḥ laḥlaḥLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Kings 17:6 HEB: וַיֹּ֨שֶׁב אֹתָ֜ם בַּחְלַ֧ח וּבְחָב֛וֹר נְהַ֥ר NAS: and settled them in Halah and Habor, KJV: and placed them in Halah and in Habor INT: to Assyria and settled Halah and Habor the river 2 Kings 18:11 1 Chronicles 5:26 3 Occurrences |
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