Lexical Summary chalilah: "Far be it," "God forbid," "Never," "By no means" Original Word: חָלִילָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be far, God forbid Or chalilah {khaw-lee'-law}; a directive from chalal; literal for a profaned thing; used (interj.) Far be it! -- be far, (X God) forbid. see HEBREW chalal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chalal Definition far be it! NASB Translation far (19), forbid (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs חָלִ֫ילָה substantive with ה locative, used as exclamation literally ad profanum! i.e. far be it (for me, thee, etc.) ! (see BaNB 136) — ׳ח Genesis 44:7 17t., חָלִלָה Genesis 18:25b + 2t. — alone, 1 Samuel 14:45; 1 Samuel 20:2; elsewhere with לְ person: Genesis 18:25b (J), 1 Samuel 2:30; 1 Samuel 20:9; 1 Samuel 22:15; + מִן and infinitive of act deprecated Genesis 18:25; a Genesis 44:7,17 (all J), Joshua 24:16 (E), 1 Samuel 12:23; 2 Samuel 23:17; + מִמֶּנּוּ ל (peculiarly) Joshua 22:29 (P; = from it, even to rebel); + אִם (= surely not) 2 Samuel 20:20 (׳ח ׳ח), Job 27:5; strengthened idiomatically by מיהוה, ׳לִי מִיּ׳ח followed by מִן and infinitive 1 Samuel 26:11; 1 Kings 21:3 + 2 Samuel 23:17 (read מיהוה, ᵐ5L ᵑ6 ᵑ7) = 1 Chronicles 11:19 (מאלהי) followed by אִם 1 Samuel 24:7; לָאֵל מֵרֶשַׁע ׳ח Job 34:10. Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Hebrew 2486 is the passionate cry “ḥālîlāh”—an exclamation that something is morally impossible, unthinkable, or repugnant. Woven through narrative, legal, and wisdom texts, it becomes a verbal fence that guards the holiness of God, safeguards covenant loyalty, and rallies righteous indignation against sin. Rhetorical Marker of Moral Impossibility 1. Negative moral resolve: “Far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:23). The phrase forms a verbal oath: the speaker announces that the proposed action would violate everything he or she stands for before God. Appeal to Divine Justice and Holiness The first occurrence frames Abraham’s plea for Sodom: “Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked… Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” (Genesis 18:25). Here ḥālîlāh anchors intercession in God’s immutable righteousness. The same motif recurs in Job’s reflection: “Far be it from God to do evil” (Job 34:10). Remarkably, the LORD Himself speaks the cry: “Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me” (1 Samuel 2:30). The self-declared impossibility of injustice underscores divine consistency. Guarding the Anointed and Reverencing Life David twice restrains himself from harming Saul: “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:6; see 26:11). Later he refuses to drink water fetched at risk of life: “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” (2 Samuel 23:17; 1 Chronicles 11:19). The cry functions as a shield around sacred persons and the sanctity of life, foreshadowing ultimate respect for the Messiah, the Anointed par excellence. Covenantal Loyalty in Israel’s Community When the Trans-Jordan tribes erect an altar, leaders protest: “Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD” (Joshua 22:29). At Shechem the people reaffirm fidelity: “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!” (Joshua 24:16). The interjection becomes communal language for covenant renewal, binding the nation to exclusive worship. Ministry of Intercession and Leadership Samuel’s use (1 Samuel 12:23) ties ḥālîlāh to pastoral duty. Prayerlessness toward God’s people equals sin; earnest intercession is a moral necessity. Leaders today find in this cry a benchmark for spiritual responsibility. Wisdom Literature and Personal Integrity Job utters the protest twice: “Far be it from me that I should declare you right” (Job 27:5). The shout defends unwavering integrity amid false accusations, teaching believers to resist compromising righteousness for convenience. Literary Features • Often doubled for emphasis (Genesis 18:25; 2 Samuel 20:20). Canonical Spread and Historical Context From Patriarchal times (Abraham, Joseph) through the early monarchy (Saul, David) to post-exilic chronicling, ḥālîlāh traverses Israel’s story. Its persistence attests to an enduring moral grammar that shapes every period of redemptive history. New Testament Resonance Paul’s frequent “May it never be!” (Greek: mē genoito) mirrors ḥālîlāh, linking the Testaments in their common abhorrence of ideas that impugn God’s character or license sin (Romans 6:2; Galatians 2:17). Pastoral and Homiletical Applications • Cultivate holy reflexes: let ḥālîlāh shape instinctive rejection of sin. In every occurrence, ḥālîlāh is more than a phrase; it is a theological alarm bell, summoning hearts to align with the unassailable righteousness of the LORD. Forms and Transliterations חָלִ֖לָה חָלִ֗ילָה חָלִ֙ילָה֙ חָלִ֣ילָה חָלִ֣לָה חָלִ֤ילָה חָלִ֧ילָה חָלִ֨לָה חָלִילָה֩ חָלִילָה֮ חלילה חללה chaLilah ḥā·li·lāh ḥā·lî·lāh ḥālilāh ḥālîlāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 18:25 HEB: חָלִ֨לָה לְּךָ֜ מֵעֲשֹׂ֣ת ׀ NAS: Far be it from You to do such KJV: That be far from thee to do INT: Far to do A thing Genesis 18:25 Genesis 44:7 Genesis 44:17 Joshua 22:29 Joshua 24:16 1 Samuel 2:30 1 Samuel 12:23 1 Samuel 14:45 1 Samuel 20:2 1 Samuel 20:9 1 Samuel 22:15 1 Samuel 24:6 1 Samuel 26:11 2 Samuel 20:20 2 Samuel 20:20 2 Samuel 23:17 1 Kings 21:3 1 Chronicles 11:19 Job 27:5 Job 34:10 21 Occurrences |
    |