חַ֫יִל

1. strength, usually physical:
  a. seldom alone (chiefly in poetry) 1Sam 2:4; Ps 18:33; Ps 18:40 = 2Sam 22:33; 2Sam 22:40 also ׳נָָּֽברוּ ח Job 21:7, compare Eccl 10:10 מֵחַיִל אֶלחָֿ֑יִל Ps 84:8 ׳בְּכֹחַ ח 2Chr 26:13 of virility Prov 31:3 of ׳י's power Ps 59:12; Ps 110:3, compare Hab 3:19 strength of horse Ps 33:17 figurative of product of vine and fig-tree Joel 2:22 (|| פְּרִי).
  b. of result or display of strength ׳עשׂה ח achieve might = do valiantly Num 24:18 (JE), 1Sam 14:48; Ps 60:14 = Ps 108:14; Ps 118:15; Ps 118:16.
  c. often in phrases ׳גִּבּוֺר(הַ)ח, ׳גִּבּוֺרֵי(הַ)ח hero(es) of strength, mighty man (men) of valour Josh 1:14 (D), Josh 6:2; Josh 8:3; Josh 10:7 (all J E), Judg 6:12; Judg 11:1; 1Sam 9:1; 1Sam 16:18; 1Kgs 11:28; 2Kgs 5:1; 2Kgs 15:20; 2Kgs 24:14; 2Kgs 24:16; 1Chr 5:24; 1Chr 7:2; 1Chr 7:9; 1Chr 8:40 + (very frequently in Chronicles), note especially ׳הַגִּבּוֺרִים וכל גבורי ח 1Chr 28:1 also ׳ח ׳ג 2Chr 13:3 (|| מלחמה ׳ג); (הַ)חֲיָלִים ׳ג 1Chr 7:5; 1Chr 7:7; 1Chr 7:11; 1Chr 7:40; 1Chr 11:26 (see also גִּבּוֺר, p. 150); ׳בֶּןֿ(הַ)ח, ׳בְּנֵי(הַ)ח Deut 3:18; Judg 18:2 + (see בֵּן 8, p. 121); ׳אִישׁ ח, ׳אַנְשֵׁי ח Judg 3:29; Judg 20:44; Judg 20:46; Judg 1:12; Judg 11:16; 2Sam 23:20 (Qr; Kt חי, on phrase בןאֿישׁ חיל compare Dr) = 1Chr 11:22 (Kt חיל), 2Sam 24:9; Nah 2:4; Jer 48:15; 1Chr 10:12; Neh 11:6; Ps 76:6 ironical לִמְסֹךְ שֵׁכָר ׳ח ׳א Isa 5:22 = (|| גבורים לשׁתות יין ); Eccl 12:3 metaphor of legs.

2. ability, efficiency, often involving moral worth ׳אַנְשֵׁי ח Gen 47:6 (J), Exod 18:21; Exod 18:25 (both E); of a woman אֵשֶׁת ׳ח Prov 12:4; Prov 31:10; Ruth 3:11 compare 1Kgs 1:42; 1Kgs 1:52 (opposed to רעה), and especially יִרְאֵי אלהים אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת שׂנְאֵי בָּ֑צַע ׳אַנְשֵׁי ח Exod 18:21(E); עָשָׂה חיל Prov 31:29 do worthily, efficiently, perhaps also Ruth 4:11 late (with weakened meaning of גִּבּוֺר) גִּבּוֺרֵי חֵיל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבוֺדַת בֵּית הָאלהים 1Chr 9:13, compare בַּכִּחַ לַעֲבֹדָה ׳אישׁ ח 1Chr 26:8. So also 1Sam 10:26 (read ׳בְּנֵי ח, see ᵐ5 We Dr, men of worth, opposed to בני בליעל v1Sam 10:27) for ᵑ0 ׳ח force, band.

3. wealth Gen 34:29 = Num 31:9 (both P), Deut 8:17; Deut 8:18; Deut 33:11; Isa 8:4; Isa 10:14; Isa 30:6 (|| אוֺצְרֹתָם), Isa 60:5 (|| הֲמוֺן יָם) vIsa 60:11; Isa 61:6; Mic 4:13; Jer 15:13; Jer 17:3 (both || אצרות), Zeph 1:13; Ezek 26:12; Ezek 28:4; Ezek 28:5 (twice in verse); Zech 14:14; Job 5:5; Job 15:29; Job 20:15; Job 20:18; Job 31:25; Ps 49:7; Ps 49:11; Ps 62:11; Ps 73:12; Prov 13:22.

4. force, army, very often Exod 14:4; Exod 14:9; Exod 14:17; Exod 14:28 (all P), Exod 15:4 (song), 1Sam 17:20; 2Sam 8:9; 2Kgs 6:4; 2Kgs 6:15; 2Kgs 25:1; 2Kgs 25:5 (twice in verse); 2Kgs 25:10; 2Chr 13:3 (בְּחַיִל גִּבּוֺרֵי מלחמה), 2Chr 14:7; 2Chr 16:7; 2Chr 23:14 +; so usually Jeremiah: Jer 32:2; Jer 34:1 +; frequently Ezekiel: Ezek 17:17; Ezek 27:10 +; Dan 11:7; Dan 11:13; Dan 11:25 (twice in verse); Dan 11:26 = a band 1Sam 10:26 (ᵑ0, but see 2, adfin.); of train of Queen of Sheba גדול ׳ח 1Kgs 10:2 = 2Chr 9:1 חֵיל כָּבֵד Isa 36:1 = 2Kgs 18:17 a powerful army (on form compare Sta^{§ 194 c}); also (late) חֵיל הַצָּבָא 1Chr 20:1; 2Chr 26:13, חֵיל עָם Esth 8:11 הֲמוֺן חֲיָלִים Dan 11:10 ׳שַׂרהֿח 2Sam 24:2 = captain of the host, ׳שָׂרֵי הח v2Sam 24:4 v2Sam 24:4 שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים captains of armies (bands, divisions) 1Kgs 15:20 = 2Chr 16:4; 2Kgs 25:23; Jer 40:7; Jer 40:13; Jer 41:11; Jer 41:13; Jer 41:16; Jer 42:1; Jer 42:8; Jer 43:4; Jer 43:5. פִּקּוּדֵי החִיל Num 31:14 (P). — חֵילוּ Ezek 32:31 omitted by B Hi Co: for חֵילֵךְ Ezek 27:11 read probably a proper name, of a location, compare Da; Co proposes חתלון (compare Ezek 47:15; Ezek 48:1), Hal^{MÈl. Epigr. 1874, 69} חלך = Cilicia, see Lag^{M i. 211}.

1. power: absolute בְּאֶדְרָע וְחָ֑יִל Ezra 4:23 by force and power; ׳קרא בְח i.e. call loudly Dan 3:4, בְּחַיִל Dan 4:11; Dan 5:7 ׳גִּבָּרֵיאח Dan 3:20 mighty men of power.

2. force, army, suffix חֵילֵהּ Dan 3:20 construct חֵיל שְׁמַיָּא Dan 4:32 (= Biblical Hebrew צְכָא הַשָּׁמַיִם).