הֵיכָל noun masculine^{Nah 2:7} (on Isaiah 44:28 compare Che Di) palace, temple (see also Late Hebrew id. temple, Aramaic הֵיכָלָא, הֵיכְלָא, , palace, temple, Palmyrene הכלא temple Vog¹⁶; compare Arabic (probably Aramaic loan-word according to Frä²⁷⁴), Ethiopic temple; Assyrian ekallu, palace, temple; — probably loan-word from Akkadian e-gal, great house, compare Schr^{HI 148} COT 2 Kings 20:18 Hpt^{E-vowel 11 f.} Lehmann^{Šamaššumukîn 126}, and on usage Dl³³⁸; > from יכל (וכל) = כול contain Ew^{§ 162 b} Thes Add⁸⁴; compare Ol^{§ 191 b} Hoffm^{AGG xxxvi. Mai 1889:25} Dl^w; from an original יכל Lag^{BN 121}, but compare Hom^{ZMG 1890.547}) absolute ׳ה Amos 8:3 27t. (׳הַה 1 Kings 6:17 +); construct הֵיכַל Micah 1:2 35t.; suffix הֵיכָלָ֑ךָ Psalm 48:10 2t.; הֵיכָלוֺ Jeremiah 50:28 7t.; plural הֵיכָלוֺת Hosea 8:14; construct הֵיכְלֵי Isaiah 13:22 2t.; suffix הֵיכְלֵיכֶם Joel 4:5; — never in Hexateuch, rarely in Samuel & pre-exile prophets; especially frequently in Ki Ezekiel & late prophets, also Chronicles; occasionally in Psalms; —

1 rather seld. (royal) palace (so almost always in Assyrian); of Ahab 1 Kings 21:1, of king of Babylon 2 Kings 20:18 = Isaiah 38:17; 2Chronicles 36:7, compare Daniel 1:4, and plural הֵיכְלֵי עֹנֶג Isaiah 13:22 luxurious palaces; at Nineveh נָמוֺג ׳וְהַה Nahum 2:7; not clearly defined are הֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ Psalm 45:16 and הֵיכְלֵי שֵׁן Psalm 45:9; הֵיכָלוֺת Hosea 8:14 (in Northern Israel); see also וְהֵילִילוּ שִׁירוֺת הֵיכָל בַּיּוֺם הַהוּא Amos 8:3 and palace-songs shall be howlings in that day; compare also (probably) of Phoenician palaces Joel 4:5; quite General הֵיכְלֵי מֶלֶךְ, Proverbs 30:28, & תַּבְנִית הֵיכָל Psalm 144:12 (simile of well-proportioned daughters); — usual term for royal palace in Hebrew is בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ, see בית.

2 of palace of God considered as king, = house of God or of ׳י, temple (compare ׳הַה Isaiah 6:1 e. below where prophet sees אדני ישֵׁב עַלכִּֿסֵּא):

a. of early, pre-Solomonic house at Shiloh ׳הֵיכַל י 1 Samuel 1:9; 1 Samuel 3:3 (= ׳בֵּית י 1 Samuel 1:7; 1 Samuel 3:15; מֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֺעֵד 1 Samuel 2:22 omitted by ᵐ5 We Klo Dr) with doors (דלתות, 1 Samuel 3:15) & a doorpost (מזוזה 1 Samuel 1:9) (compare 2 Samuel 22:7 = Psalm 18:7 e below).

b. of Solomon's temple: specifically the hall or nave of the temple (the holy place, distinguished from the דְּבִּיר the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, and with this included in the more General term ׳בֵּית י or הַבַּיִת, 1 Kings 6:1,2+ often) 1 Kings 6:17 (compare 1 Kings 6:19; 1 Kings 6:20 & 1 Kings 6:2) also 1 Kings 6:5; 1 Kings 6:33; 1 Kings 7:50 2Chronicles 4:22; further 2 Chronicles 4:7,8; Ezekiel 8:16 (twice in verse) הָאוּלָם עַלמְּֿנֵי הֵיכַל הַבַּיִת 1 Kings 6:3; אֻלָם הַהֵיכָל 1 Kings 7:21 "" עַלמְּֿנֵי הַהֵיכָל2Chronicles 3:17; ׳הֵיכַל י 2 Kings 18:16; also in wide sense (apparently = ׳בֵּית י), ׳הֵיכַל י 2 Kings 23:4; 2 Kings 24:13 ("" ׳בֵּית י), Jeremiah 7:4 (3 t. in verse) ("" ׳בֵּית י Jeremiah 7:2), Jeremiah 24:1 see also נִקְמַת הֵיכָלוֺ Jeremiah 50:28; Jeremiah 51:11 (both "" ׳נִקְמַת י); 2 Chronicles 26:16; 27:2, compare 2 Chronicles 29:16 ("" ׳מְּנִ֫ימָה בֵית י; opposed to ׳י ׳חֲצַר ב), in all three ׳הֵיכַל י.

c. hall or nave of Ezekiel's temple, the holy place (see above) (included in הַבַּיִת, the General term embracing the whole group of buildings) Ezekiel 41:1,4,15,21,23,25 (compare Ezekiel 41:20) Ezekiel 42:8.

d. general designation of 2 nd temple, הַהֵיכָל Zechariah 8:9 ("" צְבָאוֺת ׳בֵּית י); oftener ׳הֵיכַל י Haggai 2:15,18; Zechariah 6:12,13,14,15; Ezra 3:6,10, הֵיכָלוֺ Malachi 3:1; Psalm 27:4; בּוֺנִים הֵיכָל ליהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל Ezra 4:1; (הַ)הֵיכָל Nehemiah 6:10 (twice in verse) ("" בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים), Nehemiah 6:11; Isaiah 44:28, compare also Isaiah 66:6. — הֵיכָל occurs occasionally in Psalms, without conclusive evidence, in all cases, to what temple reference is had; apparently distinguished from ׳בֵּית י (as below b) Psalm 5:8 (הֵיכַל קָדְשְׁךָ; see בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ Psalm 5:7); perhaps also Psalm 68:30 (distinguished from Holy of Holies by De Che; yet verse obscure); but no distinction evident Psalm 79:1; Psalm 138:2; Jonah 2:5; Jonah 2:8 (all הֵיכַל קָדְשְׁךָ); compare קְדשׁ הֵיכָל֑ךָ Psalm 65:5 ("" בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ); as containing the worshipping assembly Psalm 48:10.

e. of the heavenly temple where ׳י sits enthroned Isaiah 6:1; his abode in the heavens 2 Samuel 22:7 = Psalm 18:7; Psalm 11:4 ("" שָׁמַיִם; compare זְבֻל קָדְשׁוֺ Isaiah 63:15, "" id.), Isaiah 29:9; אֲדֹנָי מֵהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֺ Micah 1:2, compare Habakkuk 2:20 ויהוה בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֺ.