1 strength, usually physical:

a. seldom alone (chiefly in poetry) 1 Samuel 2:4; Psalm 18:33, 40 = 2 Samuel 22:33,40; also ׳נָָּֽברוּ ח Job 21:7, compare Ecclesiastes 10:10; מֵחַיִל אֶלחָֿ֑יִל Psalm 84:8; ׳בְּכֹחַ ח2Chronicles 26:13; of virility Proverbs 31:3; of ׳יs power Psalm 59:12; Psalm 110:3, compare Habakkuk 3:19; strength of horse Psalm 33:17; figurative of product of vine and fig-tree Joel 2:22 ("" מְּרִי).

b. of result or display of strength ׳עשׂה ח achieve might = do valiantly Numbers 24:18 (JE), 1 Samuel 14:48; Psalm 60:14 = Psalm 108:14; Psalm 118:15,16.

c. often in phrases ׳גִּבּוֺר(הַ)ח, ׳גִּבּוֺרֵי(הַ)ח hero(es) of strength, mighty man (men) of valour Joshua 1:14 (D), Joshua 6:2; Joshua 8:3; Joshua 10:7 (all J E), Judges 6:12; Judges 11:1; 1 Samuel 9:1; 1 Samuel 16:18; 1 Kings 11:28; 2 Kings 5:1; 2 Kings 15:20; 2 Kings 24:14,16; 1 Chronicles 5:24; 1 Chronicles 7:2,9; 1 Chronicles 8:40 #NAME?׳הַגִּבּוֺרִים וכל גבורי ח 1 Chronicles 28:1; also ׳ח ׳ג2Chronicles 13:3 ("" מלחמה ׳ג); (הַ)חֲיָלִים ׳ג 1 Chronicles 7:5,7,11,40; 1 Chronicles 11:26 (see also גִּבּוֺר, p. 150); ׳בֶּןֿ(הַ)ח, ׳בְּנֵי(הַ)ח Deuteronomy 3:18; Judges 18:2 + (see בֵּן

8, p. 121); ׳אִישׁ ח, ׳אַנְשֵׁי ח Judges 3:29; Judges 20:44; Judges 20:46; 1 Samuel 31:12; 1 Samuel 11:16; 2 Samuel 23:20 (Qr; Kt חי, on phrase בןאֿישׁ חיל compare Dr) = 1 Chronicles 11:22 (Kt חיל), 2 Samuel 24:9; Nahum 2:4; Jeremiah 48:15; 1 Chronicles 10:12; Nehemiah 11:6; Psalm 76:6; ironical לִמְסֹךְ שֵׁכָר ׳ח ׳א Isaiah 5:22 = ("" גבורים לשׁתות יין ); Ecclesiastes 12:3 metaphor of legs.

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

3 wealth Genesis 34:29 = Numbers 31:9 (both P), Deuteronomy 8:17,18; Deuteronomy 33:11; Isaiah 8:4; Isaiah 10:14; Isaiah 30:6 ("" אוֺצְרֹתָם), Isaiah 60:5 ("" הֲמוֺן יָם) Isaiah 60:11; Isaiah 61:6; Micah 4:13; Jeremiah 15:13; Jeremiah 17:3 (both "" אצרות), Zephaniah 1:13; Ezekiel 26:12; Ezekiel 28:4,5 (twice in verse); Zechariah 14:14; Job 5:5; Job 15:29; Job 20:15,18; Job 31:25; Psalm 49:7; Psalm 49:11; Psalm 62:11; Psalm 73:12; Proverbs 13:22.

4 force, army, very often Exodus 14:4,9,17,28 (all P), Exodus 15:4 (song), 1 Samuel 17:20; 2 Samuel 8:9; 2 Kings 6:4,15; 2 Kings 25:1,5 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 25:10; 2Chronicles 13:3 (בְּחַיִל גִּבּוֺרֵי מלחמה), 2 Chron 14:7; 2 Chronicles 16:7; 23:14 +; so usually Jeremiah: Jeremiah 32:2; Jeremiah 34:1 +; frequently Ezekiel: Ezekiel 17:17; Ezekiel 27:10 +; Daniel 11:7,13,25 (twice in verse); Daniel 11:26; = a band 1 Samuel 10:26 (ᵑ0, but see

2, adfin.); of train of Queen of Sheba גדול ׳ח 1 Kings 10:2 2Chronicles 9:1; חֵיל כָּבֵד Isaiah 36:1 = 2 Kings 18:17 a powerful army (on form compare Sta^{§ 194 c}); also (late) חֵיל הַצָּבָא 1 Chronicles 20:1; 2Chronicles 26:13, חֵיל עָם Esther 8:11; הֲמוֺן חֲיָלִים Daniel 11:10; ׳שַׂרהֿח 2 Samuel 24:2 = captain of the host, ׳שָׂרֵי הח 2 Samuel 24:4; 2 Samuel 24:4; שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים captains of armies (bands, divisions) 1 Kings 15:20 2Chronicles 16:4; 2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40:7,13; Jeremiah 41:11,13,16; Jeremiah 42:1,8; Jeremiah 43:4,5. מִּקּוּדֵי החִיל Numbers 31:14 (P). — חֵילוּ Ezekiel 32:31 omitted by B Hi Co: for חֵילֵךְ Ezekiel 27:11 read probably a proper name, of a location, compare Da; Co proposes חתלון (compare Ezekiel 47:15; Ezekiel 48:1), Hal^{MÈl. Epigr. 1874, 69} חלך = Cilicia, see Lag^{M i. 211}.

חַ֫יִל noun masculine power, strength, army (see Biblical Hebrew II. חול, חיל); —

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

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