H1513 H1513
coal, glowing ember — a burning or live coal, used of sacrificial fire, theophanic visions, and divine judgment
Gachelet denotes a live coal or glowing ember, the kind that radiates heat and light. Its 18 occurrences in the Hebrew Bible consistently evoke intense, burning energy — whether literal fire on the altar or figurative fire in the hand of God. The plural gechalim ('coals') appears most often, typically in the construct phrase gachale-esh ('coals of fire'). In Leviticus 16:12, the high priest takes a censer full of coals of fire from the altar for the Day of Atonement incense — the only legitimate fire that may enter the Holy of Holies. The great theophany psalms describe God's appearance in storm language: 'coals of fire' blazed from before him (2 Sam 22:9, 13 = Ps 18:8, 12-13). Ezekiel's inaugural vision compares the living creatures to the appearance of burning coals of fire (Ezek 1:13; 10:2). Job's Leviathan breathes out coals (Job 41:21). Proverbs employs the image practically — walking on hot coals burns one's feet (Prov 6:28) — and proverbially, comparing quarrelsome speech to charcoal on embers (Prov 26:21). Isaiah 44:19 and 47:14 use it for ordinary cooking fire. The metaphor of preserving a single coal as one's last hope of posterity appears poignantly in 2 Samuel 14:7. Spanish 'brasa,' French 'braise,' and German 'Kohle/Glut' capture the heat-radiating sense.
Senses
1. coal, burning ember — A live, glowing coal or burning ember, appearing in sacrificial, theophanic, and metaphorical contexts. The high priest fills his censer with gachale-esh ('coals of fire') from the altar on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:12). In theophanic poetry, coals of fire blaze before God's presence (2 Sam 22:9, 13 = Ps 18:8, 12-13). Ezekiel's inaugural vision likens the living creatures to burning coals (Ezek 1:13), and an angel scatters coals over Jerusalem in judgment (Ezek 10:2). Leviathan's breath kindles coals (Job 41:21). Proverbs uses the image for the consequences of adultery — walking on hot coals (Prov 6:28) — and for the inflammatory nature of quarrelsome speech (Prov 26:21). The singular gachelet in 2 Sam 14:7 becomes a moving metaphor for a family's last surviving heir, their sole remaining ember of hope. 18×
AR["الْجَمْرِ","جَمرَتي-","جَمرِ","جَمْرًا","جَمْرٌ","جَمْرَ","جَمْرَ-","جَمْرُ","جَمْرِهَا","جَمْرِهِ","كَـ-جَمْرِ","لِلْجَمْرِ","وَجَمْرُ-"]·ben["-অঙ্গারের-জন্য","-টি-জ্বলন্ত-কয়লা","অঙ্গার","অঙ্গার,","অঙ্গার-","অঙ্গার-আমার","অঙ্গারগুলিকে","অঙ্গারগুলির-তার","এবং-অঙ্গার-","জ্বলন্ত-অঙ্গার","জ্বলন্ত-অঙ্গার-","জ্বলন্ত-কয়লার-মতো","তার-কয়লার"]·DE["[גחלי]","[גחליה]","[גחליו]","[גחלים]","[גחלת]","[הגחלים]","[כגחלי]","[לגחלים]","coals","coals-von","coals-von-","mein-coal","und-coals-von-"]·EN["and-coals-of-","coal","coals","coals-of","coals-of-","for-coals","its-coals","like-coals-of-","my-coal","the-coals"]·FR["[גחלי]","[גחליה]","[גחליו]","[גחלת]","[כגחלי]","charbon","coals","coals-de","coals-de-","et-charbon","le-הגחלים","mon-coal","à-לגחלים","גחלים"]·heb["גחלי","גחליה","גחליו","גחלים","גחלת","גחלת-י","ה-גחלים","ו-גחלי-","כ-גחלי","ל-גחלים"]·HI["अंगारे","अंगारे-","अंगारों","अंगारों-के-लिए","और-कोयले-","कोयला","कोयले","कोयले-","कोयलों-उसके","कोयलों-को","जैसा-अंगारे-","मेरी-चिनगारी"]·ID["bara","bara api","bara-","bara-api","bara-apinya","bara-bara","bara-bara-","baraku","baranya","dan-bara-bara-","seperti-bara","untuk-bara-api"]·IT["[גחלי]","[גחליה]","[גחליו]","[גחלת]","[כגחלי]","coals","coals-di","coals-di-","e-grano","grano","il-il-coals","mio-coal","per-per-coals"]·jav["kados-mawa","kanggé-mawa-murub","mawa","mawa-","mawa-mawa","mawa-mawa-","mawa-mawanipun","mawa-murub","mawanipun","mawaé","merangan-kula","saha-mawa-"]·KO["같이-숯불들-","그-숙불-들-을","그-숲으로","그것의-숯들-위에","그리고-숙들-이-","내-숯불을","숙-같은-","숙-의","숙들-을-위함이요","숙들-이","숙들을","숙들이","숨들을","숯-과","숯들-이","숲이"]·PT["as-brasas","brasa","brasa-minha","brasas","brasas-de","brasas-dele","como-brasas-de","e-brasas-de","para-brasas","suas-brasas"]·RU["-уголь-мой","для-углей","и-угли-","как-угли-","на-","угли","угли-","угля","углям,","углями","углями-","углях-его","угольев-"]·ES["brasa","brasa-mía","brasas","carbones","carbones-de","carbones-de-","carbones-de-ella","como-carbones-de","las-brasas","para-brasas","sus-brasas","y-carbones-de"]·SW["kaa-langu","kama-makaa-ya","kwa-makaa-ya-moto","makaa","makaa-ya","makaa-ya-","makaa-ya-moto","makaa-yake","na-makaa-ya"]·TR["ateş-közü","gibi","kor","korlar","korlerinin","korumu","körlerinin","közler","közler-için","közleri","közleri-","közlerin","közlerini","ve-korları-"]·urd["آگ-کے-انگارے-","انگاروں","انگاروں-کا-","اور-کوئلے","اُس-کے-کوئلوں","مانند-انگاروں-کے","میرے-انگارے","کوئلوں-اُس-کے","کوئلوں-کو","کوئلوں-کے","کوئلہ","کوئلے","کے-لیے-انگاروں"]
Lev 16:12, 2 Sam 14:7, 2 Sam 22:9, 2 Sam 22:13, Job 41:21, Ps 18:8, Ps 18:12, Ps 18:13, Ps 120:4, Ps 140:10, Prov 6:28, Prov 25:22 (+6 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† גַּחֶ֫לֶת n.f. Ez 1:13 coal (cf. Assyrian guḫlu, a shining precious stone? COTGloss. ZimBP 45)—abs. גַּחֶלֶת Is 47:14; sf. גַּחַלְתִּי 2 S 14:7; pl. גֶּחָלִים ψ 18:9 + 6 times; cstr. גַּחֲלֵי Lv 16:12 + 5 times + ψ 18:14 (del. 𝔊 De Che) sf. גֶּחָלָיו Is 44:19, גֶּחָלֶיהָ Ez 24:11;—coal, pl. ג׳ אֵשׁ coals of fire Lv 16:12 (P), 2 S 22:13 = ψ 18:13 [also ψ 18:14 cf. supr.] Ez 10:2 (in vision);…