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);…