H2429 H2429
Aramaic noun meaning 'power, strength, force'; also 'army, military host,' the Aramaic cognate of Hebrew chayil.
This Aramaic noun appears in Ezra and Daniel, covering the same broad semantic range as its Hebrew cognate chayil. It denotes raw physical or political power, as in Ezra 4:23 where opponents halt Jerusalem's rebuilding 'by force and power' (bi-edraʿ we-chayil). It also extends to a military force or army, as when Nebuchadnezzar's mighty soldiers are called gibbarey chayil (Daniel 3:20). The Spanish fuerza and German Kraft consistently render the 'power' sense, while Spanish ejército and English 'army' distinguish the military application.
Senses
1. power, strength — Physical or political power, strength, and force. In Ezra 4:23 the paired phrase 'by force and power' (bi-edraʿ we-chayil) describes coercive compulsion to stop construction. In Daniel 3:4 and 5:7, the adverbial use be-chayil means 'with power' or 'loudly,' indicating intensity of action. Daniel 3:20 pairs it with gibbarim to describe men of outstanding strength. The French and German translations (force, Kraft) consistently capture this core meaning. 5×
AR["بِقُوَّةٍ","قُوَّةٍ","وَ-قُوَّةٍ"]·ben["-শক্তিতে","আর-সৈন্যবলে","শক্তিতে","শক্তিশালী"]·DE["Kraft","[וחיל]","mit-Kraft"]·EN["and-force","strength","with-power"]·FR["et-armée","force"]·heb["ב-חוזק","ב-כוח","ו-חיל","חיל"]·HI["और-शस्त्र-से","जोर-से","शक्ति"]·ID["dan-kuasa","dengan-keras","kuat"]·IT["con-potenza","e-esercito","potenza"]·jav["kalayan-kiyat","kanthi-sora","kiyat","mawi-suwanten-seru"]·KO["그리고-힘","에서-힘","힘-으로","힘의"]·PT["com-força","e-força","força"]·RU["-силой","громко","и-войском","с-силой"]·ES["con-fuerza","fuerza","y-fuerza."]·SW["kwa-nguvu","na-jeshi","nguvu"]·TR["güçle","güçlü","güçlüce","ve-gucle"]·urd["اور-طاقت","زور-سے","طاقت-کے"]
2. army, military host — A military force, army, or host of soldiers. In Daniel 3:20 chayil refers to Nebuchadnezzar's armed contingent, and in Daniel 4:35 the phrase cheil shemayyaʾ ('host of heaven') denotes the celestial army, paralleling the Hebrew tseva ha-shamayim. The Spanish ejército and English 'army' clearly distinguish this collective military sense from the abstract 'power' usage. 2×
AR["فِي-جَيْشِهِ","فِي-جُنْدِ"]·ben["-তাঁর-সৈন্যে","-সৈন্যে"]·DE["Kraft","mit-Kraft"]·EN["in-his-army","with-host-of"]·FR["force"]·heb["ב-חילו","ב-צבא"]·HI["में-उसकी-सेना","में-सेना"]·ID["dalam-tentaranya","di-antara-bala-tentara"]·IT["con-potenza","potenza"]·jav["ing-bala","ing-wadyabalanipun"]·KO["군대-에서","군대의-그의"]·PT["em-exército-seu","no-exército-dos"]·RU["в-войске","в-войске-его"]·ES["con-el-ejército-de","en-su-ejército"]·SW["katika-jeshi-la","katika-jeshi-lake"]·TR["ordusunda","ordusundaki"]·urd["اس-کی-فوج-میں","لشکر-میں"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חַ֫יִל n.m. power, strength, army (v. BH II. חול, חיל);— 1. power: abs. בְּאֶדְרָע וְחָ֑יִל Ezr 4:23 by force and power; קרא בְח׳ i.e. call loudly Dn 3:4, בְּחַיִל 4:11; 5:7; גִּבָּרֵי־ח׳ 3:20 mighty men of power. 2. force, army, sf. חַיְלֵהּ 3:20; cstr. חֵיל שְׁמַיָּא 4:32 (= BH צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם).