H2489 H2489
helpless, hapless, unfortunate ones
An obscure term appearing only in Psalm 10, describing vulnerable people targeted by the wicked. The exact meaning is uncertain, with significant textual questions surrounding the word. Ancient versions understood it as referring to the poor or hapless, while the Masoretic tradition (reflected in Qere readings) attempted alternative interpretations involving armies or dejected groups. Most modern interpreters favor seeing it as an adjective meaning 'helpless' or 'unfortunate,' describing those who are easy prey for oppressors. The context consistently portrays victims of violence and exploitation.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Helpless or unfortunate individuals who are victims of oppression. All three occurrences fall within Psalm 10:8-14, describing the wicked who lie in wait 'for the helpless,' murder them, and crush them. The textual difficulties (including ketiv/qere variations) reflect ancient uncertainty about this rare word. Greek, Syriac, and Aramaic versions all understood it in terms of poverty or affliction. The Spanish desvalido ('helpless') and French malheureux ('unfortunate') capture the vulnerability implied. 3×
AR["[ketiv]", "المَسْكِينُ", "لِ-المَسَاكِينِ"]·ben["দুর্ভাগ্যের", "দুর্ভাগ্যের-জন্য"]·DE["[ketiv]", "der-hilflos", "für-der-hilflos"]·EN["[ketiv]", "for-the-helpless", "the-helpless"]·FR["malheureux", "à-malheureux"]·heb["חלכאים", "חלכה", "ל-חלכה"]·HI["बेचारा", "बेचारे", "बेचारे-पर"]·ID["[Ketiv]", "terhadap-yang-malang", "yang-malang"]·IT["sfortunato"]·jav["[ketib-qere]", "kanggé-tiyang-mlarat", "tiyang-mlarat"]·KO["불쌍한-자-가", "불쌍한-자-를", "불쌍한-자들"]·PT["[variante]", "o-infeliz", "para-o-infeliz"]·RU["беспомощные", "беспомощный", "на-беспомощного"]·ES["[desvalidos]", "al-desvalido", "el-desvalido"]·SW["kwa-mnyonge", "mnyonge", "wanyonge"]·TR["[ketiv]", "talihsiz", "talihsize-"]·urd["-بے-چارے-پر", "بے-چارہ", "بے-چارے"]
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
† חֵֽלְכָה read חַלְכֶּה, חֶלְכֶּה, or חָלְכֶּה, adj. hapless, unfortunate, only as subst. hapless, luckless one(s)—לְחֵֽלְכָה ψ 10:8, 𝔊 εἰς τὸν πένητα, 𝔖 𝔗; חֵלֶ֑כָה 10:14 𝔊 ὁ πτωχός; חלכאים 10:10 Kt, read pl. חַלְכָּאִים (חֶל׳, חָל׳); Qr חֵל כָּאִים, 𝔊 τῶν πενήτων. In all text and meaning dub. (MT reads חֵלְכָה = חֵילְךָ thine army; and חֵל כָּאִים v 10 army of dejected ones, but this against usage of חֵל, and no such fig. sense of חַיִל, v. Ol Hup De Bae Che, and crit. n.)