H2492b H2492b
To dream; of ordinary sleep-visions and especially prophetic or revelatory dreams; as a participle, a dreamer.
The Hebrew verb chalam carries the weight of the ancient world's conviction that dreams were more than nocturnal brain activity — they were encounters with the divine. From Joseph's youthful visions of bowing sheaves (Gen 37:5-9) to Pharaoh's ominous cattle and grain (Gen 41:1), and from Daniel's apocalyptic night-visions to the prophetic warning of Deuteronomy 13, this verb spans the entire biblical dream landscape. The multilingual evidence is telling: Spanish consistently uses sonar, while Korean distinguishes kkum-kkuda for ordinary dreaming from revelatory vocabulary in prophetic contexts. The participial form cholem ('dreamer') appears in Deuteronomy's test for false prophets, where a 'dreamer of dreams' must be evaluated by Torah fidelity, not by the impressiveness of his visions.
Senses
1. to dream (Qal) — The core Qal finite verb sense: to experience a dream, particularly one freighted with prophetic or revelatory significance. This is the dominant usage across 21 occurrences, spanning all Qal inflections — perfect, imperfect, and consecutive. Joseph declares 'I dreamed a dream' (Gen 37:9), Pharaoh's baker and cupbearer 'dreamed' in prison (Gen 40:5), and Isaiah uses it for the frustrating ephemerality of a hungry man who 'dreams he is eating' (Isa 29:8). Spanish Sone and Korean kkum-kkuda both track this basic verbal sense, confirming a unified cluster across persons and tenses. 21×
AR["حَلَمَ", "حَلَمْتَ-هُ", "حَلَمْتُ", "حَلَمْتُ-هُ", "حَلَمْنَا", "فَحَلَمَ", "وَ-حَلَمَ", "وَ-حَلَمَا", "يَحْلَمونَ", "يَحْلُمُ"]·ben["আমি-স্বপ্ন-দেখলাম", "আমি-স্বপ্ন-দেখেছি", "আমি-স্বপ্ন-দেখেছি।", "আর-স্বপ্ন-দেখল", "আর-স্বপ্ন-দেখল-তারা", "আর-স্বপ্ন-দেখলেন", "আর-স্বপ্ন-দেখলেন-তিনি", "তুমি-স্বপ্ন-দেখেছ", "দেখলাম-আমরা", "দেখেছি", "দেখেছি-আমরা", "দেখেছি-আমি", "দেখেছিল", "স্বপ্ন-দেখবে", "স্বপ্ন-দেখলেন", "স্বপ্ন-দেখে"]·DE["Traum", "[חלמתי]", "[יחלם]", "[יחלמון]", "du-geträumt-hast", "er-geträumt-hatte", "habe-ich-geträumt", "haben-wir-geträumt", "ich-dreamed", "ich-geträumt-habe", "ich-habe-geträumt", "träumten-wir", "und-träumte", "und-träumten"]·EN["I-dreamed", "and-dreamed", "and-he-dreamed", "dreamed", "dreams", "he-dreamed", "we-dreamed", "will-dream", "you-dreamed"]·FR["Je-dreamed", "[חלמתי]", "[יחלם]", "et-dreamed", "et-il-dreamed", "il-dreamed", "je-dreamed", "nous-dreamed", "rêver", "tu-dreamed"]·heb["ו-יחלם", "ו-יחלמו", "חלם", "חלמנו", "חלמת", "חלמתי", "יַחלוֹמוּן", "יחלום"]·HI["और-स्वप्न-देखा", "तूने-देखा", "देखा-था", "देखा-मैंने", "देखा-स्वप्न", "देखा-हमने", "देखेंगे", "मैंने-देखा", "स्वप्न-देखता-है", "स्वप्न-देखा-है"]·ID["Dan-bermimpilah", "Dan-ia-bermimpi", "akan-bermimpi,", "aku-bermimpi", "bermimpi", "dan-bermimpi", "dan-bermimpilah-ia", "engkau-bermimpi", "ia-bermimpi", "kami-bermimpi", "telah-kumimpikan"]·IT["[חלמתי]", "[יחלמון]", "e-dreamed", "e-egli-dreamed", "egli-dreamed", "io-dreamed", "noi-dreamed", "sognare", "sogno", "tu-dreamed"]·jav["Lan-Yusuf-ngimpi", "Lan-piyambakipun-ngimpi", "Lan-piyambakipun-supena", "Lan-supena", "badhé-ngimpi", "dipun-impeni", "kawula-ngimpi", "kita-sami-ngimpi", "kita-supena", "kula-ngimpi", "lan-ngimpi", "ngimpi", "panjenengan-ngimpi"]·KO["그리고-꾸었다", "그리고-꿀-꿨다", "그리고-꿈을-꾸었다", "그리고-꿈을꾸었다", "꾸리라", "꾸었다", "꿀-꿨다", "꿀-꿨던", "꿈꾸는", "꿈꿨다-내가", "꿈을-꾸었다", "꿔었다", "내가-꾼", "내가-꿈꿤다", "네가-꾼"]·PT["E-sonharam", "E-sonhou", "Sonhei", "e-sonhou", "sonha", "sonhamos", "sonharão", "sonhaste", "sonhei", "sonhou"]·RU["И-увидел-сон", "И-увидели-сон", "будут-видеть", "видел", "видел-я", "видели-мы", "видели-сон", "видит-во-сне", "и-снилось-ему", "и-увидел-сон", "снилось", "снилось-мне", "снился-мне", "ты-видел", "я-видел", "я-видел-сон"]·ES["Soñé", "Y-soñaron", "Y-soñó", "soñamos", "soñarán", "soñaste", "soñé", "soñó", "sueña", "y-soñó"]·SW["Na-akaota", "aliota", "anaota", "kwa", "na-akagundua-kwa", "na-akaota", "na-wakaumiza", "niliota", "nimeota", "tuliota", "tumekumata", "uliota", "wataota"]·TR["Rüya-gördüm", "Ve-rüya-gördü", "Ve-rüya-gördüler", "gördü", "gördük", "gördüm", "gördün", "ruya-gorur", "rüya-gördü", "rüya-gördüm", "rüya-görecek", "ve-rüya-gördü"]·urd["اور-خواب-دیکھا", "اور-دیکھا-خواب", "خواب-دیکھا-میں-نے", "خواب-دیکھے", "دیکھا", "دیکھا-تو-نے", "دیکھا-میں-نے", "دیکھا-ہم-نے", "دیکھیں-گے", "دیکھے-تھے"]
2. dreamer (Qal participle) — The participial or agent-noun sense: 'dreamer,' one who dreams or is characterized by dreaming. Appearing 5 times, this form (cholem/cholmim) shifts from the verbal act to the person performing it. In Deuteronomy 13:1-5, the 'dreamer of dreams' stands alongside the prophet as someone claiming divine communication — the legal test is whether the dream-message leads toward or away from Yahweh. Psalm 126:1 uses the participle poetically: 'we were like dreamers' when Zion's fortunes were restored. Spanish sonador and German Traumer both select dedicated agent-noun forms here, distinct from the finite verb. 5×
AR["حَالِمُ", "حَالِمِ", "كَالحالِمين", "يَحْلُمُ"]·ben["স্বপ্ন-দেখছেন", "স্বপ্নদ্রষ্টা", "স্বপ্নদ্রষ্টাদের-মতো।"]·DE["dreamer-von", "träumte", "wie-dreamers"]·EN["dreamer-of", "dreaming", "like-dreamers"]·FR["comme-rêver", "dreamer-de", "dreaming"]·heb["חולם", "חלם", "כ-חולמים"]·HI["स्वप्न-देख-रहा-था", "स्वप्न-देखने-वाला", "स्वप्न-देखने-वाले", "स्वप्न-देखने-वालों-की-तरह"]·ID["bermimpi", "pemimpi", "seperti-orang-orang-bermimpi"]·IT["[כחלמים]", "dreamer-di", "dreaming"]·jav["ingkang-ngimpi", "kados-tiyang-ngimpi", "ngimpi"]·KO["꾸는중이었다", "꿈꾸는-자", "꿈꾸는-자가", "꿈꾸는-자들-같이"]·PT["como-os-que-sonham", "sonhador-de", "sonhando"]·RU["видит-сон", "видящего", "видящий", "как-видящие-сон"]·ES["como-soñadores", "soñador-de", "soñando"]·SW["aliota", "kama-waotao", "mwotaji"]·TR["gören", "görenin", "rüya-görenler-gibi", "rüya-görüyor"]·urd["خواب-دیکھنے-والا", "خواب-دیکھنے-والوں-کی-طرح", "خواب-دیکھنے-والے", "دیکھا-خواب"]
3. dream (noun) — A nominal or noun-like usage: the dream itself as an object of experience. Though the standard noun is chalom, this single occurrence at Genesis 37:6 ('hear this dream') may reflect a verbal noun or infinitival construction where the act of dreaming blurs into the dream-content. Spanish el-sueno and German den-Traum both render it as a straightforward noun, and the multilingual convergence suggests the boundary between verb and noun was permeable in this expression. 1×
AR["الْحُلْمَ"]·ben["-স্বপ্ন"]·DE["den-Traum"]·EN["the-dream"]·FR["le-songe"]·heb["ה-חלום"]·HI["स्वप्न"]·ID["mimpi"]·IT["il-sogno"]·jav["supénan"]·KO["그-꾿을"]·PT["o-sonho"]·RU["сон"]·ES["el-sueño"]·SW["ndoto"]·TR["-rüyayı"]·urd["خواب"]
4. cause to dream (Hifil) — The Hifil causative: to cause dreaming, to induce dreams in others. A single occurrence at Jeremiah 29:8, where the exiles are warned not to let their prophets and diviners 'cause you to dream' — or possibly 'dream on your behalf.' The causative stem signals that the dreaming is externally prompted rather than spontaneously experienced. Spanish sonais captures the reflexive-passive ambiguity, while the form itself (machalimim) is morphologically distinctive from all Qal occurrences. 1×
AR["تَحْلُمُونَهَا"]·ben["স্বপ্ন-দেখছ"]·DE["[מחלמים]"]·EN["causing-to-dream"]·FR["[מחלמים]"]·heb["מחלמים"]·HI["देखते-हो"]·ID["bermimpi"]·IT["sognare"]·jav["ngimpi"]·KO["꿈꾸는"]·PT["fazeis-sonhar"]·RU["видите"]·ES["soñáis"]·SW["mnaota"]·TR["rüya-görüyorsunuz"]·urd["دیکھتے-ہو"]
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×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)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×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. חָלַם vb. dream (NH id.; Aramaic ܚܠܰܡ; חֲלַם; Ethiopic ሐለመ: Arabic حَلَمَ, dream, experience an emission of the seminal fluid, attain to puberty)— Qal Pf. ח׳ Gn 42:9 Dn 2:1, חָלַמְתִּי Gn 37:9 + 3 times, חָלָ֑מְתִּי Gn 37:6 + 2 times, etc., + 3 times Pf.; Impf. יַחֲלֹם Is 29:8 + 5 times, יַחְלְמוּ Jb 39:4, וַיַּחַלְמוּ Gn 40:5, יַחֲלֹמ֑וּן Jo 3:1, נַחַלְמָה Gn 41:11, Pt. חוֹלֵם Dt 13:4,…