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
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)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×)
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,…