What does חוֹל (chol) mean in the Bible?
חוֹל (chol): Sand as granular, shifting material: metaphor for innumerability, instability, and formlessness in biblical imagery
Hebrew · H2344
חוֹל
Sand (as round or whirling particles)
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חוֹל H2344
Pronunciation chol
What does חוֹל (chol) mean in the Bible?
חוֹל (chol): Sand as granular, shifting material: metaphor for innumerability, instability, and formlessness in biblical imagery
Full entry for חוֹל (H2344) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2344?
The BSB source-word alignment has 23 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include like the sand (7), as the sand (5), the sand (2), [and as] the sand (1), and sand (1).
Where does חוֹל (chol) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 22:17. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (3), Jeremiah (3), 1 Kings (2), Isaiah (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It like the sand 7× Genesis 32:12, Genesis 41:49, 2 Samuel 17:11, 1 Kings 4:29
as the sand 5× Joshua 11:4, Judges 7:12, 1 Samuel 13:5, 1 Kings 4:20
the sand 2× Job 6:3, Jeremiah 5:22
[and as] the sand 1× Jeremiah 33:22
and sand 1× Proverbs 27:3
and the sand 1× Genesis 22:17
as [countless as] the sand 1× Isaiah 48:19
in the sand 1× Exodus 2:12
like sand 1× Habakkuk 1:9
of the sand 1× Deuteronomy 33:19
than the sand 1× Jeremiah 15:8
the grains of sand 1× Psalms 139:18
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 22:17 וְכַח֕וֹל to and the sand Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 32:12 כְּח֣וֹל to like the sand Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct Genesis 41:49 כְּח֥וֹל to like the sand Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 2:12 בַּחֽוֹל׃ to in the sand Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 33:19 חֽוֹל׃ס to of the sand Noun - masculine singular Joshua 11:4 כַּח֛וֹל to as the sand Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular Judges 7:12 כַּח֛וֹל to as the sand Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 13:5 כַּח֛וֹל to as the sand Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular 2 Samuel 17:11 כַּח֥וֹל to like the sand Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 4:20 כַּח֥וֹל to as the sand Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 22:17
Aligned rows 23
Books represented 15
Genesis 3 Exodus 1 Deuteronomy 1 Joshua 1 Judges 1 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 1 1 Kings 2 Job 2 Psalms 2 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 3 Hosea 1 Habakkuk 1
Source forms
כְּח֣וֹל 3x kə·ḥō·wl Genesis 32:12, Isaiah 10:22, Hosea 1:10
כַּח֛וֹל 3x ka·ḥō·wl Joshua 11:4, Judges 7:12, 1 Samuel 13:5
מֵח֣וֹל 3x mê·ḥō·wl Job 6:3, Psalms 139:18, Jeremiah 15:8
כַּח֥וֹל 2x ka·ḥō·wl 2 Samuel 17:11, 1 Kings 4:20
בַּחֽוֹל׃ 1x ba·ḥō·wl Exodus 2:12
הַח֑וֹל 1x ha·ḥō·wl Proverbs 27:3
וְכַח֕וֹל 1x wə·ḵa·ḥō·wl Genesis 22:17
וְ֝כַח֗וֹל 1x wə·ḵa·ḥō·wl Job 29:18
Parsing patterns
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular 8x Joshua 11:4, Judges 7:12, 1 Samuel 13:5, 2 Samuel 17:11
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct 4x Genesis 32:12, Genesis 41:49, Isaiah 10:22, Hosea 1:10
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular 2x Genesis 22:17, Job 29:18
Noun - masculine singular 2x Deuteronomy 33:19, Jeremiah 5:22
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct 2x Job 6:3, Jeremiah 15:8
Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x Proverbs 27:3
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct 1x Psalms 78:27
Noun - masculine singular construct 1x Jeremiah 33:22
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Sand as granular, shifting material: metaphor for innumerability, instability, and formlessness in biblical imagery
Source Gloss
sand (as round or whirling particles)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Sand as granular, shifting material: metaphor for innumerability, instability, and formlessness in biblical imagery
sand (as round or whirling particles) BDB: sand Usage: sand.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
sand
Showing 1 selected witness from 23 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
Why This Word Matters
Echoes Abrahamic multiplication promise. Hosea 1:10-2:1
Canonical Themes
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain