What does חַלְחָלָה (ḥalĕḥālāh) mean in the Bible?
חַלְחָלָה (ḥalĕḥālāh): Intense physical or emotional anguish, primarily childbirth pain but metaphorically extended to terror and distress
Hebrew · H2479
חַלְחָלָה
Writhing (in childbirth); by implication, terror
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חַלְחָלָהH2479
Pronunciationḥalĕḥālāh
What does חַלְחָלָה (ḥalĕḥālāh) mean in the Bible?
חַלְחָלָה (ḥalĕḥālāh): Intense physical or emotional anguish, primarily childbirth pain but metaphorically extended to terror and distress
Full entry for חַלְחָלָה (H2479) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2479?
The BSB source-word alignment has 4 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and there will be anguish (1), Anguish (1), tremble (1), with anguish (1).
Where does חַלְחָלָה (ḥalĕḥālāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Isaiah 21:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (2), Isaiah (1), Nahum (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itand there will be anguish1×Ezekiel 30:4
Anguish1×Ezekiel 30:9
tremble1×Nahum 2:10
with anguish1×Isaiah 21:3
Show sample aligned rows
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowIsaiah 21:3
Aligned rows4
Books represented3
Isaiah1Ezekiel2Nahum1
Source forms
וְחַלְחָלָה֙1xwə·ḥal·ḥā·lāhNahum 2:10
חַלְחָלָ֔ה1xḥal·ḥā·lāhIsaiah 21:3
חַלְחָלָה֙1xḥal·ḥā·lāhEzekiel 30:4
חַלְחָלָ֤ה1xḥal·ḥā·lāhEzekiel 30:9
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular3xIsaiah 21:3, Ezekiel 30:4, Ezekiel 30:9
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular1xNahum 2:10
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Intense physical or emotional anguish, primarily childbirth pain but metaphorically extended to terror and distress
Source Gloss
writhing (in childbirth); by implication, terror
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Intense physical or emotional anguish, primarily childbirth pain but metaphorically extended to terror and distress
writhing (in childbirth); by implication, terror BDB: anguish Usage: (great, much) pain.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
חַלְחָלָה is built from this root:
חַלְחוּלH2478