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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חַלְחָלָה H2479
Pronunciation ḥalĕḥālāh
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 It and there will be anguish 1× Ezekiel 30:4
Anguish 1× Ezekiel 30:9
tremble 1× Nahum 2:10
with anguish 1× Isaiah 21:3
Show sample aligned rows
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Isaiah 21:3
Aligned rows 4
Books represented 3
Isaiah 1 Ezekiel 2 Nahum 1
Source forms
וְחַלְחָלָה֙ 1x wə·ḥal·ḥā·lāh Nahum 2:10
חַלְחָלָ֔ה 1x ḥal·ḥā·lāh Isaiah 21:3
חַלְחָלָה֙ 1x ḥal·ḥā·lāh Ezekiel 30:4
חַלְחָלָ֤ה 1x ḥal·ḥā·lāh Ezekiel 30:9
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular 3x Isaiah 21:3, Ezekiel 30:4, Ezekiel 30:9
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular 1x Nahum 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 definition Source: 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:
חַלְחוּל H2478
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