What does חָלִיל (ḥāliyl) mean in the Bible?
חָלִיל (ḥāliyl): A perforated wind instrument; metaphorically denotes lamentation, mourning rites, or expressions of grief in biblical contexts.
Hebrew · H2485
חָלִיל
A flute (as perforated )
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חָלִיל H2485
Pronunciation ḥāliyl
What does חָלִיל (ḥāliyl) mean in the Bible?
חָלִיל (ḥāliyl): A perforated wind instrument; metaphorically denotes lamentation, mourning rites, or expressions of grief in biblical contexts.
Full entry for חָלִיל (H2485) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2485?
The BSB source-word alignment has 6 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include flutes (2), like a flute (2), and flutes (1), to the music of a flute (1).
Where does חָלִיל (ḥāliyl) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 1 Samuel 10:5. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (2), Jeremiah (2), 1 Kings (1), 1 Samuel (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 flutes 2× 1 Samuel 10:5, 1 Kings 1:40
like a flute 2× Jeremiah 48:36
and flutes 1× Isaiah 5:12
to the music of a flute 1× Isaiah 30:29
Show sample aligned rows
1 Samuel 10:5 וְחָלִ֣יל to flutes Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 1:40 בַּחֲלִלִ֔ים to flutes Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural Isaiah 5:12 וְחָלִ֛יל to and flutes Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Isaiah 30:29 בֶּֽחָלִ֔יל to to the music of a flute Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Jeremiah 48:36 כַּחֲלִלִ֣ים to like a flute Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural Jeremiah 48:36 כַּחֲלִילִ֖ים to like a flute Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row 1 Samuel 10:5
Aligned rows 6
Books represented 4
1 Samuel 1 1 Kings 1 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 2
Source forms
בֶּֽחָלִ֔יל 1x be·ḥā·lîl Isaiah 30:29
בַּחֲלִלִ֔ים 1x ba·ḥă·li·lîm 1 Kings 1:40
וְחָלִ֣יל 1x wə·ḥā·lîl 1 Samuel 10:5
וְחָלִ֛יל 1x wə·ḥā·lîl Isaiah 5:12
כַּחֲלִילִ֖ים 1x ka·ḥă·lî·lîm Jeremiah 48:36
כַּחֲלִלִ֣ים 1x ka·ḥă·li·lîm Jeremiah 48:36
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 2x 1 Samuel 10:5, Isaiah 5:12
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural 2x Jeremiah 48:36
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural 1x 1 Kings 1:40
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x Isaiah 30:29
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. A perforated wind instrument; metaphorically denotes lamentation, mourning rites, or expressions of grief in biblical contexts.
Source Gloss
a flute (as perforated )
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
A perforated wind instrument; metaphorically denotes lamentation, mourning rites, or expressions of grief in biblical contexts.
a flute (as perforated) BDB: flute Usage: pipe.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Musical instrument used in mourning and lamentation, expressing grief
Metaphorical reference to wise reproof, valuable and pleasant like musical sound
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 6 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
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