חַיִל

1. strength, usually physical:
\ \ a. seldom alone (chiefly in poetry) 1 Sam 2,4; Sl 18,33; Sl 18,40 = 2 Sam 22,33; 2 Sam 22,40 also ׳נָָּֽברוּ ח Job 21,7, compare Praed 10,10 מֵחַיִל אֶלחָֿ֑יִל Sl 84,8 ׳בְּכֹחַ ח 2 Kron 26,13 of virility Ord 31,3 of ׳י's power Sl 59,12; Sl 110,3, compare Hab 3,19 strength of horse Sl 33,17 figurative of product of vine and fig-tree Joel 2,22 (|| פְּרִי).
\ \ b. of result or display of strength ׳עשׂה ח achieve might = do valiantly 4 Mos 24,18 (JE), 1 Sam 14,48; Sl 60,14 = Sl 108,14; Sl 118,15; Sl 118,16.
\ \ c. often in phrases ׳גִּבּוֺר(הַ)ח, ׳גִּבּוֺרֵי(הַ)ח hero(es) of strength, mighty man (men) of valour Jos 1,14 (D), Jos 6,2; Jos 8,3; Jos 10,7 (all J E), Dom 6,12; Dom 11,1; 1 Sam 9,1; 1 Sam 16,18; 1 Kong 11,28; 2 Kong 5,1; 2 Kong 15,20; 2 Kong 24,14; 2 Kong 24,16; 1 Kron 5,24; 1 Kron 7,2; 1 Kron 7,9; 1 Kron 8,40 + (very frequently in Chronicles), note especially ׳הַגִּבּוֺרִים וכל גבורי ח 1 Kron 28,1 also ׳ח ׳ג 2 Kron 13,3 (|| מלחמה ׳ג); (הַ)חֲיָלִים ׳ג 1 Kron 7,5; 1 Kron 7,7; 1 Kron 7,11; 1 Kron 7,40; 1 Kron 11,26 (see also גִּבּוֺר, p. 150); ׳בֶּןֿ(הַ)ח, ׳בְּנֵי(הַ)ח 5 Mos 3,18; Dom 18,2 + (see בֵּן 8, p. 121); ׳אִישׁ ח, ׳אַנְשֵׁי ח Dom 3,29; Dom 20,44; Dom 20,46; Dom 1,12; Dom 11,16; 2 Sam 23,20 (Qr; Kt חי, on phrase בןאֿישׁ חיל compare Dr) = 1 Kron 11,22 (Kt חיל), 2 Sam 24,9; Nah 2,4; Jer 48,15; 1 Kron 10,12; Neh 11,6; Sl 76,6 ironical לִמְסֹךְ שֵׁכָר ׳ח ׳א Es 5,22 = (|| גבורים לשׁתות יין ); Praed 12,3 metaphor of legs.

2. ability, efficiency, often involving moral worth ׳אַנְשֵׁי ח 1 Mos 47,6 (J), 2 Mos 18,21; 2 Mos 18,25 (both E); of a woman אֵשֶׁת ׳ח Ord 12,4; Ord 31,10; Rut 3,11 compare 1 Kong 1,42; 1 Kong 1,52 (opposed to רעה), and especially יִרְאֵי אלהים אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת שׂנְאֵי בָּ֑צַע ׳אַנְשֵׁי ח 2 Mos 18,21(E); עָשָׂה חיל Ord 31,29 do worthily, efficiently, perhaps also Rut 4,11 late (with weakened meaning of גִּבּוֺר) גִּבּוֺרֵי חֵיל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבוֺדַת בֵּית הָאלהים 1 Kron 9,13, compare בַּכִּחַ לַעֲבֹדָה ׳אישׁ ח 1 Kron 26,8. So also 1 Sam 10,26 (read ׳בְּנֵי ח, see ᵐ5 We Dr, men of worth, opposed to בני בליעל v1 Sam 10,27) for ᵑ0 ׳ח force, band.

3. wealth 1 Mos 34,29 = 4 Mos 31,9 (both P), 5 Mos 8,17; 5 Mos 8,18; 5 Mos 33,11; Es 8,4; Es 10,14; Es 30,6 (|| אוֺצְרֹתָם), Es 60,5 (|| הֲמוֺן יָם) vEs 60,11; Es 61,6; Mik 4,13; Jer 15,13; Jer 17,3 (both || אצרות), Sef 1,13; Ezk 26,12; Ezk 28,4; Ezk 28,5 (twice in verse); Zak 14,14; Job 5,5; Job 15,29; Job 20,15; Job 20,18; Job 31,25; Sl 49,7; Sl 49,11; Sl 62,11; Sl 73,12; Ord 13,22.

4. force, army, very often 2 Mos 14,4; 2 Mos 14,9; 2 Mos 14,17; 2 Mos 14,28 (all P), 2 Mos 15,4 (song), 1 Sam 17,20; 2 Sam 8,9; 2 Kong 6,4; 2 Kong 6,15; 2 Kong 25,1; 2 Kong 25,5 (twice in verse); 2 Kong 25,10; 2 Kron 13,3 (בְּחַיִל גִּבּוֺרֵי מלחמה), 2 Kron 14,7; 2 Kron 16,7; 2 Kron 23,14 +; so usually Jeremiah: Jer 32,2; Jer 34,1 +; frequently Ezekiel: Ezk 17,17; Ezk 27,10 +; Dan 11,7; Dan 11,13; Dan 11,25 (twice in verse); Dan 11,26 = a band 1 Sam 10,26 (ᵑ0, but see 2, adfin.); of train of Queen of Sheba גדול ׳ח 1 Kong 10,2 = 2 Kron 9,1 חֵיל כָּבֵד Es 36,1 = 2 Kong 18,17 a powerful army (on form compare Sta^{§ 194 c}); also (late) חֵיל הַצָּבָא 1 Kron 20,1; 2 Kron 26,13, חֵיל עָם Est 8,11 הֲמוֺן חֲיָלִים Dan 11,10 ׳שַׂרהֿח 2 Sam 24,2 = captain of the host, ׳שָׂרֵי הח v2 Sam 24,4 v2 Sam 24,4 שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים captains of armies (bands, divisions) 1 Kong 15,20 = 2 Kron 16,4; 2 Kong 25,23; Jer 40,7; Jer 40,13; Jer 41,11; Jer 41,13; Jer 41,16; Jer 42,1; Jer 42,8; Jer 43,4; Jer 43,5. פִּקּוּדֵי החִיל 4 Mos 31,14 (P). — חֵילוּ Ezk 32,31 omitted by B Hi Co: for חֵילֵךְ Ezk 27,11 read probably a proper name, of a location, compare Da; Co proposes חתלון (compare Ezk 47,15; Ezk 48,1), Hal^{MÈl. Epigr. 1874, 69} חלך = Cilicia, see Lag^{M i. 211}.