הֵיכָל

1. rather seld. (royal) palace (so almost always in Assyrian); of Ahab 1 Kong 21,1, of king of Babylon 2 Kong 20,18 = Es 38,17; 2 Kron 36,7, compare Dan 1,4, and plural הֵיכְלֵי עֹנֶג Es 13,22 luxurious palaces; at Nineveh נָמוֺג ׳וְהַה Nah 2,7 not clearly defined are הֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ Sl 45,16 and הֵיכְלֵי שֵׁן vSl 45,9 הֵיכָלוֺת Hos 8,14 (in Northern Israel); see also וְהֵילִילוּ שִׁירוֺת הֵיכָל בַּיּוֺם הַהוּא Amos 8,3 and palace-songs shall be howlings in that day; compare also (probably) of Phoenician palaces Joel 4,5 quite general הֵיכְלֵי מֶלֶךְ, Ord 30,28, & תַּבְנִית הֵיכָל Sl 144,12 (simile of well-proportioned daughters); — usual term for royal palace in Hebrew is בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ, see בית.

2. of palace of God considered as king, = house of God or of ׳י, temple (compare ׳הַה Es 6,1
\ \ e. below where prophet sees אדני ישֵׁב עַלכִּֿסֵּא):
\ \ a. of early, pre-Solomonic house at Shiloh ׳הֵיכַל י 1 Sam 1,9; 1 Sam 3,3 (= ׳בֵּית י 1 Sam 1,7; 1 Sam 3,15 פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֺעֵד 1 Sam 2,22 omitted by ᵐ5 We Klo Dr) with doors (דלתות, 1 Sam 3,15) & a doorpost (מזוזה 1 Sam 1,9) (compare 2 Sam 22,7 = Sl 18,7 e below).
\ \ b. of Solomon's temple: specifically the hall or nave of the temple (the holy place, distinguished from the דְּבִּיר the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, and with this included in the more general term ׳בֵּית י or הַבַּיִת, 1 Kong 6,1; 1 Kong 6,2 + often) 1 Kong 6,17 (compare v1 Kong 6,19 v1 Kong 6,20 & v1 Kong 6,2) also v1 Kong 6,5 v1 Kong 6,33; 1 Kong 7,50 = 2 Kron 4,22 further 2 Kron 4,7; 2 Kron 4,8; Ezk 8,16 (twice in verse) הָאוּלָם עַלפְּֿנֵי הֵיכַל הַבַּיִת 1 Kong 6,3 אֻלָם הַהֵיכָל 1 Kong 7,21 || עַלפְּֿנֵי הַהֵיכָל 2 Kron 3,17 ׳הֵיכַל י 2 Kong 18,16 also in wide sense (apparently = ׳בֵּית י), ׳הֵיכַל י 2 Kong 23,4; 2 Kong 24,13 (|| ׳בֵּית י), Jer 7,4 (3 t. in verse) (|| ׳בֵּית י vJer 7,2), Jer 24,1 see also נִקְמַת הֵיכָלוֺ Jer 50,28; Jer 51,11 (both || ׳נִקְמַת י); 2 Kron 26,16; 2 Kron 27,2, compare 2 Kron 29,16 (|| ׳פְּנִ֫ימָה בֵית י; opposed to ׳י ׳חֲצַר ב), in all three ׳הֵיכַל י.
\ \ c. hall or nave of Ezekiel's temple, the holy place (see above) (included in הַבַּיִת, the general term embracing the whole group of buildings) Ezk 41,1; Ezk 41,4; Ezk 41,15; Ezk 41,21; Ezk 41,23; Ezk 41,25 (compare vEzk 41,20) Ezk 42,8.
\ \ d. general designation of 2 nd temple, הַהֵיכָל Zak 8,9 (|| צְבָאוֺת ׳בֵּית י); oftener ׳הֵיכַל י Hag 2,15; Hag 2,18; Zak 6,12; Zak 6,13; Zak 6,14; Zak 6,15; Ezr 3,6; Ezr 3,10, הֵיכָלוֺ Mal 3,1; Sl 27,4 בּוֺנִים הֵיכָל ליהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל Ezr 4,1 (הַ)הֵיכָל Neh 6,10 (twice in verse) (|| בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים), vNeh 6,11; Es 44,28, compare also Es 66,6. — הֵיכָל occurs occasionally in Psalms, without conclusive evidence, in all cases, to what temple reference is had; apparently distinguished from ׳בֵּית י (as below b) Sl 5,8 (הֵיכַל קָדְשְׁךָ; see בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ vSl 5,7); perhaps also Sl 68,30 (distinguished from Holy of Holies by De Che; yet verse obscure); but no distinction evident Sl 79,1; Sl 138,2; Jon 2,5; Jon 2,8 (all הֵיכַל קָדְשְׁךָ); compare קְדשׁ הֵיכָל֑ךָ Sl 65,5 (|| בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ); as containing the worshipping assembly Sl 48,10.
\ \ e. of the heavenly temple where ׳י sits enthroned Es 6,1 his abode in the heavens 2 Sam 22,7 = Sl 18,7; Sl 11,4 (|| שָׁמַיִם; compare זְבֻל קָדְשׁוֺ Es 63,15, || id.), Es 29,9 אֲדֹנָי מֵהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֺ Mik 1,2, compare Hab 2,20 ויהוה בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֺ.