---
title: חִיל — a writhing · The Tanakh dictionary
description: חִיל (2427), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 6 times: a writhing. BDB 1906: n.m. writhing, anguish. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# חִיל

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«חִיל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **a writhing** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 6 times · **Key:** 2427 · **BDB:** חִיל

### Glosses

anguish (6)

### Meaning (OSHB)

a writhing [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2427/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. writhing, anguish [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2427/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Ex 15:14 a writhing, anguish;—ח׳ abs. Ex 15:14 + 5 times— writhing (contortions of fear) Ex 15:14 (‖ vb. רָגַז). anguish, always in sim. כַּיּוֹלֵדָה ψ 48:7 (allied kings against Jerus.); Zion, before Assyrians Mi 4:9; before Scythians or Chaldeans Je 6:24 (‖ צָרָה), = 50:43 (of king of Babylon; ‖ צָרָה); 22:23 (‖ חבלים q.v.)

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 6 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (18 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (14 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «חִיל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2427/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Exodus 15:14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO.15.14/)

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שָֽׁמְע֥וּ עַמִּ֖ים יִרְגָּז֑וּן חִ֣יל אָחַ֔ז יֹשְׁבֵ֖י פְּלָֽשֶׁת׃

*Word for word:* they.have.heard peoples they tremble anguish it.has.seized the.inhabitants of.Philistia

*JPS 1917:* The peoples have heard, they tremble; pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia.

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[Psalms 48:7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.48.7/)

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רְ֭עָדָה אֲחָזָ֣תַם שָׁ֑ם חִ֝֗יל כַּיּוֹלֵֽדָה׃

*Word for word:* trembling it seized.them there anguish like.(the) \[woman who\].gives.birth

*JPS 1917:* Trembling took hold of them there, pangs, as of a woman in travail.

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