---
title: חָלָה — mollify · The Tanakh dictionary
description: חָלָה (lemma:חָלָה), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 17 times: mollify. BDB 1906: vb. Pi. mollify, appease, entreat the favour of. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# חָלָה

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«חָלָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **mollify** — 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:** 17 times · **Key:** lemma:חָלָה · **BDB:** חָלָה²

### Glosses

entreat (5); he.entreated (4); I.have.entreated (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

mollify [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/lemma_3a_5d7_5b8_5dc_5b8_5d4/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. Pi. mollify, appease, entreat the favour of [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/lemma_3a_5d7_5b8_5dc_5b8_5d4/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. only Pi. sq. פְּנֵי, פָּנֶיךָ, פָּנַיִךְ = mollify, appease, entreat the favour of, lit. make the face of any one sweet or pleasant (cf. Arabic حَلَا, حَلِىَ be sweet, pleasant, Aramaic ܚܠܻܝ, חֲלִי, id., adj. חָלֵי sweet);— Pf. חִלָּה 2 Ch 33:12, חִלִּיתִי 1 S 13:12 ψ 119:58, וְחִלּוּ consec. Jb 11:19, חִלִּינוּ Dn 9:13; Impf. וַיְחַל Ex 32:11 + 3 times, יְחַלּוּ ψ 45:13 Pr 19:6; Imv. חַל־נָא 1 K 13:6, חַלּוּ־נָא Mal 1:9; Inf. cstr. לְחַלּוֹת Zc 7:2 + 2 times;— ח׳ את־פני־י׳: mollify, pacify, appease י׳, i.e. induce him to shew favour in place of wrath and chastisement Ex 32:11 (JE), 1 K 13:6 (+ הִתְפַּלֵּל), v 6 2 K 13:4 Je 26:19 (+ וַיִּנָּ֫חֶם), 2 Ch 33:12 (‖ וַיִּכָּנַע מאד מִלִּפְנֵי), Dn 9:13; also ח׳ פני־אֵל Mal 1:9 (sq. וִיחָנֵּ֑נוּ that he may be gracious to us). entreat the favour of י׳, i.e. aim at success, prosperity, etc., through his favour, 1 S 13:12 (in anticipation of war), Zc 8:21, 22 (‖ לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־י׳; of cities and nations assembling at Jerusalem for worship), Zc 7:2 (‖ לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־י׳) of worship at Jerusalem; quite gen., as habit of God-fearing man, ψ 119:58 (+ בְּכָל־לֵב). entreat favour of men (in sense of 1 b)—רַבִּים יְח׳ פני־נָדִיב Pr 19:6 many entreat a prince’s favour (‖ וְכָל־הָרֵעַ לְאִישׁ מַתָּן); יח׳ פָּנַיִךְ ψ 45:13 of favour of king’s bride; וְח׳ פָּנֶיךָ רַבִּים Jb 11:19 favour of Job when absolved and restored.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 15 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses (8 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (7 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «חָלָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/lemma_3a_5d7_5b8_5dc_5b8_5d4/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 77:11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.77.11/)

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וָ֭אֹמַר חַלּ֣וֹתִי הִ֑יא שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת יְמִ֣ין עֶלְיֽוֹן׃

*Word for word:* and I.said \[is\].my wounding it the.changing of.the.right.hand of.the.Most.High

*JPS 1917:* And I say: 'This is my weakness, that the right hand of the Most High could change.

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[Job 11:19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.11.19/)

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וְֽ֭רָבַצְתָּ וְאֵ֣ין מַחֲרִ֑יד וְחִלּ֖וּ פָנֶ֣יךָ רַבִּֽים׃

*Word for word:* and you.will.lie.down and there.\[will\].not.\[be\] \[one.who\].terrifies and they.will.entreat face your many.\[people\]

*JPS 1917:* Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.

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