Lexical Summary
chalom: Dream
Original Word:חֲלוֹם
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:chalowm
Pronunciation:khaw-lome'
Phonetic Spelling:(khal-ome')
KJV: dream(-er)
NASB:dream, dreams, dreamers
Word Origin:[fromH2492 (חָלַם - To dream)]
1. a dream
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
dreamer
Or (shortened) chalom {khal-ome'}; fromchalam; a dream -- dream(-er).
see HEBREWchalam
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
chalamDefinitiona dream
NASB Translationdream (41), dreamer* (1), dreamers (1), dreams (22).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Genesis 37:10 ; — absolute
Genesis 37:5 +, construct
Genesis 20:3, absolute
Genesis 20:6, construct
Genesis 31:24; suffix
Genesis 40:9,16,
Genesis 41:17,22,
Genesis 40:5 5t.; plural
Jeremiah 23:32 10t. etc., + 7 t. suffix —
dreamJob 7:14;Job 20:8;Psalm 73:20;Ecclesiastes 5:2;Ecclesiastes 5:6;Isaiah 29:7.
, the lowest grade of prophecy (see BrMP 6):
Genesis 20:3,6, of JacobGenesis 31:10,11, LabanGenesis 31:24, JosephGenesis 37:5,6,8,9 (twice in verse);Genesis 37:10,19,20;Genesis 42:9, Pharaoh and his servantsGenesis 40:5 (3 t. in verse);Genesis 40:8,9 (twice in verse);Genesis 40:16;Genesis 41:7,8,11 (twice in verse);Genesis 41:12 (twice in verse);Genesis 41:15 (twice in verse);Genesis 41:17,22,25,26,32; of a lower order of prophets than MosesNumbers 12:6, (all E, not elsewhere in Hexateuch),Job 33:15, of MidianiteJudges 7:13 (twice in verse);Judges 7:15, desired by Saul1 Samuel 28:6,15; of Solomon1 Kings 3:5,15; of old men in latter daysJoel 3:1, of NebuchadnezzarDaniel 2:1,2,3 (twice in verse); DanielDaniel 1:17had understanding in all visions anddreams.
Deuteronomy 13:2;Deuteronomy 13:4;Deuteronomy 13:6;Jeremiah 23:27,28 (twice in verse);Jeremiah 23:32;Jeremiah 27:9;Jeremiah 29:8;Zechariah 10:2.
Topical Lexicon
Scope of the Word in Scriptureחֲלוֹם (chalom) appears roughly sixty-four times, ranging from Genesis to Zechariah. Scripture uses the term both for night visions that carry divine revelation and for ordinary, even misleading, imaginings of the mind.
Dreams as a Vehicle of Divine Revelation
1. Covenant Patriarchs: Revelation by dream begins with the founders of Israel. “Then God came to Abimelek in a dream by night” (Genesis 20:3). Jacob’s ladder at Bethel (Genesis 28:12), his instruction to leave Laban (Genesis 31:11), and Laban’s own warning (Genesis 31:24) all come in dreams, affirming God’s sovereign guidance before the written Law.
2. Joseph Cycle: Joseph’s youthful dreams of sheaves and stars (Genesis 37:5-10) foreshadow national deliverance. His interpretation of the cupbearer’s, baker’s, and Pharaoh’s dreams (Genesis 40–41) illustrates God revealing mysteries to preserve life (Genesis 41:39-40).
3. Theocratic Administration: InNumbers 12:6 God says, “If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will make Myself known to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream,” establishing dreams as one of three primary prophetic media (visions, dreams, mouth-to-mouth speech).
4. Monarchs of the Nations: Nebuchadnezzar’s image (Daniel 2) and tree vision (Daniel 4) show that God governs Gentile history as well.Daniel 2:19 notes, “the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night,” linking dream revelation to eschatological sovereignty.
Distinction Between True and False Dreams
While genuine dreams transmit God’s will, Scripture equally warns against self-generated dreams used to mislead:
•Deuteronomy 13:1-3 commands that even a miraculous dreamer promoting apostasy be rejected.
• Jeremiah denounces prophets who “speak a vision from their own hearts, not from the mouth of the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:16).
•Zechariah 10:2 notes that “dreamers tell false dreams; they comfort in vain.”
These texts protect the covenant community by subjecting dreams to doctrinal fidelity.
Major Narrative Cycles
• Judges: Gideon overhears a Midianite’s dream (Judges 7:13-15), which strengthens his faith.
• Kings and Chronicles: Solomon’s inaugural encounter occurs “in Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night” (1 Kings 3:5). Divine promise and covenantal warning converge in this dream.
• Exile and Return: Beyond Daniel, dreams resurface in post-exilic warnings (Zechariah 10:2) as Israel rebuilds identity around written prophecy rather than visionary experience alone.
Prophetic and Wisdom Reflections
Job and Ecclesiastes depict dreams as ephemeral: “A dream comes when there are many cares” (Ecclesiastes 5:3). YetJob 33:14-18 explains that God “speaks… in a dream, in a vision of the night,” to turn man from pride. Thus wisdom literature balances revelatory potential with realism about human psychology.
Liturgical and Didactic Significance
Joel 2:28 foretells, “your old men will dream dreams,” a promise Peter applies to Pentecost (Acts 2:17). Dreams therefore anticipate the outpouring of the Spirit and the democratization of revelation, fulfilled in the church age.
Messianic and Eschatological Echoes
Although חֲלוֹם itself is Old Testament, New Testament infancy narratives (Matthew 1–2) hinge on revelatory dreams to Joseph, showing continuity of the motif: dreams guard the Davidic line and fulfill prophetic Scripture.
Practical Ministry Application
• Test dreams by Scripture:Deuteronomy 13;Isaiah 8:20 establishes the canon’s sufficiency.
• Expect occasional guidance: while the normative word is written, God remains free to employ dreams, especially among unreached peoples, mirroringGenesis 20 andDaniel 2.
• Distinguish psychological from spiritual:Ecclesiastes 5 cautions that busyness breeds dreams; prayerful discernment is required.
Typological and Theological Insights
Dreams function as miniature revelations of the heavenly court, anticipating the incarnation of the Word. Each authentic dream underscores that God initiates salvation history, bypassing human control. Their cumulative witness affirms divine omniscience, covenant faithfulness, and the unfolding plan culminating in Jesus Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
בַּ֣חֲלֹמ֔וֹת בַּחֲל֑וֹם בַּחֲל֖וֹם בַּחֲל֣וֹם בַּחֲל֣וֹמֹתָ֔ם בַּחֲל֤וֹם ׀ בַּחֲלֹ֗ם בַּחֲלֹ֣ם בַּחֲלֹמ֛וֹת בַּחֲלֹמִ֑י בַּחֲלֹמִ֕י בַּחֲלוֹמִ֔י בַּחֲלוֹמִ֕י בַחֲלֹמ֑וֹת בחלום בחלומי בחלומתם בחלם בחלמות בחלמי הַחֲל֖וֹם הַחֲל֛וֹם הַחֲל֥וֹם הַחֲל֨וֹם הַחֲלֹמ֔וֹת הַחֲלֹמ֥וֹת הַחֲלֽוֹם׃ החלום החלום׃ החלמות וַֽחֲלֹמוֹת֙ וַחֲלֹמֽוֹת׃ וחלמות וחלמות׃ חֲל֑וֹם חֲל֔וֹם חֲל֖וֹם חֲל֛וֹם חֲל֣וֹם חֲל֥וֹם חֲל֨וֹם חֲלֹמ֑וֹ חֲלֹמ֑וֹת חֲלֹמ֔וֹ חֲלֹמ֖וֹ חֲלֹמ֥וֹת חֲלֹמֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם חֲלֹמֹתֵ֑ינוּ חֲלֹמֹתָ֑יו חֲלֹמֹתָ֖יו חֲלֹמֹתָֽיו׃ חֲלֹמוֹ֙ חֲלֹמוֹת֙ חֲלֽוֹם׃ חֲלוֹם֙ חלום חלום׃ חלמו חלמות חלמתיו חלמתיו׃ חלמתיכם חלמתינו יַחֲלֹמ֔וּן יחלמון כַּֽחֲלוֹם֙ כַּחֲל֣וֹם כַּחֲל֥וֹם כַּחֲלֹמ֖וֹ כחלום כחלמו ba·ḥă·lō·mî ba·ḥă·lō·mō·wṯ ḇa·ḥă·lō·mō·wṯ ba·ḥă·lō·w·mî ba·ḥă·lō·w·mō·ṯām ba·ḥă·lō·wm ba·ḥă·lōm bachaLom bachaloMi bachaloMot bachaLomoTam baḥălōm baḥălōmî baḥălōmōwṯ ḇaḥălōmōwṯ baḥălōwm baḥălōwmî baḥălōwmōṯām chaLom chaloMo chalomOt chalomoTav chaloMoteiChem chalomoTeinu ha·ḥă·lō·mō·wṯ ha·ḥă·lō·wm ḥă·lō·mō·ṯāw ḥă·lō·mō·ṯê·ḵem ḥă·lō·mō·ṯê·nū ḥă·lō·mō·wṯ ḥă·lō·mōw ḥă·lō·wm hachaLom hachaloMot haḥălōmōwṯ haḥălōwm ḥălōmōṯāw ḥălōmōṯêḵem ḥălōmōṯênū ḥălōmōw ḥălōmōwṯ ḥălōwm ka·ḥă·lō·mōw ka·ḥă·lō·wm kachaLom kachaloMo kaḥălōmōw kaḥălōwm vachaloMot wa·ḥă·lō·mō·wṯ waḥălōmōwṯ ya·ḥă·lō·mūn yachaloMun yaḥălōmūn
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