Lexical Summary
choli: sickness, illness, disease
Original Word:חֱלִי
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:choliy
Pronunciation:kho-lee'
Phonetic Spelling:(khol-ee')
KJV: disease, grief, (is) sick(-ness)
NASB:sickness, illness, disease, affliction, grief, griefs, sick
Word Origin:[fromH2470 (חָלָה - To be weak)]
1. malady, anxiety, calamity
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
disease, grief, is sickness
Fromchalah; malady, anxiety, calamity -- disease, grief, (is) sick(-ness).
see HEBREWchalah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
chalahDefinitionsickness
NASB Translationaffliction (1), disease (2), grief (1), griefs (1), illness (3), sick (1), sickness (14), sicknesses (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Deuteronomy 28:59 ,
Deuteronomy 28:61 8t.;
Deuteronomy 7:15 2t.; suffix
Isaiah 38:9 7t. +
Ecclesiastes 5:16 (where strike out suffix, compare Vrss Now); plural
Deuteronomy 28:59, 2Chronicles 21:15,
Isaiah 53:4; —
sickness, diseaseDeuteronomy 7:15;
Deuteronomy 28:59,61;
1 Kings 17:17;
2 Kings 1:2;
2 Kings 8:8,9;
2 Kings 13:14;
Isaiah 38:9; 2Chronicles 16:12 (twice in verse); 2Chronicles 21:15 (twice in verse); 2Chronicles 21:19;
Psalm 41:4;
Ecclesiastes 6:2; of the suffering servant of
Isaiah 53:3,4 (in both "" ); of rich man
Ecclesiastes 5:16 (read see above);
incurable disease 2Chronicles 21:18;
recover from sicknessIsaiah 38:9; metaphor of distress of land
Hosea 5:13 ("" ),
Isaiah 1:5;
Jeremiah 10:19; =
wound, of violence in Jerusalem
Jeremiah 6:7 ("" ).
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe noun ḥĕlî appears twenty-four times and denotes bodily sickness or disease, yet its scriptural breadth reaches into covenant theology, royal narratives, wisdom reflection, prophetic indictment, and messianic hope. It is never a neutral clinical term; every occurrence is framed by the larger purposes of God—whether judgment, discipline, compassion, or redemption.
Distribution and Literary Settings
• Torah:Deuteronomy 7:15; 28:59, 61
• Former Prophets:1 Kings 17:17;2 Kings 1:2; 8:8, 9; 13:14
• Chronicles:2 Chronicles 16:12 (twice); 21:15 (twice); 21:18, 19
• Writings:Psalm 41:3;Ecclesiastes 5:17; 6:2
• Major Prophets:Isaiah 1:5; 38:9; 53:3, 4;Jeremiah 6:7; 10:19
• Minor Prophets:Hosea 5:13
Covenant Blessings and Curses (Deuteronomy)
At Israel’s threshold of the land, sickness is explicitly tied to covenant fidelity. “The LORD will remove from you all sickness” (Deuteronomy 7:15) stands over against the chilling threat that He will bring upon the nation “severe and lingering illnesses” (28:59) and “every sickness and plague not recorded in this Book of the Law” (28:61). Thus ḥĕlî functions as a barometer of covenant obedience and becomes a category for understanding later national calamities.
Royal Narratives and Prophetic Encounters
1 Kings 17:17 initiates a pattern: personal sickness occasions prophetic visitation. The widow’s son’s illness leads to Elijah’s intercessory miracle. In2 Kings 1:2 Ahaziah’s injury propels him toward idolatrous inquiry and elicits Elijah’s rebuke. Ben-hadad’s lingering illness (2 Kings 8:8-9) opens the stage for Hazael’s coup. Elisha himself “had become ill with the sickness of which he would die” (2 Kings 13:14), demonstrating that even the most anointed servants are not exempt from mortality. Chronicles deepens the lesson: Asa’s foot disease (2 Chronicles 16:12) exposes misplaced trust in physicians; Jehoram’s bowel disease (21:15-19) showcases covenant curses landing on a king who led Judah astray.
Wisdom and Poetic Reflection
Psalm 41:3 locates sickness within the sphere of mercy: “The LORD sustains him on his sickbed and restores him from his bed of illness.” Ecclesiastes pairs sickness with frustration and futility (5:17; 6:2), emphasizing life’s fragility and the emptiness of wealth without divine gift.
Prophetic Metaphor and National Diagnosis
Isaiah 1:5 employs ḥĕlî metaphorically: “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint,” indicting Judah’s spiritual rebellion. Jeremiah echoes: “Violence and destruction resound in her; sickness and wounds are ever before Me” (Jeremiah 6:7). Hosea intensifies the image: “When Ephraim saw his sickness… then Ephraim went to Assyria” (Hosea 5:13), exposing the folly of political alliances over repentance.
Hezekiah’s Testimony (Isaiah 38)
The superscription “A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery” (Isaiah 38:9) uses ḥĕlî to introduce a royal psalm of gratitude, illustrating that divine deliverance from sickness can become a platform for doxology and renewed commitment.
Messianic Significance (Isaiah 53)
The Servant is “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief” (53:3) and the people esteem Him “stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions… Surely He has borne our sicknesses” (53:4). Here ḥĕlî is transferred from covenant breakers to the covenant keeper who suffers vicariously, laying the groundwork for New Testament affirmation of Christ’s healing and atoning work (Matthew 8:17).
Theology of Sickness
1. Consequence of Sin: national (Deuteronomy, Jeremiah) and personal (Chronicles).
2. Occasion for Repentance: sickness calls kings and commoners to seek the LORD.
3. Instrument of Providence: God weaves illness into the redemption narrative (Elijah, Hezekiah).
4. Pointer to the Messiah: the Servant’s bearing of sickness prefigures the gospel’s promise of ultimate restoration.
Ministry Application
• Pastoral Care:Psalm 41 encourages practical compassion toward the sick, assuring divine support.
• Prayer and Faith: Hezekiah’s recovery models earnest prayer and gratitude.
• Discernment: Asa’s failure warns against trusting human skill while neglecting divine help.
• Evangelism:Isaiah 53 allows proclamation that Christ carries both sin and its consequences, offering spiritual and, in God’s timing, physical healing.
Summary
ḥĕlî traverses Scripture as more than a medical term; it is a narrative device, theological signal, and prophetic symbol. Whether as covenant curse, personal trial, poetic lament, or messianic burden, the word consistently directs readers to the sovereignty of God over human frailty and to the hope of ultimate healing in the promised Redeemer.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּחָלְיוֹ֙ בְחָלְיֽוֹ׃ בָּחֳלָיִ֥ים בחליו בחליו׃ בחליים הַחֹ֔לִי החלי וְחָלְי֥וֹ וָחֳלִ֥י וָחֳלָיִ֥ם וחלי וחליו וחלים חֳלִ֖י חֳלִ֥י חֳלִי֙ חֳלָיֵ֙נוּ֙ חָלְי֑וֹ חָלְי֔וֹ חָלְי֗וֹ חָלְיוֹ֙ חֹ֑לִי חלי חליו חלינו לָחֳלִ֔י לָחֳלִ֖י לחלי מֵחֳלִ֥י מֵחָלְיֽוֹ׃ מחלי מחליו׃ bā·ḥo·lā·yîm bāḥolāyîm bə·ḥā·lə·yōw ḇə·ḥā·lə·yōw bechalYo bəḥāləyōw ḇəḥāləyōw bocholaYim chalYo cholaYenu Choli ha·ḥō·lî ḥā·lə·yōw haCholi haḥōlî ḥāləyōw ḥo·lā·yê·nū ḥo·lî ḥō·lî ḥolāyênū ḥolî ḥōlî lā·ḥo·lî lāḥolî lochoLi mê·ḥā·lə·yōw mê·ḥo·lî mechalYo mechoLi mêḥāləyōw mêḥolî vechalYo vocholaYim vochoLi wā·ḥo·lā·yim wā·ḥo·lî wāḥolāyim wāḥolî wə·ḥā·lə·yōw wəḥāləyōw
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