STRONGS NUMBER H1964


Word Summary
hekal: a palace, temple
Original Word: הֵיכָל
Transliteration: hekal
Phonetic Spelling: (hay-kawl')
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Short Definition: a palace, temple
Meaning: a large public building, palace, temple
Strong's Concordance
palace, temple

Probably from yakol (in the sense of capacity); a large public building, such as a palace or temple -- palace, temple.

see HEBREW yakol

Brown-Driver-Briggs

H1964. hekal

הֵיכָלnoun masculineNahum 2:7 (on Isaiah 44:28 compare Che Di) palace, temple (see also Late Hebrew id. temple, Aramaic הֵיכְלָא הֵיכָלָא,‎, , palace, temple, Palmyrene הכלאtemple Vog16; compare Arabic (probably Aramaic loan-word according to Frä274), Ethiopic temple; Assyrian ekallu, palace, temple; — probably loan-word from Akkadian e-gal, great house, compare SchrHI 148 COT 2 Kings 20:18 HptE-vowel 11 f. LehmannŠamaššumukîn 126, and on usage Dl338; > from יכל‎ (וכל‎) = כולcontain Ew§ 162 b Thes Add84; compare Ol§ 191 b HoffmAGG xxxvi. Mai 1889:25 Dlw; from an original יכל‎ LagBN 121, but compare HomZMG 1890.547) absolute ׳הAmos 8:3 27t. (׳הַה1 Kings 6:17 +); construct הֵיכַלMicah 1:2 35t.; suffix הֵיכָלָ֑ךָPsalm 48:10 2t.; הֵיכָלוֺJeremiah 50:28 7t.; plural הֵיכָלוֺתHosea 8:14; construct הֵיכְלֵיIsaiah 13:22 2t.; suffix הֵיכְלֵיכֶם‎ Joel 4:5; — never in Hexateuch, rarely in Samuel & pre-exile prophets; especially frequently in Ki Ezekiel & late prophets, also Chronicles; occasionally in Psalms; —

1 rather seld. (royal) palace (so almost always in Assyrian); of Ahab 1 Kings 21:1, of king of Babylon 2 Kings 20:18 = Isaiah 38:17; 2 Chronicles 36:7, compare Daniel 1:4, and plural עֹנֶג הֵיכְלֵיIsaiah 13:22 luxurious palaces; at Nineveh ׳וְהַה נָמוֺגNahum 2:7; not clearly defined are מֶלֶךְ הֵיכַלPsalm 45:16 and שֵׁן הֵיכְלֵי45:9; הֵיכָלוֺתHosea 8:14 (in Northern Israel); see also הַהוּא בַּיּוֺם הֵיכָל שִׁירוֺת וְהֵילִילוּAmos 8:3 and palace-songs shall be howlings in that day; compare also (probably) of Phoenician palaces Joel 4:5; quite General מֶלֶךְ הֵיכְלֵי‎, Proverbs 30:28, & הֵיכָל תַּבְנִיתPsalm 144:12 (simile of well-proportioned daughters); — usual term for royal palace in Hebrew is הַמֶּלֶךְ בֵּית‎, see בית‎.

2 of palace of God considered as king, = house of God or of ׳י‎, temple (compare ׳הַהIsaiah 6:1 e. below where prophet sees עַלכִּֿסֵּא ישֵׁב אדני‎):

a. of early, pre-Solomonic house at Shiloh י ׳הֵיכַל1 Samuel 1:9; 3:3 (= י ׳בֵּית1:7; 3:15; מוֺעֵד אֹהֶל מֶּתַח2:22 omitted by ᵐ5‎ We Klo Dr) with doors (דלתות‎, 3:15) & a doorpost (מזוזה1:9) (compare 2 Samuel 22:7 = Psalm 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 י ׳בֵּית‎ or הַבַּיִת‎, 1 Kings 6:1-2,+ often) 6:17 (compare 6:19; 6:20 & 6:2) also 6:5; 6:33; 7:50 2 Chronicles 4:22; further 4:7-8, Ezekiel 8:16 (twice in verse) הַבַּיִת הֵיכַל עַלמְּֿנֵי הָאוּלָם1 Kings 6:3; הַהֵיכָל אֻלָם7:21 "" הַהֵיכָל עַלמְּֿנֵי2 Chronicles 3:17; י ׳הֵיכַל2 Kings 18:16; also in wide sense (apparently = י ׳בֵּית‎), י ׳הֵיכַל23:4; 24:13 ("" י ׳בֵּית‎), Jeremiah 7:4 (3 t. in verse) ("" י ׳בֵּית7:2), 24:1 see also הֵיכָלוֺ נִקְמַת50:28; 51:11 (both "" י ׳נִקְמַת‎); 2 Chronicles 26:16; 27:2, compare 29:16 ("" י בֵית ׳מְּנִ֫ימָה‎; opposed to ב ׳חֲצַר ׳י‎), in all three י ׳הֵיכַל‎.

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) Ezekiel 41:1, 4, 15, 21, 23, 25 (compare 41:20) 42:8.

d. general designation of 2 nd temple, הַהֵיכָלZechariah 8:9 ("" י ׳בֵּית צְבָאוֺת‎); oftener י ׳הֵיכַלHaggai 2:15, 18; Zechariah 6:12-13, 14, 15; Ezra 3:6, 10, הֵיכָלוֺMalachi 3:1; Psalm 27:4; יִשְׂרָאֵל אֱלֹהֵי ליהוה הֵיכָל בּוֺנִיםEzra 4:1; (הַ)הֵיכָלNehemiah 6:10 (twice in verse) ("" הָאֱלֹהִים בֵּית‎), 6:11; Isaiah 44:28, compare also 66:6. — הֵיכָל‎ occurs occasionally in Psalms, without conclusive evidence, in all cases, to what temple reference is had; apparently distinguished from י ׳בֵּית‎ (as below b) Psalm 5:8 (קָדְשְׁךָ הֵיכַל‎; see בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ5:7); perhaps also 68:30 (distinguished from Holy of Holies by De Che; yet verse obscure); but no distinction evident 79:1; 138:2; Jonah 2:5; 2:8 (all קָדְשְׁךָ הֵיכַל‎); compare הֵיכָל֑ךָ קְדשׁPsalm 65:5 ("" בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ‎); as containing the worshipping assembly 48:10.

e. of the heavenly temple where ׳י‎ sits enthroned Isaiah 6:1; his abode in the heavens 2 Samuel 22:7 = Psalm 18:7; 11:4 ("" שָׁמַיִם‎; compare קָדְשׁוֺ זְבֻלIsaiah 63:15, "" id.), 29:9; קָדְשׁוֺ מֵהֵיכַל אֲדֹנָיMicah 1:2, compare Habakkuk 2:20 קָדְשׁוֺ בְּהֵיכַל ויהוה‎.