חָלַל

From the study of Isaiah 47:6

Range of meaning

In the intensive verb pattern it means to treat or make as common (ḥol, 'ordinary') something that was holy (qodesh): to desecrate or defile its status. It is used of the Sabbath (Exodus 31:14), of God's name (Leviticus 18:21; 19:12), of the sanctuary (Leviticus 21:12, 23) and of priests (Leviticus 21:4, 9). A related sense, 'to begin' or 'to put to first common use', appears with a vineyard (Deuteronomy 20:6). The core idea is moving something out of the protected holy category into the ordinary one, where anyone can handle it.

Against the English

KJV 'polluted' suggests dirt or contamination, and Leviticus uses other words for that (ṭameʾ, 'unclean'). BSB/ESV 'profaned' is technically right, but modern 'profane' mostly means crude language. NIV 'desecrated' comes closest to the sense.

How it drifted

English 'profane' (Latin pro fano, 'outside the temple') once meant exactly this. In everyday use it has narrowed to obscene speech. 'Pollute' has shifted toward environmental dirt.

Used elsewhere in the period

Isaiah uses the same verb of God's own action just before this chapter: 'I will profane the princes of the sanctuary' (Isaiah 43:28). Ezekiel 24:21 has 'I will profane my sanctuary,' and Lamentations 2:2 has 'he has profaned the kingdom and its princes.' The LXX here uses μιαίνω ('defile'), and the Vulgate uses contaminavi.

From the study of Isaiah 53:5

Range of meaning

From חלל I, "to bore, pierce, wound". The related noun ḥālāl means "pierced one, slain", often of people killed in battle with a sword (Num 19:16; Jer 51:4). The intensive form (Poel) is used in Isa 51:9 for God "piercing the dragon". This form is the passive of that: "one pierced through".

Against the English

KJV's "wounded" is accurate but mild. "Pierced" (BSB, WEB, NIV, ESV, NASB) keeps the image of a deep, potentially fatal stab. NLT's "beaten" moves the image away from piercing.

Used elsewhere in the period

Isa 51:9 (same form of the verb, of the sea-monster). The LXX's ἐτραυματίσθη ("was wounded") supports a wounding verb. The Aramaic Targum instead read the identical letters as a different root חלל, "to profane", and applied it to the Temple "profaned because of our sins". That shows the letters could be taken more than one way.

From the study of Ezekiel 28:9

Range of meaning

Hebrew has two roots spelled ḥ-l-l. (I) 'to pierce, bore, wound', from which comes ḥālāl, 'one pierced, slain' (as in v. 8, 'the deaths of the slain'). (II) 'to profane, defile, make common', the opposite of 'make holy'. Here the intensive participle with plural 'your' means 'those who pierce you'.

Against the English

KJV uses 'slayeth' for both participles and so loses the change of verb. BSB, WEB and NASB-type renderings use 'wound', which sounds milder than a fatal sword thrust. YLT's 'piercing' is closest.

How it drifted

'Wound' in modern English can mean a non-fatal injury. Here the piercing is the killing blow.

Used elsewhere in the period

HALOT and BDB both list a separate root ḥll I, 'pierce'. Ezekiel uses ḥālāl ('slain') very often for the war-dead (e.g. 30:11; 32:20-32). The 'profane' root appears in this same oracle: 'they will profane (ḥillelû) your splendour' (28:7) and 'I cast you as profane (wā'ăḥallelkā) from the mountain of God' (28:16).