חֳלִי
cho.li (H2483)
sickness
AI Word Study
# Cholí (חֳלִי): Sickness in Biblical Hebrew The Hebrew word *cholí* denotes sickness or disease in its most general sense. Based on its 24 occurrences in the biblical text, this term represents a straightforward, commonly used word for physical ailment and illness without requiring specialized medical terminology. The word functions as a basic vocabulary item for describing the state of being unwell—a condition that appears frequently enough in biblical narratives to warrant its own dedicated term. The prevalence of *cholí* across 24 biblical passages suggests that sickness was a significant theme in Hebrew literature and thought. Rather than being a rare or technical term, its regular appearance indicates that illness and recovery were routine subjects in biblical discourse, whether in narrative accounts, prophetic pronouncements, or wisdom teachings. This frequency reflects the everyday reality of disease in ancient societies and its importance in understanding human vulnerability and divine intervention within biblical worldview.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
Yahweh will take away from you all sickness; and he will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you know, on you, but will lay them on all those who hate you.
then Yahweh will make your plagues and the plagues of your offspring fearful, even great plagues, and of long duration, and severe sicknesses, and of long duration.
Also every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this law, Yahweh will bring them on you until you are destroyed.
After these things, the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.
Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper room that was in Samaria, and was sick. So he sent messengers, and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover of this sickness.”
The king said to Hazael, “Take a present in your hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of Yahweh by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’ ”
So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, “Your son Benhadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’ ”
Now Elisha became sick with the illness of which he died; and Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”
In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa was diseased in his feet. His disease was exceedingly great: yet in his disease he didn’t seek Yahweh, but just the physicians.
and you will have great sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day.’ ”
After all this Yahweh struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease.
In process of time, at the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of severe diseases. His people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
Yahweh will sustain him on his sickbed, and restore him from his bed of illness.
All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.
a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
Why should you be beaten more, that you revolt more and more? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and had recovered of his sickness.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.
Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.
As a well produces its waters, so she produces her wickedness. Violence and destruction is heard in her. Sickness and wounds are continually before me.
Woe is me because of my injury! My wound is serious; but I said, “Truly this is my grief, and I must bear it.”
“When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, Then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to king Jareb: but he is not able to heal you, neither will he cure you of your wound.