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Hebrew verb · H2308

חָדַל

chadalkhaw-dal'

to cease

58 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Concordance spelling: châdal

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H2308is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 17 of 39
    Old Testament books
  • 45
    spellings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · H2308

properly, to be flabby, i.e. (by implication) desist; (figuratively) be lacking or idle

The King James renders it: cease, end, fall, forbear, forsake, leave (off), let alone, rest, be unoccupied, want.

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

chadal is rendered "to cease". It stands 58 times in the Hebrew text, across seventeen books.

  • Eight of the uses stand in Judges, more than in any other book.
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Genesis 11:8So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city.
  • The Greek text spells it forty-five different ways.

The first use

So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city.

Genesis 11:8וַֽיַּחְדְּל֖וּ

The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.

Where the word stands

The word stands in seventeen of the 39 Old Testament books.

The other 22 Old Testament books never use the word.

What the word means

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

How the Greek text is glossed, word by word

  • cease9
  • and he ceased4
  • ¿ will I cease3
  • they ceased3
  • they will refrain3
  • and they ceased2
  • it had ceased2
  • refrain2
  • they cease2
  • they will cease2
  • will I desist2
  • and cease1

and 23 more, 58 uses in all

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

חָדַשׁchadashto renewUses10
חָדַדchadadbe sharpUses6
חָדַרchadarto surroundUses1

The words it stands beside

All 58, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

45 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • אֶחְדָּ֑ל4
  • הֶחֳדַ֙לְתִּי֙3
  • וַיֶּחְדַּ֕ל3
  • חֲדַל־3
  • חֲדַ֥ל2
  • חָדַ֖ל2
  • חָדֵ֑לּוּ2
  • יֶחְדַּ֥ל2
  • אֶחְדָּֽל׃1
  • וְ֝אַחְדְּלָ֗ה1
  • וְחָדַ֥ל1
  • וְחָדַל֙1

and 33 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • verb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singular8HVqv2ms
  • verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common plural7HVqp3cp
  • Hc/Vqw3ms5Hc/Vqw3ms
  • verb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singular5HVqi1cs
  • verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singular5HVqp3ms
  • verb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singular4HVqi3ms
  • question particle + verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singular3HTi/Vqp1cs
  • verb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine plural3HVqi3mp
  • verb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine plural3HVqv2mp
  • Hc/Vqw3mp2Hc/Vqw3mp
  • conjunction (“and”) + verb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”) · 1st person common singular1HC/Vqc1cs
  • conjunction (“and”) + verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singular1HC/Vqp3ms

Genesis

three uses
  • So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city.

    Genesis 11:8

    • וַֽיַּחְדְּל֖וּvaiyachdeluHc/Vqw3mptagged: and they ceased
  • And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

    Genesis 18:11

    • חָדַל֙chadalverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it had ceased
  • So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance, like the sand of the sea, that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was beyond measure.

    Genesis 41:49

    • חָדַ֥לchadalverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: he ceased

Exodus

five uses
  • Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.

    Exodus 9:29

    • יֶחְדָּל֗וּןyechdalunverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine plural + paragogic nuntagged: they will cease
  • Then Moses departed from Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the LORD. The thunder and hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the land.

    Exodus 9:33

    • וַֽיַּחְדְּל֤וּvaiyachdeluHc/Vqw3mptagged: and they ceased
  • When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials.

    Exodus 9:34

    • חָדַ֨לchadalverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it had ceased
  • Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

    Exodus 14:12

    • חֲדַ֥לchadalverb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: cease
  • If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.

    Exodus 23:5

    • וְחָדַלְתָּ֖vechadaltaHc/Vqq2mstagged: and you will refrain

Numbers

one use
  • But if a man who is ceremonially clean and is not on a journey still fails to observe the Passover, he must be cut off from his people, because he did not present the LORD’s offering at its appointed time. That man will bear the consequences of his sin.

    Numbers 9:13

    • וְחָדַל֙vechadalconjunction (“and”) + verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: and he failed

Deuteronomy

two uses
  • For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.

    Deuteronomy 15:11

    • יֶחְדַּ֥לyechdalverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: he will cease
  • But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty of sin.

    Deuteronomy 23:22

    • תֶחְדַּ֖לtechdalverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: you will refrain

Judges

eight uses
  • In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.

    Judges 5:6

    • חָדְל֖וּchadeluverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they ceased
  • Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.

    Judges 5:7

    • חָדְל֧וּchadeluverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they ceased
    • חָדֵ֑לּוּchadeluverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they ceased
  • But the olive tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my oil that honors both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’

    Judges 9:9

    • הֶחֳדַ֙לְתִּי֙hechodaltiquestion particle + verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: ¿ will I cease
  • But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, to hold sway over the trees?’

    Judges 9:11

    • הֶחֳדַ֙לְתִּי֙hechodaltiquestion particle + verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: ¿ will I cease
  • But the grapevine replied, ‘Should I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’

    Judges 9:13

    • הֶחֳדַ֙לְתִּי֙hechodaltiquestion particle + verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: ¿ will I cease
  • And Samson told them, “Because you have done this, I will not rest until I have taken vengeance upon you.”

    Judges 15:7

    • אֶחְדָּֽל׃ʾechdalverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I will cease
  • and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

    Judges 20:28

    • אֶחְדָּ֑לʾechdalverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: will I cease

Ruth

one use
  • When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.

    Ruth 1:18

    • וַתֶּחְדַּ֖לvatechdalHc/Vqw3fstagged: and she ceased

1 Samuel

four uses
  • The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away.

    1 Samuel 2:5

    • חָדֵ֑לּוּchadeluverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they cease
  • When they reached the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, “Come, let us go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”

    1 Samuel 9:5

    • יֶחְדַּ֥לyechdalverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: he should cease
  • As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.

    1 Samuel 12:23

    • מֵחֲדֹ֖לmechadolpreposition + verb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”)tagged: from ceasing
  • Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.

    1 Samuel 23:13

    • וַיֶּחְדַּ֖לvaiyechdalHc/Vqw3mstagged: and he ceased

1 Kings

three uses
  • When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah.

    1 Kings 15:21

    • וַיֶּחְדַּ֕לvaiyechdalHc/Vqw3mstagged: and he ceased
  • So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

    1 Kings 22:6

    • אֶחְדָּ֑לʾechdalverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: will I refrain
  • When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.”

    1 Kings 22:15

    • נֶחְדָּ֑לnechdalverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common pluraltagged: will we refrain

2 Chronicles

six uses
  • When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned his work.

    2 Chronicles 16:5

    • וַיֶּחְדַּ֕לvaiyechdalHc/Vqw3mstagged: and he ceased
  • So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

    2 Chronicles 18:5

    • אֶחְדָּ֑לʾechdalverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: will I desist
  • When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for they will be given into your hand.”

    2 Chronicles 18:14

    • אֶחְדָּ֑לʾechdalverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: will I desist
  • While he was still speaking, the king asked, “Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but he said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.”

    2 Chronicles 25:16

    • חֲדַל־chadal-verb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: cease
    • וַיֶּחְדַּ֣לvaiyechdalHc/Vqw3mstagged: and he ceased
  • But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What is the issue between you and me, O king of Judah? I have not come against you today, but I am fighting another dynasty. God told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or He will destroy you!”

    2 Chronicles 35:21

    • חֲדַל־chadal-verb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: cease

Job

seven uses
  • There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest.

    Job 3:17

    • חָ֣דְלוּchadeluverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they cease
  • I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

    Job 7:16

    • חֲדַ֥לchadalverb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: cease
  • Are my days not few? Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort,

    Job 10:20

    • וַחֲדָ֑לvechedalconjunction (“and”) + verb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: and cease
  • look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.

    Job 14:6

    • וְיֶחְדָּ֑לveyechdalHC/Vqu3mstagged: so he may cease
  • For there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender shoots will not fail.

    Job 14:7

    • תֶחְדָּֽל׃techdalverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person feminine singulartagged: it will fail
  • Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away?

    Job 16:6

    • וְ֝אַחְדְּלָ֗הveachdelahconjunction (“and”) + verb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”) · 1st person common singulartagged: and I will cease
  • My kinsmen have failed me, and my friends have forgotten me.

    Job 19:14

    • חָדְל֥וּchadeluverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they have ceased

Psalms

two uses
  • The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and well-doing.

    Psalms 36:3

    • חָדַ֖לchadalverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: he has ceased
  • For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,

    Psalms 49:8

    • וְחָדַ֥לvechadalHc/Vqq3mstagged: and he will cease

Proverbs

three uses
  • When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

    Proverbs 10:19

    • יֶחְדַּל־yechdal-verb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it ceases
  • If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

    Proverbs 19:27

    • חַֽדַל־chadal-verb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: cease
  • Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.

    Proverbs 23:4

    • חֲדָֽל׃chadalverb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: cease

Isaiah

three uses
  • Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!

    Isaiah 1:16

    • חִדְל֖וּchidluverb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: cease
  • Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

    Isaiah 2:22

    • חִדְל֤וּchidluverb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: cease
  • The joyful tambourines have ceased; the noise of revelers has stopped; the joyful harp is silent.

    Isaiah 24:8

    • חָדַ֖לchadalverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it has stopped

Jeremiah

four uses
  • But now, behold, I am freeing you today from the chains that were on your wrists. If it pleases you to come with me to Babylon, then come, and I will take care of you. But if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, go no farther. Look, the whole land is before you. Wherever it seems good and right to you, go there.”

    Jeremiah 40:4

    • חֲדָ֑לchadalverb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: refrain
  • But ten of the men among them said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have hidden treasure in the field—wheat, barley, oil, and honey!” So he refrained from killing them with the others.

    Jeremiah 41:8

    • וַיֶּחְדַּ֕לvaiyechdalHc/Vqw3mstagged: and he refrained
  • But from the time we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been perishing by sword and famine.”

    Jeremiah 44:18

    • חָדַ֜לְנוּchadalnuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common pluraltagged: we ceased
  • The warriors of Babylon have stopped fighting; they sit in their strongholds. Their strength is exhausted; they have become like women. Babylon’s homes have been set ablaze, the bars of her gates are broken.

    Jeremiah 51:30

    • חָדְלוּ֩chadeluverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they will cease

Ezekiel

four uses
  • And whether they listen or refuse to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.

    Ezekiel 2:5

    • יֶחְדָּ֔לוּyechdaluverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: they will refrain
  • But speak My words to them, whether they listen or refuse to listen, for they are rebellious.

    Ezekiel 2:7

    • יֶחְדָּ֑לוּyechdaluverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: they will refrain
  • Go to your people, the exiles; speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ whether they listen or refuse to listen.”

    Ezekiel 3:11

    • יֶחְדָּֽלוּ׃yechdaluverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: they will refrain
  • But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Whoever listens, let him listen; and whoever refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.

    Ezekiel 3:27

    • יֶחְדָּ֔לyechdalverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: let him refrain

Amos

one use
  • Then I said, “Lord GOD, please stop! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?”

    Amos 7:5

    • חֲדַל־chadal-verb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: cease

Zechariah

one use
  • Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver.

    Zechariah 11:12

    • חֲדָ֑לוּchadaluverb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: refrain

The letters

Where it leads

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.

The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESH gloss (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →