Word Study for H1981 (הֲלַךְ)

hălak /hal-ak'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) corresponding to הָלַךְ (compare הוּךְ)

Meaningto walk

KJV usagewalk.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of hălak — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word hălak, represented by H1981, is the counterpart to the Hebrew הָלַךְ and means to walk. It appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible, exclusively within the book of Daniel. The term is used to describe both literal, physical movement and the metaphorical act of living or conducting one's life in a particular manner.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the book of Daniel, H1981 is used in several key contexts. It describes a miraculous scene where Nebuchadnezzar witnesses four men walking unharmed in the midst of a fiery furnace Daniel 3:25. It is also used in a more mundane sense to describe Nebuchadnezzar himself as he walked in the royal palace of Babylon Daniel 4:29. Figuratively, the term describes a person's lifestyle or conduct, as when Nebuchadnezzar states that God is able to humble those who walk in pride Daniel 4:37.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words provide a broader context for the idea of movement and one's path:

H1934 hâvâʼ (to exist; be, become... walk): This versatile verb, often meaning 'to be' or 'exist', is used alongside H1981 to describe the action of Nebuchadnezzar as he walked in his palace, indicating a state of being or an ongoing action Daniel 4:29.
H735 ʼôrach (a road; way): This noun is conceptually linked to H1981. In the same declaration that God humbles those who 'walk' in pride, Nebuchadnezzar affirms that all of God's ways are judgment, connecting the physical act of walking with the moral or spiritual path one follows Daniel 4:37.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1981 in Daniel centers on the contrast between divine power and human pride.

Divine Deliverance: The image of the men walking freely and safely within the fiery furnace serves as a powerful illustration of God's protection over the faithful when they face persecution Daniel 3:25.
Human Pride and Humility: The word is central to Nebuchadnezzar's story of pride and restoration. His physical act of walking in his palace symbolizes his arrogance Daniel 4:29, and his later confession uses the same term to describe the conduct of the prideful, whom God will abase Daniel 4:37.

Summary

In summary, H1981 is a concise but significant term in the Aramaic portions of Scripture. While its occurrences are few, it effectively communicates both literal movement and the deeper metaphorical concept of a person's "walk" as a reflection of their inner character. From a miraculous walk of deliverance to a prideful walk preceding a fall, hălak highlights the critical relationship between human conduct and divine authority.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 3 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

מַהְלְכִין
מְהַלֵּךְ

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

3 verses, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.