Word Study for H2310 (חָדֵל) | Strong's Concordance

châdêl /khaw-dale'/ Ask about this word

Meaningvacant, i.e. ceasing or destitute

KJV usagehe that forbeareth, frail, rejected.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châdêl — 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 Hebrew word châdêl, represented by H2310, carries the meaning of being vacant, i.e. ceasing or destitute. Its base definition includes concepts like being one that forbeareth, frail, or rejected. Although it is derived from the primitive root H2308, it appears only 3 times across 3 unique verses, with each instance highlighting a different facet of its meaning.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H2310 describes states of being forsaken, weak, or consciously refraining from an action. In Psalms 39:4, the psalmist prays to know his end and the measure of his days, so that he may understand how frail he is, emphasizing human weakness and mortality. The prophet Isaiah uses the word to describe the suffering servant as "despised and rejected of men" Isaiah 53:3, pointing to a state of being socially and spiritually forsaken. In contrast, Ezekiel 3:27 uses the term to describe a choice: "he that forbeareth, let him forbear," linking the word to the willful act of ceasing to listen to God's message.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of H2310 in its context:

H2308 châdal: As the root verb, it means to desist; cease, end, fall, forbear, forsake. It often appears as a command, such as when the people are told to "cease to do evil" Isaiah 1:16 or to "cease ye from man" Isaiah 2:22.
H959 bâzâh: This root word means to disesteem; despise, disdain. It appears directly alongside H2310 in Isaiah 53:3, where the servant is both "despised and rejected," intensifying the meaning of being held in contempt.
H2803 châshab: Meaning to think, regard, value, compute, this word is used to show the opposite of the servant's treatment. While he was rejected, the people confessed, "we esteemed him not" Isaiah 53:3, indicating a deliberate devaluation.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2310 is demonstrated in its varied applications:

Human Frailty: The word points to the inherent weakness and finite nature of humanity. Recognizing one's state as frail is presented as a form of spiritual knowledge and dependence on God Psalms 39:4.
Prophetic Rejection: Its use in Isaiah 53:3 is a cornerstone of Messianic prophecy, describing a servant who is actively rejected by mankind. This is not a passive state but a painful and purposeful forsaking.
Willful Forbearance: The term also defines a conscious choice to turn away from God. In Ezekiel 3:27, the one who forbeareth is making a deliberate decision not to listen, highlighting the theme of accountability within a "rebellious house."

Summary

In summary, H2310 is a focused but potent word in the Hebrew lexicon. It effectively conveys a spectrum of meaning, from the personal recognition of being frail, to the profound suffering of being rejected, to the conscious decision of one who forbeareth. Though rare, its occurrences are theologically rich, illustrating key aspects of the human condition in relationship to mortality, society, and God's sovereign word.

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 an adjective 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.

חָדֵל
חֲדַל

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

Appears in 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms, Isaiah, and Ezekiel (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

Psalms

Isaiah

Ezekiel

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.