### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **chalchâlâh**, represented by `{{H2479}}`, signifies a state of writhing, terror, or great **pain**. It appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses** in the Bible. The term specifically evokes the physical and emotional anguish associated with intense suffering, often drawn from the imagery of the writhing pains of childbirth.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical prophecy, `{{H2479}}` is used exclusively to describe the overwhelming response to divine judgment. The prophet Isaiah feels his loins "filled with **pain**" `{{H2479}}` upon receiving a burdensome vision, equating his distress to the "pangs of a woman that travaileth" [[Isaiah 21:3]]. In the prophecy against Nineveh, the city's fall is marked by a complete physical collapse where "much **pain** is in all loins" and hearts melt [[Nahum 2:10]]. Similarly, Ezekiel foretells that "great **pain**" `{{H2479}}` will seize Ethiopia as a direct result of the judgment falling upon Egypt ([[Ezekiel 30:4]], [[Ezekiel 30:9]]).
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help illustrate the physical and emotional state associated with **chalchâlâh**:
* `{{H6735}}` **tsîyr** (a throe; a pang): This word is used in direct parallel with `{{H2479}}` to emphasize the sharp, seizing nature of the distress, as when the prophet says "pangs have taken hold upon me" [[Isaiah 21:3]].
* `{{H3205}}` **yâlad** (to bear young; to travail): The experience of `{{H2479}}` is directly compared to a "woman that travaileth" `{{H3205}}`, grounding the abstract terror in the visceral and unmistakable agony of childbirth [[Isaiah 21:3]].
* `{{H4549}}` **mâçaç** (to melt away; to faint): This term captures the physiological effect of the terror linked to `{{H2479}}`, describing how in the face of judgment, the "heart melteth" [[Nahum 2:10]].
* `{{H2729}}` **chârad** (to shudder with terror; to fear): This word connects the "great pain" of `{{H2479}}` to its cause, showing it is the outcome of God's actions "to make the careless Ethiopians afraid" [[Ezekiel 30:9]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H2479}}` is tied to the gravity of divine judgment.
* **Physical Response to Judgment:** The term demonstrates that God's judgment is not merely a spiritual or abstract event. It produces a tangible, physical agony described as loins filled with **pain** [[Isaiah 21:3]] and knees that "smite together" [[Nahum 2:10]].
* **The Anguish of Prophetic Vision:** **Chalchâlâh** illustrates the profound burden carried by God's prophets. The pain is not only upon the nations being judged but is also experienced by the messenger who must bear and witness the vision of that judgment [[Isaiah 21:3]].
* **A Sign of Inevitable Doom:** In every instance, the appearance of this **pain** signifies the terror that accompanies the execution of God's wrath. It is the defining feature of the "day of Egypt," a moment of national crisis and collapse [[Ezekiel 30:9]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H2479}}` is a highly specific and potent term for anguish. It moves beyond a general sense of suffering to describe a writhing, all-consuming terror that manifests physically. Used exclusively within prophetic contexts, **chalchâlâh** serves as a vivid depiction of the human response to the terrifying and unavoidable reality of divine judgment, illustrating the complete collapse of strength and spirit in the face of God's power.
TRV