Original Word: הֵיכַל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: heykal
Pronunciation: hay-KAHL
Phonetic Spelling: (hay-kal')
NASB: temple, palace
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H1964 (הֵיכָּל - temple)]

1. palace, temple

palace, temple

(Aramaic) corresponding to heykal -- palace, temple.

see HEBREW heykal

Word Origin
(Aramaic) of foreign origin
Definition
a palace, temple
NASB Translation
palace (5), temple (8).

[הֵיכַל] noun masculine palace, temple (Assyrian loan-word; Biblical Hebrew; also Palmyrene היכלא and הכלא Lzb²⁵⁹ SAC⁴³); — emphatic הֵיכְלָא Ezra 4:14 +; construct הֵיכַל Daniel 4:26; suffix הֵיכְּ לִי Daniel 4:1, לֵהּ- Daniel 6:19; —

1 place of king Daniel 4:1; Daniel 4:26; Daniel 5:5; Daniel 6:19; Ezra 4:14 (see מְלַח).

2 temple:

a. in Jerusalem Daniel 5:2,3; Ezra 5:14 a.; Ezra 5:15; Ezra 6:5 (twice in verse).

b. in Babylon Ezra 5:14 b.c.

Meaning and Scope

הֵיכַל (heykal) denotes a grand structure set apart for rule or worship—either the royal palace of a king or the sacred temple of God. The context of each passage clarifies whether civil authority or divine worship is in view, yet the common thread is a place of authority, splendor, and consecrated purpose.

Distribution of Occurrences

Thirteen appearances cluster in Ezra 4–6 and Daniel 4–6, two books that narrate the clash between covenant faith and imperial power during and after the exile. In Ezra the word alternates between the Persian court and the restored temple in Jerusalem. In Daniel it moves between Babylonian palaces and the pillaged temple vessels, highlighting the tension between God’s kingdom and human empires.

Ezra: The Persian Palace and the Restored Temple

1. Royal bureaucracy: “Now because we are in service of the palace, and it is not proper for us to see the king’s dishonor…” (Ezra 4:14). Here heykal underscores Persian political authority.
2. Temple restitution: In Ezra 5:14–15 and 6:5 Darius commands that the gold and silver vessels “taken from the temple of Babylon” be returned to Jerusalem. Heykal refers first to the idolatrous sanctuary of Babylon and then to the rebuilt house of God. The dual use contrasts profane seizure with holy restoration, illustrating God’s providence over pagan powers and His faithfulness to the remnant.

Daniel: Babylonian Splendor Versus Divine Sovereignty

1. Nebuchadnezzar’s pride: “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace” (Daniel 4:4). Twelve months later the same king surveys the “royal palace of Babylon” (4:29), only to be humbled by God. Heykal frames the narrative of human arrogance judged by the Most High.
2. Belshazzar’s sacrilege: “Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem” (Daniel 5:2). The word heykal shifts from the defiled temple to the scene of revelry; God answers with writing on the wall “of the king’s palace” (5:5), sealing Babylon’s doom.
3. Darius’s sleepless vigil: After consigning Daniel to the lions, “the king went to his palace and spent the night without food” (Daniel 6:18). The palace that symbolizes imperial power becomes a place of impotence before the God who shuts lions’ mouths.

Theological Themes

• Divine supremacy: Whether heykal points to palace or temple, every occurrence testifies that God alone establishes and removes thrones.
• Holiness versus profanation: The abuse of sacred vessels in Daniel 5 invites swift judgment, warning against treating holy things as common.
• Restoration: The return of temple articles in Ezra embodies God’s covenant mercy, prefiguring the greater restoration accomplished in Christ.
• Worship and witness in exile: God’s people can honor Him within foreign courts (Daniel) while laboring to rebuild true worship at home (Ezra).

Prophetic and Redemptive Echoes

The contrast between earthly palaces and the Lord’s sanctuary anticipates the prophetic hope that “the glory of this latter house will be greater than the former” (Haggai 2:9). Ultimately, Revelation envisions no temple in the New Jerusalem “for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Revelation 21:22), fulfilling the trajectory implicit in heykal—from localized splendor to eternal dwelling.

Implications for Ministry Today

• Uphold the sanctity of worship: Sacred space and service belong to God; His holiness must shape church life and personal conduct.
• Engage public spheres without compromise: Like Daniel, believers may serve in modern “palaces” yet remain loyal to God’s kingdom.
• Trust God’s sovereign timing: The long exile between the plundering and the return of temple vessels encourages perseverance when restoration seems delayed.
• Proclaim God’s ultimate dwelling: Every earthly heykal points beyond itself to the indwelling Spirit and the coming consummation when God will fully tabernacle with His people.

בְּהֵיכְלִֽי׃ בְּהֵיכְלָ֖א בהיכלא בהיכלי׃ הֵֽיכְלָ֛א הֵֽיכְלָא֙ הֵיכְלָ֖א הֵיכְלָ֥א הֵיכַ֧ל היכל היכלא לְהֵֽיכְלֵהּ֙ לְהֵיכְלָ֖א לְהֵיכְלָ֤א להיכלא להיכלה bə·hê·ḵə·lā bə·hê·ḵə·lî beheicheLa beheicheLi bəhêḵəlā bəhêḵəlî hê·ḵal hê·ḵə·lā heiChal heicheLa heichLa hêḵal hêḵəlā lə·hê·ḵə·lā lə·hê·ḵə·lêh leheicheLa leheicheLeh ləhêḵəlā ləhêḵəlêhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts