Original Word: חַלָּשׁ
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: challash
Pronunciation: khal-lash'
Phonetic Spelling: (khal-lawsh')
KJV: weak
NASB: weak
Word Origin: [from H2522 (חָלַשׁ - lies prostrate)]

1. frail

weak

From chalash; frail -- weak.

see HEBREW chalash

Word Origin
from chalash
Definition
weak
NASB Translation
weak (1).

חַלָּשׁ adjective weak, only with article as substantive, הַחַלָּשׁ יאמר גבור אני Joel 4:10 the weak, let him say, I am a mighty man.

Biblical Setting and Usage

חַלָּשׁ appears a single time in Scripture, anchored in Joel 3:10, which commands: “Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am strong!’ ”. Placed within an oracle of coming judgment, the word describes those who are physically and psychologically frail—farmers, common folk, the ostensibly powerless—summoned by God to prepare for a climactic confrontation that He Himself will ultimately adjudicate.

Historical Backdrop

Joel addresses Judah in a period of agricultural crisis (Joel 1:4–12) and looming military threat. Ancient Near Eastern city-states often conscripted only seasoned warriors, leaving the vulnerable at home. Joel reverses that paradigm: even the defenseless are called to arms because the Lord is gathering all nations to the “Valley of Jehoshaphat” (Joel 3:2). The frailty of חַלָּשׁ underscores the scale of the divine summons—no one is exempt. Historically, this hints at God’s sovereignty over international affairs; He alone determines when and how the weak become instruments in His plan.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Reversal: Scripture consistently portrays God as exalting the humble and empowering the powerless. The exhortation “let the weak say, ‘I am strong’ ” resonates with Gideon’s call (Judges 6:15–16) and David’s victories (1 Samuel 17:45–47).
2. Dependence on the LORD: The word highlights the insufficiency of human strength. Its single appearance signals that weakness, though real, is never final for those who trust God.
3. Typological Foreshadowing: The motif anticipates New Testament teaching—“God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27)—and reaches its apex in Christ, whose apparent weakness on the cross achieves cosmic victory.

Pastoral and Ministry Application

• Encouragement for the Vulnerable: Believers confronting illness, persecution, or social marginalization can confess, “I am strong,” not by self-help optimism but by faith in the Lord’s empowering presence (Philippians 4:13).
• Mobilization for Mission: Joel’s call prevents spectatorship. Every member of the body of Christ, regardless of perceived capacity, is summoned to spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10–18).
• Prayer and Lament: Acknowledging one’s חַלָּשׁ is neither defeatist nor faithless; it is the pathway to experiencing grace made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Intertextual Echoes

Though חַלָּשׁ itself is rare, its theme threads through Scripture:
• Exodus 15:2 – “The LORD is my strength” affirms divine enablement following deliverance.
• Isaiah 35:3–4 – “Strengthen the weak hands... say to those with anxious hearts, ‘Be strong.’ ”
• Hebrews 11:34 – Heroes “out of weakness were made strong,” demonstrating continuity between covenants.

Eschatological Perspective

Joel’s prophecy looks beyond Judah’s immediate crisis to the day when God gathers the nations for judgment and vindicates His people (Joel 3:12–17). The transformation of חַלָּשׁ into warriors prefigures the final ingathering of the redeemed, who overcome “by the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11), not by innate might. The word therefore holds a forward-looking hope: the church militant will become the church triumphant under Christ’s reign.

Contemporary Relevance

In an era that prizes self-sufficiency, חַלָּשׁ reminds believers that acknowledgment of fragility is integral to authentic discipleship. Churches are encouraged to cultivate communities where weakness is neither hidden nor stigmatized but offered to God as the very arena of His power.

הַֽחַלָּ֔שׁ החלש ha·ḥal·lāš hachalLash haḥallāšInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts