חַכְלִלוּת
flash (of the eyes); in a bad sense, blearedness
Definition
The Hebrew noun חַכְלִלוּת (chaklilûwth) refers to a condition or appearance of the eyes. Its primary meaning is a 'flash' or 'glittering' of the eyes, often associated with intense emotion or a feverish, inflamed state. In its only biblical occurrence, Proverbs 23:29, it is used in a negative sense, describing the 'redness' or 'blearedness' of eyes resulting from excessive drinking. The word thus captures a vivid physical symptom of drunkenness, moving from a potential sense of bright intensity to one of unhealthy discoloration and impairment.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Proverbs 23:29. It appears in a rhetorical list of the consequences of overindulgence in wine: 'Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness (חַכְלִלוּת) of eyes?' Here, it functions as a clear, physical marker of a life given to folly and lack of self-control, specifically linking the visual condition of the eyes to the moral and social ruin caused by drunkenness.
Etymology
The noun חַכְלִלוּת (chaklilûwth) is derived from the adjective חַכְלִיל (chaklîyl, H2447), which means 'darkened' or 'flashing.' This root is associated with the color red or purple, suggesting a connection to the concepts of glowing, inflammation, or darkening. The development of meaning moves from a root idea of intense color or shine to a specific, negatively-valenced application describing the inflamed, reddened eyes of a drunkard.
Semantic Range
While used only once, this word carries theological weight in the wisdom literature's teaching on temperance and self-governance. It provides a concrete, physical sign of the internal folly and brokenness that results from ignoring divine wisdom. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of Proverbs 23:29-35 by highlighting how biblical wisdom often connects spiritual condition to tangible, bodily consequences, emphasizing the holistic nature of human life under God's order.
In the ancient Near Eastern context, red or inflamed eyes were a readily recognizable and proverbial symptom of excessive drinking. This physical sign would have been an immediate, culturally understood shorthand for a life of dissipation and lack of discipline. The term's specificity grounds the biblical warning against drunkenness in observable reality, making the wisdom teaching vivid and memorable for its original audience.
עַיִן (ayin, H5869) — The general word for 'eye'; חַכְלִלוּת specifies a diseased or affected condition of the eyes.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →