The Hebrew verb אִחֵל (*ʾiḥēl*) appears in the Hebrew Bible and carries the meaning of “to wish,” especially in the context of blessing or congratulating someone. It belongs to the Piel binyan (intensive stem), and its root is א־ח־ל. This verb is not highly common, but it does appear in poetic or formal contexts, and it has survived in Modern Hebrew with the same meaning of “to wish” (e.g., mazal tov wishes).
In Biblical Hebrew, this verb is usually used in the Piel stem, and here we provide a full conjugation table of its forms in the Piel binyan. This includes past, present, future, and imperative forms.
Past Tense (Perfect) — Piel
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Person | אִחַלְתִּי | אִחַלְנוּ |
| 2nd Person | אִחַלְתָּ (m) אִחַלְתְּ (f) |
אִחַלְתֶּם (m) אִחַלְתֶּן (f) |
| 3rd Person | אִחֵל (m) אִחֲלָה (f) |
אִחֲלוּ |
Present Tense (Participle) — Piel
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | מְאַחֵל | מְאַחֲלִים |
| Feminine | מְאַחֶלֶת | מְאַחֲלוֹת |
Future Tense (Imperfect) — Piel
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Person | אֲאַחֵל | נְאַחֵל |
| 2nd Person | תְּאַחֵל (m) תְּאַחֲלִי (f) |
תְּאַחֲלוּ (m) תְּאַחֵלְנָה (f) |
| 3rd Person | יְאַחֵל (m) תְּאַחֵל (f) |
יְאַחֲלוּ (m) תְּאַחֵלְנָה (f) |
Imperative Mood — Piel
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | אַחֵל | אַחֲלוּ |
| Feminine | אַחֲלִי | אַחֵלְנָה |
Usage in the Hebrew Bible
One occurrence of the root א־ח־ל in the Piel is found in Genesis 27:23 where the context implies blessing or wishing good. However, the form more clearly appears in later Hebrew or poetic use. The modern Hebrew usage of אִחֵל for “to wish” (such as to wish well or to wish a happy birthday) is derived from this Biblical root.
Meaning and Semantics
In Biblical usage, this verb is used with the sense of intensively causing or expressing a wish or blessing, often with spiritual or emotional weight. It is stronger than just stating something—it conveys a heartfelt desire for good to come upon someone else.
Summary
The verb אִחֵל is an elegant and expressive Hebrew verb that conveys the act of wishing or congratulating someone. Though not frequent in the Bible, its use in later Hebrew and its survival into Modern Hebrew make it a meaningful verb to know, especially for understanding texts that involve blessings or positive speech acts.
