chel denotes a military force in many narratives and a protective rampart or boundary in city imagery.

The attested usage most often concerns an army or military force, including forces belonging to kings, Aram, Assyria, and the LORD. In other contexts it denotes a rampart or protective boundary associated with a city, its walls, or the sea.

1. Military force or army · dominant

   Construct forms occur with identified forces: in 2 Samuel 8:9 the APB renders David's defeat of Hadadezer's "army," and in 2 Chronicles 24:24 it contrasts Aram's force "with few men" against a "very great army." In Joel 2:11 the construct form stands in the clause that the LORD gives his voice before his army.

   2 Samuel 8:92 Chronicles 16:72 Chronicles 24:232 Chronicles 24:242 Chronicles 26:13Joel 2:11
2. City rampart or protective boundary · common

   Absolute forms occur in city-defense imagery: in 2 Samuel 20:15 the APB says a siege mound stood against the "rampart," while Isaiah 26:1 pairs walls and a rampart for a strong city. In Lamentations 2:8, rampart and wall mourn together as the wall of Zion is marked for destruction.

   1 Kings 21:232 Samuel 20:15Isaiah 26:1Lamentations 2:8Psalm 122:7

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the term as "army" in military clauses and as "rampart" in city-defense clauses. These renderings confirm the verse contexts rather than establish a separate English equivalent in every occurrence.