cha.lah denotes making an earnest appeal for favor, especially in petitions directed to the LORD.

The attested usage consistently depicts an earnest appeal for favor: people petition the LORD in distress, repentance, or need, while other verses show many seeking a person's favor. The same petitioning action is expressed with imperatives, completed actions, ongoing forms, and infinitives, without a clear lexical division among them.

1. Making an earnest appeal for favor · dominant

   In Exodus 32:11, the sequential imperfect occurs as Moses addresses the LORD over his anger toward the people; the APB renders the clause “Moses implored the LORD his God.” In 2 Kings 13:4 and 2 Chronicles 33:12, the appeal is made to the LORD amid oppression and distress, and the APB renders the clauses with “sought the favor of the LORD.” Psalm 119:58 presents a first-person completed appeal made “with all my heart,” while Proverbs 19:6 shows many directing such appeals toward a noble's favor.

   Exodus 32:112 Kings 13:42 Chronicles 33:12Psalm 119:58Proverbs 19:6Malachi 1:9

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the verses, the APB presents the relevant clauses with “implored,” “sought the favor,” “entreated,” and “begged.” These are verse-level renderings rather than definitions for the Hebrew form.