to profane/begin: begin
cha.lal describes either beginning an action or process, or treating a holy person, place, name, or Sabbath as profaned.
The most extensively shown use concerns the profaning of what is designated holy—Sabbaths, sanctuary, holy name, and holy things. In a distinct set of clauses, it marks the beginning of an action, work, condition, or sequence, including building, seeking, singing, and the onset of famine.
Senses in use
-
Profaning what is holy · dominant
Piel forms describe violations involving sacred objects and designations: in Exodus 31:14 the APB renders the clause about one who “profanes” the Sabbath, while Ezekiel 22:26 places the action alongside failure to distinguish holy from common. The same use concerns the sanctuary in Daniel 11:31, the holy name in Ezekiel 36:22, and holy things and Sabbaths in Ezekiel 22:8. Niphal forms show the corresponding state or result, as Ezekiel 7:24 says consecrated places “will be profaned.”
-
Starting an action, work, or sequence · common
Hiphil forms mark the outset of identifiable actions and developments. In 2 Chronicles 3:1 the APB renders Solomon’s action as beginning to build, and in 2 Chronicles 20:22 it places the beginning of singing and praise before the ambushes. The same pattern introduces cleansing in 2 Chronicles 34:3, the coming of famine in Genesis 41:54, and an imperative to begin possessing land in Deuteronomy 2:24.
In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the cited clauses, the APB commonly uses “profaned” or “profane” for the sacred-object usage and “began” or “begin” for the onset usage. Because the APB is a whole-verse translation, these renderings confirm the clause-level contrast without assigning every English token mechanically.