CategoryArchaic Word
Modern Equivalentlimp; hesitate; waver.
KJV Word TypeVerb / adjective
DefinitionTo limp, hesitate, waver, or be divided in judgment. In some passages, “halt” can also describe someone who is lame.
Key Verses"And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him." (1 Kings 18:21); "Bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind." (Luke 14:21)
KJV Usage NoteCan mean to limp physically or to hesitate and waver between choices, as in Elijah’s challenge to Israel on Mount Carmel.
Common MisunderstandingIt does not only mean “stop”; in KJV usage it can mean limp, hesitate, or waver between opinions.
EtymologyFrom Old English healt ("lame, limping").