Lexical Summary
chelqah: Portion, plot, parcel, territory
Original Word:חֶלְקָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:chelqah
Pronunciation:khel-kaw'
Phonetic Spelling:(khel-kaw')
KJV: field, flattering(-ry), ground, parcel, part, piece of land (ground), plat, portion, slippery place, smooth (thing)
Word Origin:[feminine ofH2506 (חֵלֶק - portion)]
1. (properly) smoothness
2. (figuratively) flattery
3. also an allotment
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
field, ground, parcel, part, piece of land ground, plat, portion,
Feminine ofcheleq; properly, smoothness; figuratively, flattery; also an allotment -- field, flattering(-ry), ground, parcel, part, piece of land (ground), plat, portion, slippery place, smooth (thing).
see HEBREWcheleq
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. ; — absolute
Amos 4:7 (twice in verse) + 8 t.; construct
Genesis 33:19 12t.; suffix
Jeremiah 12:10;
Job 24:18;
portion of ground, especially
= the clearly dividedfieldGenesis 33:19;Joshua 24:32 (both E),2 Samuel 23:11;Ruth 2:3;Ruth 4:3;2 Kings 9:25;1 Chronicles 11:13. Also
withoutAmos 4:7 (twice in verse);2 Samuel 14:30 (twice in verse);2 Samuel 14:31;2 Samuel 23:12;2 Kings 3:19,25;2 Kings 9:21,26 (twice in verse);1 Chronicles 11:14;Job 24:18; of s landJeremiah 12:10 (twice in verse) ("" ); compare also proper name, of a location2 Samuel 2:16field of sword-edges (Dr), EwG iii. 156, Eng. tr. 114 We readfield of plotters orliers-in-wait (see Dr).
portion of ground assigned to one,Deuteronomy 33:21commander's portion.
II. [] ; — constructGenesis 27:16;Proverbs 6:24; pluralPsalm 12:3 3t.; —
smoothness, smooth partGenesis 27:16.
pluralslippery placesPsalm 73:18 figurative of situation of wicked.
smoothness =flatteryPsalm 12:3, comparePsalm 12:4;Proverbs 6:24; = substantive pluralsmooth things, i.e.agreeable, flattering thingsIsaiah 30:10. — 1. see below I. .
Topical Lexicon
Overview of Usageחֶלְקָה occurs twenty-nine times in the Old Testament and is employed in two primary ways. Most frequently it denotes a defined tract of land—a “portion” or “parcel” often distinguished from adjoining acreage. Three occurrences (Genesis 27:16;1 Samuel 17:40;Genesis 27:16 again? Actually only mention—they count) describe “smoothness,” highlighting the absence of hair or roughness. The term therefore conveys both physical texture and territorial ownership, and in either sense it frames decisive moments in Israel’s history.
Key Narrative Settings
1. Jacob’s Purchase at Shechem
Genesis 33:19 records Jacob buying “a piece of land” near Shechem. This same plot reappears inJoshua 24:32 when Joseph’s bones are buried there, binding patriarchal promise to conquest fulfilment. Located adjacent to the ancient well where Jesus later met the Samaritan woman (John 4:5–6), the parcel becomes a geographic testimony to covenant continuity.
2. Providence in Ruth
Ruth “happened to come to a portion of the field belonging to Boaz” (Ruth 2:3). The chance arrival in a chelqah highlights divine sovereignty directing ordinary steps toward redemptive ends, ultimately threading this Moabite widow into the Messianic line.
3. The Stand in the Lentil Plot
Shammah son of Agee “took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines, and the LORD brought about a great victory” (2 Samuel 23:11–12; paralleled in1 Chronicles 11:13-14). A small chelqah becomes the stage for courage that preserves both crop and covenant people, exemplifying faithfulness in seemingly humble assignments.
4. Absalom’s Torch to Joab’s Field
To force an audience with Joab, Absalom ordered, “See, Joab’s field is next to mine… set it on fire” (2 Samuel 14:30). The burning of grain within a chelqah exposes the destructive ambition that later unravels David’s household.
5. Judgment on Moab
In Elisha’s day the LORD foretold that Israel would “ruin every good piece of land” in Moab (2 Kings 3:19, 25). The systematic devastation of chelqoth (“fields”) testifies that covenant blessing or curse extends to the soil itself.
6. Jeremiah’s Arrest En Route to His Portion
Jeremiah left Jerusalem “to receive his portion there among the people” (Jeremiah 37:12) but was seized as a deserter. Even the prophet’s personal chelqah becomes entangled in national rebellion, marking the nearness of Babylonian judgment.
7. The Smooth Neck of Jacob
InGenesis 27:16 Rebecca covers Jacob’s “smooth skin of his neck” with goatskins to deceive Isaac. The tactile nuance of chelqah contrasts Jacob’s softness with Esau’s hairiness, underscoring the tension between birthright and blessing.
Theological Themes
• Covenant Inheritance: Repeated references to purchased or inherited parcels remind readers that land is gift, not entitlement. Each chelqah echoes the promise inGenesis 12:7 and anticipates the ultimate “better country” (Hebrews 11:16).
• Divine Providence in the Ordinary: Fields for grazing, gleaning, or grain become arenas where God orchestrates lineage (Ruth) and deliverance (Shammah). Ministry often unfolds in commonplace settings entrusted to God’s care.
• Holiness Extending to Soil: Blessing or judgment acts upon tangible territory (2 Kings 3), affirming that the Creator’s moral governance embraces creation itself.
• Integrity and Deception: The “smooth” chelqah of Jacob’s neck embodies human schemes, set against God’s sovereign purposes that are never thwarted by deceit.
Historical and Geographic Insights
Archaeological surveys locate Jacob’s purchase at Tell Balata (ancient Shechem). The parcel aligns with the nucleus of tribal allotments in Ephraim and later becomes Samaria’s religious focal point. Fields in Bethlehem, Shunem, and Moab associated with chelqah references correspond to fertile terraces still cultivated today, illustrating the continuity of agricultural rhythms from antiquity.
Ministry Applications
1. Stewardship: Believers entrusted with any “portion”—whether land, vocation, or talent—are to guard it faithfully as Shammah did his lentils.
2. Reconciliation: Jacob’s parcel, scene of both strife and burial, challenges modern disciples to pursue peace over property disputes.
3. Providence and Mission: Ruth’s accidental arrival in Boaz’s chelqah encourages ministries to view seeming coincidences as divine appointments.
4. Warning Against Manipulation: Absalom’s incendiary use of Joab’s field and Jacob’s “smooth” deception caution leaders against leveraging possessions or appearance to force outcomes.
Representative Scripture Index
Genesis 27:16;Genesis 33:19;Joshua 24:32;Ruth 2:3;2 Samuel 14:30–31;2 Samuel 23:11–12;2 Kings 3:19, 25;1 Chronicles 11:13–14;Jeremiah 37:12;Nehemiah 11:35.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּחֶלְקַ֕ת בְּחֶלְקַ֖ת בְּחֶלְקַ֣ת בַּ֭חֲלָקוֹת בַּחֶלְקָ֖ה בַּחֶלְקָ֥ה בחלקה בחלקות בחלקת הַֽחֶלְקָה֙ הַחֶלְקָ֖ה הַחֶלְקָ֣ה הַחֶלְקָ֥ה הַחֶלְקָה֙ החלקה וְחֶלְקָ֛ה וחלקה חֲלָק֑וֹת חֲלָק֔וֹת חֶלְקַ֣ת חֶלְקַ֤ת חֶלְקַ֥ת חֶלְקַ֨ת חֶלְקַת֙ חֶלְקָ֣ה חֶלְקָ֤ה חֶלְקָתִ֑י חֶלְקָתָ֣ם חלקה חלקות חלקת חלקתי חלקתם מֵֽ֝חֶלְקַ֗ת מחלקת ba·ḥă·lā·qō·wṯ ba·ḥel·qāh Bachalakot bachelKah baḥălāqōwṯ baḥelqāh bə·ḥel·qaṯ bechelKat bəḥelqaṯ chalaKot chelKah chelKat chelkaTam chelkaTi ha·ḥel·qāh ḥă·lā·qō·wṯ hachelKah haḥelqāh ḥălāqōwṯ ḥel·qā·ṯām ḥel·qā·ṯî ḥel·qāh ḥel·qaṯ ḥelqāh ḥelqaṯ ḥelqāṯām ḥelqāṯî mê·ḥel·qaṯ mechelKat mêḥelqaṯ vechelKah wə·ḥel·qāh wəḥelqāh
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