Lexical Summary
machaloqeth: Division, Portion, Distribution
Original Word:מַחֲלֹקֶת
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:machaloqeth
Pronunciation:mah-khah-lo'-keth
Phonetic Spelling:(makh-al-o'-keth)
KJV: company, course, division, portion See also H5555
NASB:divisions, division, escape, portions
Word Origin:[fromH2505 (חָלַק - To divide)]
1. a section (of Levites, people or soldiers)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
company, course, division, portion
Fromchalaq; a section (of Levites, people or soldiers) -- company, course, division, portion. See alsoCela' ham-machlqowth.
see HEBREWchalaq
see HEBREWCela' ham-machlqowth
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
chalaqDefinitiondivision, course
NASB Translationdivision (17), divisions (24), escape (1), portions (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(almost wholly Chronicles) — absolute
1 Chronicles 27:1,2; construct
1 Chronicles 27:4; suffix
1 Chronicles 27:2 14t.
1 Chronicles 27; absolute
1 Chronicles 23:6 6t. Chronicles +
1 Samuel 23:28 (see below); construct
id.1 Chronicles 26:12 5t. Chronicles +
Nehemiah 11:36; suffix 2Chronicles 35:4; 2Chronicles 31:16,17;
1 Chronicles 24:1 3t. in Chronicles;
Joshua 11:23;
Joshua 12:7;
Joshua 18:10;
Ezekiel 48:29; —
division, part, of land assigned to the several tribes of IsraelJoshua 11:23;Joshua 12:7 ( both D)Joshua 18:10 (J E; others, divisions of Israel, but see)Ezekiel 48:29.
techn. term of organization of priests and Levites (late),1 Chronicles 23:6;1 Chronicles 24:1;1 Chronicles 26:1,12,19; 2Chronicles 8:14 (twice in verse); 2Chronicles 31:2 (twice in verse); 2Chronicles 35:4,10;Nehemiah 11:36 25t. in Chronicles, + (of royal officials)1 Chronicles 28:1 — proper name1 Samuel 23:28 was popularly connected with this √, =rock of divisions, where Saul and David parted from neighbourhood of each other (Dr) so Vrss Th and others; Bö Klo, where their forces lay divided from each other; originally connection was perhaps with II. ,smooth, slippery; Ges De W Ke and others explanation here asrock of escapes, but this meaning for dubious.
Topical Lexicon
Overviewמַחֲלֹקֶת (machaloqeth) designates an organized “division,” “course,” or “company.” Its forty-two Old Testament occurrences cluster around the ordered life of God’s covenant community, revealing a God who structures worship, governance, and warfare for His glory and His people’s good.
Levitical and Priestly Courses
The word first surfaces in David’s reforms that prepared for the temple. “David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari” (1 Chronicles 23:6). Chapters 24–26 detail twenty-four priestly courses, twenty-four musician courses, and multiple gatekeeper and treasury courses, each called a מַחֲלֹקֶת.
Solomon retained the pattern (2 Chronicles 8:14). So did subsequent reforming kings: Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 23:8), Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 31:2), and Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:4). After the exile, Ezra and Nehemiah reinstated the same structure (Nehemiah 11:36; 12:24; 13:30). The continuity testifies to the importance of regulated, predictable service in the house of the LORD.
Military and Royal Companies
Jehoiada armed the temple guards in “divisions” to protect young Joash (2 Kings 11:5-9). The word therefore also marks strategic deployment for covenant defense. When worship is threatened, ordered guardianship stands ready.
Tribal and Familial Ordering
Although less frequent, מַחֲלֹקֶת appears in genealogical notices that list clan groupings (e.g.,1 Chronicles 26:12). Here it stresses that service is rooted in lineage and calling, not personal ambition.
Theology of Order and Service
1. Divine order: Scripture presents God as “not a God of disorder but of peace” (echoed in1 Corinthians 14:33). מַחֲלֹקֶת embodies that order.
2. Shared responsibility: No single priest or Levite bore the whole load; each course had defined weeks. The pattern foreshadows the New Testament body in which every member has a part (Romans 12:4-8).
3. Continuity across generations: From David to post-exilic times, identical terminology underscores unbroken covenant practice, reinforcing Scripture’s internal harmony.
Prophetic and Messianic Echoes
Luke 1:5 records that Zechariah served in “the division of Abijah,” a direct descendant of the1 Chronicles 24 list. The Greek term τάξις simply translates the Hebrew idea, showing that the birth announcements of John the Baptist and Jesus occur within the very courses David ordained, bridging Old and New Covenants.
Ministry Applications
• Worship teams: The musician courses (1 Chronicles 25) legitimize rotating worship leadership and careful scheduling.
• Leadership rotation: Regular hand-offs prevent burnout and encourage widespread participation.
• Security in worship: Jehoiada’s armed מַחֲלֹקֶת affirms prudent protection of sacred assemblies.
• Accountability: Written rosters (2 Chronicles 31:18) model transparent stewardship.
Summary
מַחֲלֹקֶת portrays God-given structure—whether in sanctuary, battlefield, or family register. Its recurring presence across centuries highlights that orderly, distributed service is not mere administrative convenience but a theological conviction rooted in the character of God and integral to the life and mission of His people.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמַחְלְק֔וֹת בְּמַחְלְקוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ בְּמַחְלְקוֹתָ֖ם במחלקות במחלקותיהם׃ במחלקותם הַֽמַּחְלְק֗וֹת הַֽמַּחְלְקֽוֹת׃ הַֽמַּחֲלֹ֙קֶת֙ הַמַּחְלְק֣וֹת הַמַּחֲלֹ֤קֶת המחלקות המחלקות׃ המחלקת וּֽלְמַחְלְקוֹת֙ וּמַ֣חֲלֻקְתּ֔וֹ ולמחלקות ומחלקתו כְּמַחְלְקֹתָ֖ם כְּמַחְלְקֹתָֽם׃ כְּמַחְלְקוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ כְּמַחְלְקוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם כמחלקותיהם׃ כמחלקותיכם כמחלקתם כמחלקתם׃ לְמַחְלְק֖וֹת לְמַחְלְקֽוֹת׃ למחלקות למחלקות׃ מַֽחֲלֻקְתּ֔וֹ מַחְלְק֑וֹת מַחְלְק֣וֹת מַחְלְק֥וֹת מַחְלְק֨וֹת מַחְלְקוֹת֙ מַחְלְקוֹתָ֑ם מַחְלְקוֹתָ֔ם מַחְלְקוֹתָ֖ם מַחְלְקוֹתָ֞ם מַחֲלֹ֣קֶת ׀ מַחֲלֻקְתּ֔וֹ מחלקות מחלקותם מחלקת מחלקתו bə·maḥ·lə·qō·w·ṯām bə·maḥ·lə·qō·w·ṯê·hem bə·maḥ·lə·qō·wṯ bemachleKot bemachlekoTam bemachlekoteiHem bəmaḥləqōwṯ bəmaḥləqōwṯām bəmaḥləqōwṯêhem ham·ma·ḥă·lō·qeṯ ham·maḥ·lə·qō·wṯ hammachaLoket hammachleKot hammaḥălōqeṯ hammaḥləqōwṯ kə·maḥ·lə·qō·ṯām kə·maḥ·lə·qō·w·ṯê·hem kə·maḥ·lə·qō·w·ṯê·ḵem kemachlekoTam kemachlekoteiChem kemachlekoteiHem kəmaḥləqōṯām kəmaḥləqōwṯêhem kəmaḥləqōwṯêḵem lə·maḥ·lə·qō·wṯ lemachleKot ləmaḥləqōwṯ ma·ḥă·lō·qeṯ ma·ḥă·luq·tōw machaLoket machalukTo machleKot machlekoTam maḥ·lə·qō·w·ṯām maḥ·lə·qō·wṯ maḥălōqeṯ maḥăluqtōw maḥləqōwṯ maḥləqōwṯām ū·lə·maḥ·lə·qō·wṯ ū·ma·ḥă·luq·tōw ulemachlekOt ūləmaḥləqōwṯ uMachalukTo ūmaḥăluqtōw
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
