Lexical Summary
machatsith: Half, half part
Original Word:מַחֲצִית
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:machatsiyth
Pronunciation:mah-khats-eeth'
Phonetic Spelling:(makh-ats-eeth')
KJV: half (so much), mid(-day)
NASB:half, half as much
Word Origin:[fromH2673 (חָצָה - divided)]
1. a halving or the middle
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
half so much, midday
Fromchatsah; a halving or the middle -- half (so much), mid(-day).
see HEBREWchatsah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
chatsahDefinitionhalf, middle
NASB Translationhalf (11), half as much (1), half-tribe* (3), midday* (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
— construct
Exodus 30:13 (twice in verse) + 8 t.;
Numbers 31:30,47; suffix
Exodus 30:23,
Leviticus 6:13 (twice in verse),
Numbers 31:29 —
half of a shekelExodus 30:13 (twice in verse);Exodus 30:15 compareExodus 30:23;Exodus 38:26; the flour for offeringLeviticus 6:13 (twice in verse), of spoilsNumbers 31:29,30,42,47; of tribeJoshua 21:25 (all P),1 Chronicles 6:46;1 Chronicles 6:55; of chariots1 Kings 16:9.
middle =midday, noonNehemiah 8:3 (comparemidnight, , ).
(√ of following; meaning dubious; denominative seem to be Arabic
, Ethiopic
carry in the arms orbosom, rear, foster; perhaps also Assyrianêƒênu,bring together, alsodrink ordraw in sweet odours Flood Tabletiii, 49 Hpt in KAT2Gloss i).
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scope of UsageThe term denotes an exact half or half-portion. Scripture employs it in the realms of money, weight, time, military spoils, and tribal inheritance—underscoring the precision, equity, and covenantal order that mark the LORD’s dealings with His people.
Half-Shekel Atonement Contribution
Exodus 30:13–16 and 38:26 establish the half-shekel as the fixed amount every male Israelite twenty years and older must bring “as an offering to the LORD to make atonement for your lives.” The sum was deliberately small enough for the poor yet not so small that the rich could augment it: “The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel” (Exodus 30:15). By ordaining a uniform ransom, the LORD affirmed both the equal worth of each soul before Him and the insufficiency of earthly wealth to purchase redemption. Centuries later, this same sum emerges as the Temple tax that Jesus willingly paid (Matthew 17:24–27), highlighting the continuity of the atonement theme and pointing to the greater ransom He would offer at the cross.
Standard of Measurement in Worship
Exodus 30:23 applies the concept to weight: the anointing oil required “five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh… and two hundred fifty shekels of fragrant cinnamon,” literally “half” of five hundred. The identical weight safeguarded the recipe from human alteration, preserving the sanctity of the priestly anointing and typifying the perfection of the coming Anointed One.
Daily Sacrificial Rhythm
InLeviticus 6:20 the grain offering for the high priest’s ordination is to be baked “half in the morning and half in the evening.” The symmetrical division kept the priest mindful that every portion of the day belongs to the LORD. It also offered Israel a visual pattern of continual, whole-day consecration—a foreshadowing of the perpetual intercession of Christ, our great High Priest.
Equitable Division of War Spoils
Numbers 31 employs the word eight times (verses 27, 29–30, 42, 47) to describe the precise division of Midian’s plunder—half to the warriors, half to the rest of Israel, with dedicated portions for Eleazar the priest and the Levites. This arrangement prevented greed, honored those who fought, and ensured that worship remained central even in matters of national defense and economic gain.
Allocation within the Half-Tribe of Manasseh
Joshua 21:25;1 Chronicles 6:61, 70 detail cities taken “from the half-tribe of Manasseh” for the Levites. By designating these towns from only part of the tribe, the LORD balanced inheritance between Transjordan and Cisjordan clans while embedding priestly ministry throughout the land.
A Royal Administration and the Language of Governance
1 Kings 16:9 notes that Zimri was “commander of half the chariots” of King Elah. Even in the northern kingdom’s turbulent politics, Scripture’s precise language testifies that authority and responsibility are ultimately measured under God’s gaze.
Half the Day in Public Reading of the Law
Nehemiah 8:3 records Ezra’s public reading “from daybreak until noon,” literally “until half of the day.” The restored community responded with attentive ears and worshipful hearts, demonstrating that revival springs from extended, shared exposure to the Word.
Theological Reflections
1. Equality before God: The half-shekel demonstrates that salvation cannot be bought; every person stands on the same footing at the place of atonement.
2. Completeness in Christ: Each “half” anticipates the whole found in Him. What Israel rendered in fractional form, He fulfilled in totality (Hebrews 10:10).
3. Stewardship and Justice: Whether in offerings, spoils, or inheritances, the measured half teaches transparent stewardship and guards against partiality.
4. Continual Worship: Dividing offerings and the day itself frames life around regular rhythms of devotion.
Ministry Implications Today
• Congregational giving should reflect the principle of equal sacrifice rather than equal amounts, reminding believers that the value lies in obedience, not in size.
• Leadership ought to allocate resources and honor labor with scrupulous equity, following Moses’ numbering of halves.
• Corporate worship can benefit from intentional segments—morning and evening prayer, balanced proclamation and response—echoing the symmetrical halves ofLeviticus 6:20 andNehemiah 8:3.
• Teaching on redemption gains richness by tracing the half-shekel to the coin Jesus provided, presenting Him as the complete ransom for sinners.
Thus, מַחֲצִית, though merely “half,” magnifies God’s unwavering precision and grace, directing hearts to the perfect wholeness secured in His Son.
Forms and Transliterations
וּמִֽמַּחֲצִ֖ית וּמִֽמַּחֲצִית֙ וּמִמַּחֲצִ֨ת וּמַחֲצִיתָ֖הּ ומחציתה וממחצית וממחצת מִֽ֠מַּחֲצִית מִֽמַּחֲצִ֖ית מִמַּֽחֲצִיתָ֖ם מִמַּחֲצִ֣ת מַחֲצִ֣ית מַחֲצִ֥ית מַחֲצִית֖וֹ מַחֲצִיתָ֣הּ מחצית מחציתה מחציתו ממחצית ממחציתם ממחצת ma·ḥă·ṣî·ṯāh ma·ḥă·ṣî·ṯōw ma·ḥă·ṣîṯ machaTzit machatziTah machatziTo maḥăṣîṯ maḥăṣîṯāh maḥăṣîṯōw mim·ma·ḥă·ṣî·ṯām mim·ma·ḥă·ṣiṯ mim·ma·ḥă·ṣîṯ mimachaTzit mimachatziTam mimmaḥăṣiṯ mimmaḥăṣîṯ mimmaḥăṣîṯām ū·ma·ḥă·ṣî·ṯāh ū·mim·ma·ḥă·ṣiṯ ū·mim·ma·ḥă·ṣîṯ umachatziTah ūmaḥăṣîṯāh umimachaTzit ūmimmaḥăṣiṯ ūmimmaḥăṣîṯ
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