חָלַק
To be smooth (figuratively); by implication (as smooth stones were used for lots) to apportion or separate
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What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
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Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does חָלַק (chalaq) mean in the Bible?
חָלַק (chalaq) is a Hebrew word meaning "to be smooth (figuratively); by implication (as smooth stones were used for lots) to apportion or separate". to be smooth (figuratively); by implication (as smooth stones were used for lots) to apportion or separate BDB: be smooth Usage: deal, distribute, divide, flatter, give, (have, im-) part(-ner), take away a portion, receive, separate self, (be) smooth(-er). Describes fractured covenant loyalty. This term runs through the canonical themes of Covenant.
Meaning
Smooth surface enables apportionment: literal smoothness grounds figurative sense of fair division and allocation
to be smooth (figuratively); by implication (as smooth stones were used for lots) to apportion or separate BDB: be smooth Usage: deal, distribute, divide, flatter, give, (have, im-) part(-ner), take away a portion, receive, separate self, (be) smooth(-er).
Why This Word Matters
Describes fractured covenant loyalty. Hosea 10:1-8
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 14×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 14×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 5×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 5×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 2×
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Showing 8 of 65 occurrences in the biblical text.