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מַחֲלֶה

𐤌𐤇𐤋𐤄

machăleh

H4245 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חלה to be sick, to become weak, to be afflicted

Definition

An illness or state of being unwell, typically referring to physical disease or malady affecting a person or community. In its primary usage in the Hebrew Bible, מַחֲלֶה designates a concrete medical condition or affliction, distinguishing a specific sickness (as opposed to a general state of weakness or pain). The term can be used of both individuals and collective outbreaks, ranging from endemic diseases to singular afflictions.

Semantic Range

sickness, disease, illness, physical malady, condition of being unwell, affliction by disease

Root / Etymology

From the root חלה (ḥ-l-h), which means 'to be weak, to be sick, to become ill.' The noun form מַחֲלֶה is a direct derivative, indicating a state or condition of sickness. The alternation to the feminine form מַחֲלָה occurs with the same sense.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מַחֲלֶה appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, most notably in Deuteronomy (e.g., Deut 7:15, 28:60), in the context of divine warnings and blessings relating to disease as a consequence or removal. It is semantically distinct from similar terms such as דֶּבֶר (dever, 'plague, pestilence'), which often indicates epidemic or divinely inflicted disaster, whereas מַחֲלֶה refers more specifically to the state of ordinary sickness or non-epidemic illness. In most contexts, the referent is physical malady rather than metaphorical or spiritual malaise. English translations render it as 'sickness' or 'disease', but care should be taken not to conflate it with broader or more catastrophic terms. Over time, related nouns derived from חלה came to encompass a range of physical conditions, but the biblical usage of מַחֲלֶה remains specialized. The transition from an Israelite context (where disease is framed as a consequence of covenantal fidelity) to later Judean and post-exilic traditions retained the association between illness and divine agency without significant semantic shift.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (feminine) מַחֲלָה; from חָלָה; sickness; disease, infirmity, sickness.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חלה (ḥ-l-h) — to be sick, to become weak, to be afflicted

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2342 חוּל sickness
H2470 חָלָה in their becoming weak
H2481 חֲלִי delicate ornaments
H2482 חֲלִי and Hali
H2483 חֳלִי in sicknesses

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4245-03 מַחֲלָ֖ה machalah HNcfsa sickness sickness 3
H4245-02 הַ/מַּֽחֲלָ֞ה hamachalah HTd/Ncfsa the disease the sickness 1
H4245-01 בְּ/מַחֲלֵ֣ה bemachaleh HR/Ncmsc by disease in sickness-of 1
H4245-04 מַחֲלֵ֑/הוּ machalehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his sickness his sickness 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4245-02 Exodus 15:26 הַ/מַּֽחֲלָ֞ה hamachalah HTd/Ncfsa the disease the sickness
H4245-03 Exodus 23:25 מַחֲלָ֖ה machalah HNcfsa sickness sickness
H4245-03 1 Kings 8:37 מַחֲלָֽה machalah HNcfsa sickness sickness
H4245-04 Proverbs 18:14 מַחֲלֵ֑/הוּ machalehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his sickness his sickness
H4245-03 2 Chronicles 6:28 מַחֲלָֽה machalah HNcfsa sickness sickness
H4245-01 2 Chronicles 21:15 בְּ/מַחֲלֵ֣ה bemachaleh HR/Ncmsc by disease in sickness-of
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