← H4247 H4249 →

מַחְלוֹן

𐤌𐤇𐤋𐤅𐤍

Machelon

H4248 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חלה to be sick, to be weak, to be diseased

Definition

Machlon is a personal name, most notably referring to an Israelite figure in the book of Ruth, distinguished as the son of Elimelech and Naomi. The lexical meaning of the name is likely related to 'sickness' or 'weakness,' based on the underlying root, rather than descriptive of this individual's biography. The semantic range is therefore limited to its function as a proper name, derived from a root suggestive of illness or frailty.

Semantic Range

proper name (male); derived sense possibly 'sickly' or 'frail'; strictly as a personal name referring to a specific Israelite individual

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חלה (ḥ-l-h), meaning 'to be sick, to be weak.' The formation מַחְלוֹן is a nominal pattern commonly used for personal names in Biblical Hebrew, possibly indicating 'one who is sickly,' though such names sometimes function as theophoric or symbolic rather than literal descriptions.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Machlon (מַחְלוֹן) appears in the Hebrew Bible in Ruth 1:2, 1:5, and 4:9–10 as one of the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi, Bethlehemite Israelites who migrated to Moab during a famine. The context does not indicate the significance of the root 'sick' in his given name, but such naming patterns commonly appear in the Hebrew Bible, sometimes reflecting circumstances of birth, parental hopes or fears, or simply traditional usage. In this period, names drawn from roots signifying trouble or weakness (cf. Mara, Ichabod, Jabez) could reflect a family's experience or cultural practices. English translations may obscure the root meaning by rendering the name without explanation; in biblical contexts, the name functions strictly as a personal identifier and not as a marker of group identity or later religious affiliation (i.e., Machlon is an Israelite Bethlehemite, not a Judean or a "Jew").

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָלָה; sick; Machlon, an Israelite; Mahlon.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

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

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

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4248-01 מַחְל֤וֹן machelon HNp Mahlon Sickly-one 3
H4248-02 וּ/מַחְל֑וֹן umachelon HC/Np and Mahlon and Machlon 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4248-01 Ruth 1:2 מַחְל֤וֹן machelon HNp Mahlon Sickly-one
H4248-01 Ruth 1:5 מַחְל֣וֹן machelon HNp Mahlon Sickly-one
H4248-02 Ruth 4:9 וּ/מַחְל֑וֹן umachelon HC/Np and Mahlon and Machlon
H4248-01 Ruth 4:10 מַחְל֜וֹן machelon HNp Mahlon Sickly-one
← H4247 Hebrew Lexicon H4249 →