מַחְלִי
𐤌𐤇𐤋𐤉
Macheli
H4249 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper personal name; Machli, the name of two male Israelites—specifically a descendant of Levi through Merari and a son of Mushi. The name likely relates to sickness or affliction, based on its root, though as a name it serves as an identifying marker rather than describing character or condition. Semantic range limited to use as a personal name.
Semantic Range
proper personal name; possibly 'sickly' or 'afflicted' (in etymological sense), but only attested as a personal name for a descendant of Levi
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root חלה (ḥ-l-h), meaning 'to be sick' or 'to be weak.' The form מַחְלִי is a hypocoristic (diminutive or affectionate) form or nominal derivative, likely meaning 'sickly' or 'one who is sick/weak.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name מַחְלִי occurs twice in genealogical lists pertaining to the Levitical tribe: once as a son of Merari (Num 3:20; 1 Chr 6:4, 19), and once as the son of Mushi, grandson of Merari (1 Chr 6:47). The use of names derived from roots meaning 'illness' or other negative concepts was not uncommon in ancient Near Eastern cultures; such naming may have sought to express a situation at birth, parental piety, or may even have served apotropaic purposes (warding off evil). In biblical tradition, the name functions exclusively as a marker of genealogy for Levitical families, not as a descriptive or theological term. English translations transliterate the name as 'Mahli,' and occasionally render it as 'Machli,' preserving personal name status rather than assigning it a meaning. Later Jewish and Christian interpretive traditions sometimes symbolically associate the name with suffering or humility, but such associations lie outside the word’s lexical and historical use in the Hebrew Bible.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָלָה; sick; Machli, the name of two Israelites; Mahli.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חלה (ḥ-l-h) — to be sick, to be 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
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4249-02 |
מַחְלִ֣י | macheli | HNp |
Mahli | Machli | 11 |
H4249-01 |
לְ/מַחְלִי֙ | lemacheli | HR/Np |
Of Mahli | to Machli | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
12 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4249-02 |
Exodus 6:19 | מַחְלִ֣י | macheli | HNp |
Mahli | Machli |
H4249-02 |
Numbers 3:20 | מַחְלִ֣י | macheli | HNp |
Mahli | Machli |
H4249-02 |
Ezra 8:18 | מַחְלִ֔י | macheli | HNp |
Mahli | Machli |
H4249-02 |
1 Chronicles 6:4 | מַחְלִ֣י | macheli | HNp |
Mahli | Machli |
H4249-02 |
1 Chronicles 6:14 | מַחְלִ֑י | macheli | HNp |
Mahli | Machli |
H4249-02 |
1 Chronicles 6:32 | מַחְלִי֙ | macheli | HNp |
Mahli | Machli |
H4249-02 |
1 Chronicles 23:21 | מַחְלִ֣י | macheli | HNp |
Mahli | Machli |
H4249-02 |
1 Chronicles 23:21 | מַחְלִ֖י | macheli-2 | HNp |
of Mahli | Machli |
H4249-02 |
1 Chronicles 23:23 | מַחְלִ֥י | macheli | HNp |
Mahli | Machli |
H4249-02 |
1 Chronicles 24:26 | מַחְלִ֣י | macheli | HNp |
Mahli | Machli |