מַחְלֻי
𐤌𐤇𐤋𐤉
machluy
H4251 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A disease, sickness, or affliction affecting the body; specifically denotes a state of illness defined in medical or ritual contexts. Used for physical ailments causing debilitation or impurity, including those that require priestly evaluation or ceremonial treatment.
Semantic Range
disease, physical illness, malady, state of affliction, ritual or bodily disqualification
Root / Etymology
From the root חלה (ch-l-h), meaning 'to be weak, to be sick, to become diseased.' The noun מַחְלֻי is a derived feminine form indicating an affliction or state of illness.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַחְלֻי occurs rarely, found notably in Levitical and priestly contexts concerning ritual impurity or diagnosis of disease (e.g., in Leviticus 21:20, referring to bodily disqualifications). While English translations may render this term as 'disease,' 'malady,' or 'affliction,' the biblical usage is primarily in technical or legal-religious lists, not in describing specific medical conditions. In ancient Israelite society, such terms often demarcate physical states impeding ritual access or community participation, rather than delineating pathology as in modern medicine. Contrast with related nouns such as חֹלִי (choli, H2483) 'illness, sickness', which can denote both specific illnesses and abstract forms of suffering. The concept does not carry the full spectrum of later medical or theological implications associated with the English term 'disease.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָלָה; a disease; disease.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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חלה (ḥ-l-h) — to be sick, to be weak, to become 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4251-01 |
בְּ/מַחֲלוּיִ֣ם | bemachaluyim | HR/Ncmpa |
in-diseases | in diseases | 1 |
H4251-02 |
ב/מחליים | vmchlyym | HR/Ncmpa |
in-wounds | in diseases | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4251-02 |
2 Chronicles 24:25 | ב/מחליים | vmchlyym | HR/Ncmpa |
in-wounds | in diseases |
H4251-01 |
2 Chronicles 24:25 | בְּ/מַחֲלוּיִ֣ם | bemachaluyim | HR/Ncmpa |
in-diseases | in diseases |