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מַחֲלַת

𐤌𐤇𐤋𐤕

machălath

H4257 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חלה to be sick, become weak, suffer illness

Definition

A feminine noun meaning (1) sickness, disease, affliction, and (2) a musical or liturgical term, likely denoting the title or tune for a particular psalm. Contextually, it can refer to a literal condition of ill health or serve as a technical heading in the titles of certain psalms, possibly referring to a musical style, melody, or thematic association.

Semantic Range

physical sickness, disease, affliction; figurative distress or lament; technical musical or liturgical term (title, tune, melody); personal name

Root / Etymology

From the root חלה (ḥ-l-h), meaning 'to be sick, to become weak, to be afflicted.' The noun מַחֲלַת derives from this root and specifies the state or condition of illness. Its appearance as a musical heading appears to be a secondary or derived usage, possibly borrowing the sense of emotional or spiritual affliction for liturgical application, or else serving as a technical musical term whose original meaning has become obscured.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In narrative and legal texts, מחלת refers to physical sickness or affliction, and is used to describe the condition of illness in general. In the superscriptions of certain psalms (Psalm 53, Psalm 88), מַחֲלַת appears as a part of musical or liturgical instructions: לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל־מַחֲלַת ('to the leader: according to Mahalath') and עַל־מַחֲלַת לְעַנּוֹת. In these contexts, it is likely a reference to a specific melody, musical mode, or possibly a thematic cue for lament (with 'sickness' as a metaphor for grief or distress), though the precise meaning is uncertain. The word is also attested as a personal name, borne by a daughter of Ishmael and a wife of Esau (Genesis 28:9), with the personal name possibly signifying one afflicted or referencing the state of sickness metaphorically. Standard English translations often obscure whether the term in Psalms is intended literally (as 'sickness') or as a technical musical term, as its precise function in those psalm headings remains unclear. Later tradition sometimes sees it as a tune or performance style, but the specifics are lost.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָלָה; sickness; 'Machalath', probably the title (initial word) of a popular song; Mahalath.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

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

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4257-01 מָחֲלַ֗ת machalat HNcfsa Mahalath sickness 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4257-01 Psalms 53:1 מָחֲלַ֗ת machalat HNcfsa Mahalath sickness
H4257-01 Psalms 88:1 מָחֲלַ֣ת machalat HNcfsa Mahalath sickness
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