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מֶחֱצָה

𐤌𐤇𐤑𐤄

mechĕtsâh

H4275 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חצה to divide, split, apportion

Definition

A division into two equal parts; specifically, 'half' as the result or portion when something is divided in two. Can refer to half of quantities, portions, time periods, or groups, depending on the specific context. While fundamentally a mathematical or proportional term, it often denotes a portion allocated by division or apportionment.

Semantic Range

half, a portion divided in two, an equal share, a period divided in half, half of a group or portion

Root / Etymology

From the root חצה (ḥṣh), meaning 'to divide, split, apportion'. The noun is formed from the verbal root, denoting the state or result of being divided—'half, a half-portion'. The root meaning is 'to divide', while the noun specifically refers to the outcome of that process: a half.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מֶחֱצָה occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible and is used primarily in narrative or legal contexts to specify an equal division, often of people (e.g., groups) or resources. It can refer to literal halving or metaphorically indicate a fair or equitable share. The term is distinct from חֵצִי (ḥēṣî), which is the more common word for 'half', but is similarly derived from the root חצה. מֶחֱצָה is often found in passages emphasizing apportionment or equitable division. English translations uniformly render it as 'half', but may neglect the nuance of equitable sharing implied by the term's usage. In post-biblical Hebrew, other derivatives from the root חצה more frequently carry on the sense of 'half' or 'portion', but מֶחֱצָה retains its precise, somewhat formal sense in biblical text.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָצָהlemma חָעָה ayin, corrected to חָצָה; a halving; half.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חצה (ḥ-ṣ-h) — divide, split, apportion

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2673 חָצָה he divided
H2676 חָצוֹת night-division
H2677 חֵצִי in the half of
H2679 חֲצִי הַמְּנֻחוֹת half of
H2680 חֲצִי הַמְּנַחְתִּי half-Manahethite

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4275-02 מֶחֱצַ֥ת mechetsat HNcfsc the half half of 1
H4275-01 הַֽ/מֶּחֱצָ֔ה hamechetsah HTd/Ncfsa the half the half-portion 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4275-01 Numbers 31:36 הַֽ/מֶּחֱצָ֔ה hamechetsah HTd/Ncfsa the half the half-portion
H4275-02 Numbers 31:43 מֶחֱצַ֥ת mechetsat HNcfsc the half half of
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