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Nehemiah 11:36 — Word Study

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WLCוּמִן־ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם מַחְלְק֥וֹת יְהוּדָ֖ה לְבִנְיָמִֽין׃ פ

BSAAnd somemin divisionsmachălôqeth [sections, courses] of the LevitesLêvîyîy [descendants of Levi, the priestly tribe] of JudahYᵉhûwdâh [the tribe of Judah, the southern kingdom] settled in BenjaminBinyâmîyn [were joined, had portions, the tribe of Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob]

Word
Listen & take awayNehemiah 11
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 36 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (le.vin.ya.Min) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Nehemiah 11:36quick helps
In a sentenceSome divisions of the Levites from Judah settled in the territory of Benjamin.
Who is speakingThe narrator, summarizing the settlement of the Levites.
Where we areIn the context of the return of the exiles and the re-establishment of the community.
The hard wordמַחְלְק֥וֹת
Take awayThe Levites had specific divisions that settled in designated areas.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Ellicott & more — read them › clause The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Nehemiah 11:36

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Settlements of the Levitesgenerated

33Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
34Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
35Lod, and Ono; and in the Valley of the Craftsmen.
36And some divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin.

Nehemiah 11:36 describes how some divisions of the Levites from the tribe of Judah settled in the territory of Benjamin. This verse highlights the organization and distribution of the Levites, who played a crucial role in the religious life of Israel. The context reflects the efforts to restore the community after the exile, as seen in the broader narrative of Nehemiah's leadership and the rebuilding of Jerusalem.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Joshua 21:1–45Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel
21 Chronicles 6:54–81Now these were the territories assigned to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clan for their settlements, because the first lot fell to them:
3Genesis 49:7Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

divisionsGenesis 49:7

The Key Word מַחְלְק֥וֹת, mach.le.Kotgenerated

The word מַחְלְק֥וֹת (*machalokot*) is a feminine plural noun meaning 'divisions' or 'sections.' It indicates specific groups or courses within a larger organization, particularly in the context of the Levites, who were responsible for various religious duties. The parsing as a common noun shows its role in identifying distinct groups.

This term emphasizes the structured organization of the Levites, reflecting their important function in the Israelite community. Each division had its own responsibilities, contributing to the overall functioning of the priestly service.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In the Berean Standard Bible, the term used is divisions, which is consistent across several translations, including the KJV and ASV.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause is governed by the subject הַלְוִיִּ֔ם, the Levites, which is followed by a prepositional phrase indicating their origin and a noun phrase describing their destination. The structure clearly delineates the subjects and their actions.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the Levites first, highlighting their significance in the settlement narrative, followed by the details of their divisions and the region they settled in.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מַחְלְק֥וֹת with μερίδες, which also means 'divisions' or 'sections.' This choice maintains the idea of organized groups within the Levites, similar to the Hebrew.

The consistency in terminology between the Hebrew and the Greek suggests a shared understanding of the Levites' structured roles in both texts.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Nehemiah 11:36 tells us that some divisions of the Levites from the tribe of Judah settled in the territory of Benjamin. This verse highlights the organization of the Levites, who had specific roles in the religious life of Israel.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What is the significance of the Levites settling in Benjamin?

The Levites' settlement in Benjamin reflects their role in maintaining religious practices and supporting the spiritual life of the community after the exile.

Who were the Levites?

The Levites were descendants of Levi, one of Jacob's sons, and were set apart for religious duties, serving in the temple and assisting the priests.

Why are divisions mentioned?

The divisions indicate the organized structure of the Levites, showing that they had specific responsibilities and roles within the community.

How does this verse fit into the larger narrative of Nehemiah?

This verse fits into the narrative by illustrating the efforts to restore the community and re-establish religious practices after the return from exile.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What roles do you think the Levites played in the community of Benjamin?
  2. How can we learn from the organization of the Levites in our own communities today?
  3. Why is it important for religious leaders to have defined roles and responsibilities?
  4. In what ways can we support the spiritual life of our community, similar to the Levites?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

The early commentator Bede discusses the Levites' portions in Judah and Benjamin, emphasizing their share in the inheritance of these tribes.

BedeCommentary on Ezra and Nehemiah c. 673–735
And concerning the Levites, portions of Judah and Benjamin, it indicates that the Levites received their share in the possession of the children of Judah and Benjamin according to the decree of the law.
Early Church Fathers on Nehemiah 11 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 11:36 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin. They were scattered about, some here and some there, in both these tribes, for the better instruction of the people.

Read John Gill on Nehemiah 11 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin. And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin - rather for the Levites; i:e., those who were not resident in Jerusalem were

Read Robert Jamieson on Nehemiah 11 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Or, for the Levites (to wit, those of them who were not settled in Jerusalem) there were divisions, i.e. places appointed for them, and distributed among them.

Read Matthew Poole on Nehemiah 11 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(36) And of the Levites.—The fewness of the Levites in the country warranted their summary notice in this way.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Nehemiah 11 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 36. And of the Levites were divisions] The Levites had their dwellings in the divisions of Judah and Benjamin. This is probably the meaning: the Syriac says, They had the half of Judah and Benjamin; which is not likely. THAT the people whose hearts were now turned towards the Lord, would make the best provision for the support of God's work, and all those engaged in it, we may naturally suppose; but this could not be very great, as the complete service was not yet established, and the Levites themselves were few in number.

Read AdamClarke on Nehemiah 11 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

36. were divisions in Judah and in Benjamin] R.V. certain courses in Judah were joined to Benjamin. The A.V., which gives quite a wrong view of the passage, perhaps followed the Vulg., ‘de Levitis portiones Judζ et Benjamin.’ The LXX. is very literal, ἀπὸτῶνΛευιτῶνμερίδεςἸούδατῷΒενιαμείν. The meaning is quite unmistakeable. ‘Divisions’ or ‘sections’ of the Levitical community who in former times had been attached to the territory of Judah, were now settled in Benjamin.

Read Cambridge on Nehemiah 11 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Of the Levites were divisions - i. e., “the Levites were scattered among various towns both in Judah and Benjamin.”

Read Albert Barnes on Nehemiah 11 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

36. Divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin — Rather, divisions of Judah to Benjamin.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Nehemiah 11 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

And some divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Of the Levites, certain divisions in Judah settled in Benjamin’s territory.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

And some divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Some of the Judean divisions of the Levites settled in Benjamin.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And of the Levites, certain courses in Judah were joined to Benjamin.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And of the Levites, certain courses in Judah were joined to Benjamin.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And of the Leuites were diuisions in Iudah and in Beniamin.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And of the Levites there were divisions of Judah [dwelling] in Benjamin.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And of the Levites, the courses of Judah [are] for Benjamin.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And of the Levites, the divisions of Judah [are] for Benjamin.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And of the Levites dwelt certain divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Some of the Levites who lived in Judah were assigned to the people of Benjamin.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And of the Levites were portions of Juda and Benjamin.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Some divisions of the Levites of Judah also settled in Benjamin.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And of the Levites, certain divisions in Judah were joined to Benjamin.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וּandclausenoun phrase · subjectprepositional phraseמִןsome.ofnoun phraseהַtheלְוִיִּ֔םLevitesnoun phraseמַחְלְק֥וֹתthe.divisionsיְהוּדָ֖הof.Judahprepositional phrase · predicateלְ[belonged].toבִנְיָמִֽיןBenjamin

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in the wording of וּמִן־ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם מַחְלְק֥וֹת יְהוּדָ֖ה לְבִנְיָמִֽין׃. Both texts convey the same meaning regarding the divisions of the Levites from Judah settling in Benjamin.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וּמִן־ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם מַחְלְק֥וֹת יְהוּדָ֖ה לְבִנְיָמִֽין׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וּמִן־ἀπὸהַלְוִיִּ֔םλευιτῶνמַחְלְק֥וֹתμερίδεςיְהוּדָ֖הιουδαלְבִנְיָמִֽין׃ פβενιαμιν

5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Nehemiah 11:36מִן־and some ofand some ofמִן־לֵוִיthe Levitesthe Levitesלֵוִימַחֲלֹ֫קֶת[the] divis[the] divisionsמַחֲלֹ֫קֶתיְהוּדָהJudahJudahיְהוּדָהבִּנְיָמִין[belonged] [belonged] to BבִּנְיָמִיןלֵוִיLeviLeviלֵוִיחָלַקto divideto divideחָלַקיָדָהto give thto give thanksיָדָהבֵּןson: childson: childבֵּןמֵןstringstringמֵןרָחַקto removeto removeרָחַקיָתַרto remainto remainיָתַרכֹּהֵןpriestpriestכֹּהֵןעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהשֹׁעֵרgatekeepergatekeeperשֹׁעֵרעֶשְׂרִיםtwentytwentyעֶשְׂרִיםצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּZedekiahZedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּבֵּיתBethlehemBethlehemבֵּיתגִּבְעָהGibeahGibeahגִּבְעָהמַטֶּהtribetribeמַטֶּה
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Nehemiah 11:36

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and some of the Levites [the] divisions of Judah [belonged] to Benjamin
וּמִן־u.min- and some of H4480 Conjunction · preposition
1,189× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Tyndale gloss
from
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

from, against

מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

of position, off, on the side of, on

Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

Partitively

Of time—

as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

towards, to

(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

In comparisons, beyond, above

מן is prefixed to an infin.:

with causal force, from, on account of, through

after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

with a temporal force, since, after

Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

In compounds:

base

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against

. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

. of position, off, on the side of, on

. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

. Partitively

. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

. towards, to

. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

. In comparisons, beyond, above

. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through

. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

. with a temporal force, since, after

. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4480 min min

or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)

{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;

hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as

follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason

of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,

since, X then, through, X whether, with.

see HEBREW for 04482

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִן־ (min) — from.

prep

1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than

1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of

1b) out of

1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)

1b2) (of material from which something is made)

1b3) (of source or origin)

1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)

1d) from, since, after (of time)

1e) than, more than (in comparison)

1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or

1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)

1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)

conj

2) that

Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)

מֵן (men) — portion.

n.m.

portion

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep — Conjunction · preposition
HC/R
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and some of the Levites [the] divisions of Judah [belonged] to Benjamin
הַלְוִיִּ֔םhal.vi.Yim the Levites H3881 Particle · noun gentilic masculine plural absolute
291× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Levite is a descendant of Levi, one of Jacob's 12 sons, mentioned in Genesis 29:34. Levi's brothers include Reuben, Simeon, and Judah. His descendants played a key role in Israel's spiritual life.
Amplified meaning
descendants of Levi, the priestly tribe
Tyndale gloss
Levi
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֵוִי (Leviy) refers to a Levite, a member of the tribe of Levi, which is the third son of Jacob and Leah. This term encompasses the descendants of Levi, who were set apart for religious duties. The word is linked to the Hebrew root for 'joining,' reflecting the tribe's special role in service to God. It first appears in Genesis 29:34.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֵוִי 291 adj.gent. Levite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3881 לֵוִי Levite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3881 Leviyiy lay-vee-ee'

or Leviy {lay-vee'}; patronymically from 3878; a Levite or

descendant of Levi:--Leviite.

see HEBREW for 03878

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֵוִי (le.viy.yi) — Levi.

Someone from the tribe of Levi living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.34;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);

brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Judah (H3063), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144);

father of: Gershon (H1648), Kohath (H6955), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115)

Another name of le.vi (לֵוִי "Levi" H3878)

§ Levite, of Levi "joined to"

1) the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah

1a) the tribe descended from Levi specially set aside by God for His service

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Ngmpa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ngmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

le'-vits.

See PRIESTS AND LEVITES.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(descendants of Levi). Sometimes the name extends to the whole tribe, the priests included, (Exodus 6:25; Leviticus 25:32; Numbers 35:2; Joshua 21:3,41) etc; sometimes only to those members of the tribe who were not priests, and as distinguished from them. Sometimes again it is added as an epithet of the smaller portion of the tribe, and we read of "the priests the Levites." (Joshua 3:3; Ezekiel 44:15) The history of the tribe and of the functions attached to its several orders is essential to any right apprehension of the history of Israel as a people. It will fall…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

All the descendants of Levi may be comprised under this name, Ex 6:16,25 Jos 3:3, (see LEVI;) but chiefly those who were employed in the lower services in the temple, by which they were distinguished from the priests, who were of the race of Levi by Aaron, and were employed in higher offices, Nu 3:6-10 18:2-7. God chose the Levites for the service of his tabernacle and temple, instead of the firstborn of all Israel, to whom such duties naturally belonged, and who were already sacred to God in memory of the great deliverance in Egypt. Ex 13:1-22 Nu 3:12,13,39-51. In the wilderness, the Levites took charge of the tabernacle…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (The descendants of Levi)

→ Set apart as ministers of religion Nu 1:47-54; 3:6-16; 16:9; 26:57-62; De 10:8; 1Ch 15:2

→ Substituted in the place of the firstborn children Nu 3:12,41-45; 8:14,16-18; 18:6

→ Religious zeal of Ex 32:26-28; De 33:9,10; Mal 2:4,5

→ Consecration of Nu 8:6-21

→ Sedition among, led by Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On, on account of jealousy toward Moses and Aaron Nu 16; with 4:19,20

and some of the Levites [the] divisions of Judah [belonged] to Benjamin
מַחְלְק֥וֹתmach.le.Kot [the] divisions of H4256 Noun common · feminine plural construct
42× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A division or section of people, including soldiers, priests, and Levites, as described in the Bible's accounts of the Israelites' military and priestly organizations.
Amplified meaning
sections, courses
Tyndale gloss
division
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַחֲלֹ֫קֶת (machaloqeth) refers to a division or course, often in the context of Levites, priests, or soldiers. It denotes a section or allotment, and is primarily used in a technical sense within religious or organizational structures. The term is derived from another Hebrew word, and its Aramaic equivalent is noted as well.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַחֲלֹ֫קֶת n.f. division, course (almost wholly Chr.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4256 מַחֲלֹ֫קֶת

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4256 machaloqeth makh-al-o'-keth

from 2505; a section (of Levites, people or

soldiers):--company, course, division, portion. See also

5555.

see HEBREW for 02505

see HEBREW for 05555

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַחֲלֹ֫קֶת (ma.cha.lo.qet) — division.

1) division, course, class, share, allotment

1a) division, part

1b) division, class, course

1b1) of priests, Levites (technical term of organisation)

Aramaic equivalent: mach.le.qah (מַחְלְקָה "class" H4255)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural construct
HNcfpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and some of the Levites [the] divisions of Judah [belonged] to Benjamin
יְהוּדָ֖הye.hu.Dah Judah H3063 Noun proper
820× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Judah is the name of the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob. It is also the name of the region where the tribe lived. The name means 'praised' and is first mentioned in Genesis.
Amplified meaning
the tribe of Judah, the southern kingdom
Tyndale gloss
(Baalah of)Judah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהוּדָה (yehudah) means 'Judah' and is derived from a root meaning 'praised.' It refers to the son of Jacob and Leah, the tribe descended from him, and the territory they occupied. The term also encompasses the southern kingdom of Judah, which included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Additionally, it identifies various individuals, including Levites and overseers during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְהוּדָה 820 n.pr.m. et terr. Judah

n.pr.m.

son of Jacob and Leah

tribe descended from Judah

nation, of southern kingdom under dynasty of David, as distinguished from northern kingdom of Ephraim or Israel

Levite, Ezra’s time

an overseer of Jerus.

Levite musician

priest

n.pr.terr. land of Judah

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3063 יְהוּדָה Judah

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3063 Yhuwdah yeh-hoo-daw'

from 3034; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five

Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of

its territory:--Judah.

see HEBREW for 03034

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהוּדָה (ye.hu.dah) — Judah.

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.35;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);

brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); married to Bath-shua (H1323I) and Tamar (H8559);

father of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209), Shelah (H7956), Perez (H6557) and Zerah (H2226I)

§ Judah = "praised"

1) the son of Jacob by Leah

2) the tribe descended from Judah the son of Jacob

3) the territory occupied by the tribe of Judah

4) the kingdom comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin which occupied the southern part of Canaan after the nation split upon the death of Solomon

5) a Levite in Ezra's time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Judah

Praise, the fourth son of Jacob by Leah. The name originated in Leah’s words of praise to the Lord on account of his birth: “Now will I praise [Heb. odeh] Jehovah, and she called his name Yehudah” (Gen. 29:35).

It was Judah that interposed in behalf of Joseph, so that his life was spared (Gen. 37:26, 27). He took a lead in the affairs of the family, and “prevailed above his brethren” (Gen. 43:3-10; 44:14, 16-34; 46:28; 1 Chr. 5:2).

Soon after the sale of Joseph to the Ishmaelites, Judah went to reside at Adullam, where he married a woman of Canaan. (See ONAN; TAMAR.) After the death of his wife Shuah, he returned to his father’s house, and there exercised much…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(praised, celebrated), the fourth son of Jacob and the fourth of Leah. (B.C. after 1753.) Of Judah’s personal character more traits are preserved than of any other of the patriarchs, with the exception of Joseph, whose life he in conjunction with Reuben saved. (Genesis 37:26-28) During the second visit to Egypt for corn it was Judah who understood to be responsible for the safety of Benjamin, ch. (Genesis 43:3-10) and when, through Joseph’s artifice, the brothers were brought back to the palace, he is again the leader and spokesman of the band. So too it is Judah who is sent before Jacob to smooth the way for him in the land of Goshen. ch. (Genesis 46:28) This ascendancy over his brethren is reflected in the last words…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The fourth son of Jacob and Leah, born in Mesopotamia, B. C. 1755, Ge 29:35. His name appears honorably in the history of Joseph, Ge 37:26,27 44:16-34; but disgracefully in that of Tamar his daughter-in-law, Ge 38:1-30. The dying benediction of Jacob foretells the superior power and prosperity of the family of Judah, and their continuance as chief of the Jewish race until the time of Christ, Ge 49:8-12. Though not the firstborn, Judah soon came to be considered as the chief of Jacob’s children, and his tribe was the most powerful and numerous. The southeastern part of Palestine fell to their lot. See JUDEA. On the border of their territory was Jerusalem, the seat of the…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

the praise of the Lord; confession

and some of the Levites [the] divisions of Judah [belonged] to Benjamin
לְבִנְיָמִֽין׃ פle.vin.ya.Min [belonged] to Benjamin H1144 Preposition · noun proper masculine
166× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Benjamin means son of the right hand, referring to the youngest son of Jacob and the tribe that descended from him. The term is first used in Genesis 35:18. Benjamin was a brother of Joseph and a half-brother of Reuben and others.
Amplified meaning
were joined, had portions, the tribe of Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob
Tyndale gloss
(Gate of) Benjamin
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בִּנְיָמִין (i.e., *Binyamiyn*) means 'son of the right hand.' It refers primarily to Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, as well as to the tribe descended from him. The entries also mention a son of Bilhan and several individuals from the time of Ezra. Notably, the name is associated with various contexts in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בִּנְיָמִין n.pr.m. 166 (son of (the) right hand)—

youngest son of Jacob, so called by him, but Rachel, the mother, who died at Benjamin's birth, called בֶּן־אוֹנִ֑י (q.v.)

son of Bilhan and great-grandson of Benjamin

a Jew of Ezra's time

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1144 בִּנְיָמִין . youngest son of Jacob, so called by him, but Rachel, the mother, who died at Benjamin's birth, called בֶּן־אוֹנִ֑י (q.v.)

. son of Bilhan and great-grandson of Benjamin

. a Jew of Ezra's time

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1144 Binyamiyn bin-yaw-mene'

from 1121 and 3225; son of (the) right hand; Binjamin,

youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and

its territory:--Benjamin.

see HEBREW for 01121

see HEBREW for 03225

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בִּנְיָמִין (bin.ya.min) — Benjamin.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.35.18;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Rachel (H7354);

brother of: Joseph (H3130);

half-brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

father of: Bela (H1106A), Becher (H1071), Ashbel (H0788), Gera (H1617), Naaman (H5283), Ehi (H0278), Rosh (H7220), Muppim (H4649), Huppim (H2650H), Ard (H0714), Ahiram (H0297) and Jediael (H3043); also called Jamin at 1Sa.9.1,4; 22.7; 1x

§ Benjamin = "son of the right hand"

1) Jacob's and Rachel's youngest son, Joseph's full brother

2) son of Bilhan, great-grandson of Benjamin

3) a Benjamite, one of the sons of Harim, in the time of Ezra who had taken a strange wife

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculine
HR/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ben'-ja-min (binyamin, or binyamin; Beniaein, Beniamin):

1. The Patriarch:

The youngest of Jacob's sons. His mother Rachel died in giving him birth. As she felt death approaching she called him Benoni, "son of my sorrow." Fearing, probably, that this might bode evil for the child--for names have always preserved a peculiar significance in the East--Jacob called him Benjamin, "son of the fight hand" (Ge 35:17 ff). He alone of Jacob's sons was born in Palestine, between Bethel and Ephrath. Later in the chapter, in the general enumeration of the children born in Paddan-ar am, the writer fails to except Benjamin (Ge 35:24). Joseph was his full brother. In the history where Benjamin appears as an object of solicitude to his father and brothers, we must not forget that he was already a…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Benjamin

Son of my right hand. (1.) The younger son of Jacob by Rachel (Gen. 35:18). His birth took place at Ephrath, on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, at a short distance from the latter place. His mother died in giving him birth, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni, son of my pain, a name which was changed by his father into Benjamin. His posterity are called Benjamites (Gen. 49:27; Deut. 33:12; Josh. 18:21).

The tribe of Benjamin at the Exodus was the smallest but one (Num. 1:36, 37; Ps. 68:27). During the march its place was along with Manasseh…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(son of the right hand, fortunate). The youngest of the children of Jacob. His birth took place on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, near the latter, B.C. 1729. His mother, Rachel, died in the act of giving him birth, naming him with her last breath Ben-oni (son of my sorrow). This was by Jacob changed into Benjamin. (Genesis 35:16,18) Until the journeys of Jacob’s sons and Jacob himself into Egypt we hear nothing of Benjamin. Nothing personal is known of him. Henceforward the history of Benjamin is the history of the tribe. A man of the tribe of Benjamin, son of bilhan, and the head of a family of warriors. (1 Chronicles 7:10) One of the "sons of Harim," an Israelite in the time of Ezra who had married a foreign wife. (Ezra…

The youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, Ge 35:16-18. Rachel died immediately after he was born, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni, the son of my sorrow; but Jacob called him Benjamin, son of my right hand. He was a great comfort to his father, who saw in him the beloved wife he had buried, and Joseph whose loss he mourned. He could hardly be persuaded to let him go with his brethren to Egypt, Ge 42:38. The tribe of Benjamin was small at first and was almost exterminated in the days of the Judges, Jud 20:1-48, but afterwards greatly increased, 2Ch 14:8 17:17. It was valiant, Ge 49:27, and "beloved of the Lord,"…

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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