2515. chaluqqah
Lexical Summary
chaluqqah: Portion, allotment, division

Original Word: חֲלֻקָּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: chaluqqah
Pronunciation: khä-lük-kä'
Phonetic Spelling: (khal-ook-kaw')
KJV: division
NASB: division
Word Origin: [feminine of H2512 (חַלּוּק - smooth)]

1. a distribution

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
division

Feminine of challuq; a distribution -- division.

see HEBREW challuq

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from chalaq
Definition
part, portion
NASB Translation
division (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[חֲלֻקָּה] noun feminine part, portion, חֲלֻקַּת בֵּיתאָֿב לַלְוִיִּם2Chronicles 35:5.

Topical Lexicon
Occurrence and Narrative Context

The term appears once, in 2 Chronicles 35:5, within the record of King Josiah’s great Passover. The chronicler describes how the Levites were commanded to “stand in the Holy Place by divisions, according to the families of your kinsmen, the lay people, and in accordance with the division of the families of the Levites” (2 Chronicles 35:5). Josiah’s reforms, grounded in the rediscovered Book of the Law (2 Chronicles 34:14-19), sought to restore covenant purity. The carefully structured arrangement of priestly and Levitical service signaled both continuity with Davidic-Solomonic worship (1 Chronicles 24–26) and renewed zeal for obedience to the Mosaic prescriptions of Numbers 3–4.

Historical Significance

1. Restoration of Proper Worship: The monarchy had fallen into idolatry during Manasseh’s reign, but Josiah reinstituted temple worship that mirrored the original divisions established by David. This single use of the word highlights the return to a God-ordained pattern.
2. Unity of All Israel: By aligning priests, Levites, and lay families in ordered groups, the Passover underscored national solidarity under the covenant (2 Chronicles 35:17-18).
3. Continuity of Priestly Courses: Though a rare word, it testifies to the chronicler’s concern for priestly lineage and temple protocol, themes woven throughout Chronicles to reassure post-exilic readers of God’s unbroken promises.

Theological Emphases

• Divine Order Promotes Holiness: The regulated “division” situates service in the holy place as an act of obedience, echoing Paul’s assertion that “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
• Covenant Fidelity Remembered: Josiah’s insistence on proper divisions reflects the covenant stipulation that the Levites teach and guard holiness (Deuteronomy 33:10). The act of dividing responsibilities safeguarded the sanctity of worship.
• Collective Responsibility: The word’s setting stresses that worship is not an individual enterprise but a communal responsibility, each family playing its part (compare Ephesians 4:16).

Ministry Application

1. Structured Service Enhances Participation: Like the ancient divisions, orderly ministry teams in the church allow every believer to exercise gifts without confusion (Romans 12:4-8).
2. Guarding Orthodoxy: Proper roles and accountability protect congregations from doctrinal drift, just as priestly courses guarded purity in Josiah’s day.
3. Revival Linked to Reverence: Spiritual renewal often accompanies renewed attention to biblical patterns of worship (Nehemiah 8; Acts 2:42-47).

Christological Foreshadowing

The meticulous arrangement of ministry anticipates the final High Priest, Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfills every priestly “division” (Hebrews 7:23-28). While Levitical groups served in rotational turns, Christ “holds His priesthood permanently” (Hebrews 7:24), combining every course into one eternal mediation.

Implications for the Contemporary Church

• Maintain Scriptural Blueprints: Just as Josiah adhered to the Law’s directives, congregations flourish when leadership structures mirror biblical principles (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1).
• Celebrate Corporate Identity: The Passover divisions affirm that God’s people worship best when each member recognizes both individuality and interdependence (1 Peter 2:5).
• Seek Continual Reform: Josiah’s day reminds believers that periodic evaluation of worship practices against Scripture fuels authentic revival.

In its lone biblical appearance, חֲלֻקָּה serves as a quiet yet potent testimony to God-ordained order, communal fidelity, and the enduring pattern that finds its consummation in the perfect ministry of Jesus Christ.

Forms and Transliterations
וַחֲלֻקַּ֥ת וחלקת vachalukKat wa·ḥă·luq·qaṯ waḥăluqqaṯ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
2 Chronicles 35:5
HEB: בְּנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַחֲלֻקַּ֥ת בֵּֽית־ אָ֖ב
NAS: and according to the Levites, by division of a father's
KJV: the people, and [after] the division of the families
INT: the lay people division household of a father's

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2515
1 Occurrence


wa·ḥă·luq·qaṯ — 1 Occ.

2514
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