Lexical Summary chaluqqah: Portion, allotment, division Original Word: חֲלֻקָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance division Feminine of challuq; a distribution -- division. see HEBREW challuq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom 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. 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). 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). 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). 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 waḥăluqqaṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman'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 |