Original Word: מָחוֹל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: machowl
Pronunciation: mah-KHOHL
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-khole')
KJV: dance(-cing)
NASB: dancing, dance, dances
Word Origin: [from H2342 (חוּל חִיל - To twist)]

1. a (round) dance

dancing

From chuwl; a (round) dance -- dance(-cing).

see HEBREW chuwl

Word Origin
from chul
Definition
a dance
NASB Translation
dance (1), dances (1), dancing (4).

מָחוֺל noun masculine^{Lamentations 5:15} dance; — absolute׳מ Psalm 30:12 3t.; construct מְחוֺל Jeremiah 31:4; מְחוֺלֵנוּ Lamentations 5:15; — dance, token of joyousness Psalm 30:12 (opposed to מספד), Jeremiah 31:4,13 (compare v^b), Lamentations 5:15 (opposed to אֵבֶּל); act of praise to ׳י Psalm 149:3; Psalm 150:4; accompanied by timbrel (תֹּף) and sometimes other instruments Psalm 149:3; Psalm 149:4; Jeremiah 31:13.

Definition and Scope of Usage

מָחוֹל (machol) denotes the joyful, often circular dance that accompanies festive music and praise. Appearing six times, the word is always positive when Israel walks in covenant blessing and negative when covenant joy is withdrawn.

Old Testament References

• Psalm 30:11 – “You turned my mourning into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.”
• Psalm 149:3 – “Let them praise His name with dancing, and make music to Him with tambourine and harp.”
• Psalm 150:4 – “Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute.”
• Jeremiah 31:4 – A rebuilt Israel goes out “in joyful dancing” with tambourines.
• Jeremiah 31:13 – “Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, young men and old together.”
• Lamentations 5:15 – In exile, “our dancing has turned to mourning.”

Theological Themes

1. Transformation of Mourning to Joy: Psalm 30 and Jeremiah 31 portray machol as the tangible evidence of God’s power to reverse sorrow.
2. Corporate Praise: The closing Psalms fold dance into a full orchestration of instruments, showing worship engaging the whole person.
3. Covenant Blessing and Discipline: Jeremiah anticipates renewed dance; Lamentations laments its absence. Machol is thus a barometer of covenant health.
4. Generational Unity: Jeremiah 31:13 pictures young and old sharing the same dance, underscoring worship that transcends age.

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient Near-Eastern celebrations regularly featured rhythmic, circular movements with hand-held percussion. In Israel, such dances followed victory (Exodus 15), harvest, and enthronement psalms. Unlike pagan ecstatic rites, Israel’s machol remained God-centred, regulated by prophetic truth, and often led by women with tambourines.

Prophetic and Messianic Resonance

Jeremiah’s restoration oracles cast machol forward to the new covenant era. The imagery anticipates the joy of salvation accomplished in Jesus Christ, whose resurrection guarantees the ultimate turning of mourning into dancing for every believer (compare John 16:20).

Ministry Implications

• Liturgical Freedom: Scriptural precedent affirms bodily expression as a legitimate vehicle of praise when governed by reverence and order (1 Corinthians 14:40).
• Pastoral Care: Psalm 30 offers a pattern for testimony—publicly crediting God for personal deliverance through visible joy.
• Intergenerational Worship: Jeremiah 31 encourages church leaders to cultivate settings where all ages rejoice together.
• Lament and Hope: Lamentations teaches that seasons without dance should drive confession and renewed trust in God’s covenant mercy.

Summary

מָחוֹל epitomizes embodied rejoicing anchored in the character and acts of God. Whether highlighting deliverance, anticipating restoration, or grieving its loss, this dance word traces the spiritual pulse of God’s people across Scripture and calls today’s church to worship that is both deeply joyful and theologically grounded.

בְּמָח֔וֹל בְמָח֑וֹל בִּמְח֥וֹל במחול וּמָח֑וֹל ומחול לְמָח֪וֹל למחול מְחֹלֵֽנוּ׃ מחלנו׃ bə·mā·ḥō·wl ḇə·mā·ḥō·wl bemaChol bəmāḥōwl ḇəmāḥōwl bim·ḥō·wl bimChol bimḥōwl lə·mā·ḥō·wl lemaChol ləmāḥōwl mə·ḥō·lê·nū mechoLenu məḥōlênū ū·mā·ḥō·wl umaChol ūmāḥōwl vemaCholInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts