Original Word: חֶלְקָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: chelqah
Pronunciation: khel-kaw'
Phonetic Spelling: (khel-kaw')
KJV: field, flattering(-ry), ground, parcel, part, piece of land (ground), plat, portion, slippery place, smooth (thing)
Word Origin: [feminine of H2506 (חֵלֶק - portion)]

1. (properly) smoothness
2. (figuratively) flattery
3. also an allotment

field, ground, parcel, part, piece of land ground, plat, portion,

Feminine of cheleq; properly, smoothness; figuratively, flattery; also an allotment -- field, flattering(-ry), ground, parcel, part, piece of land (ground), plat, portion, slippery place, smooth (thing).

see HEBREW cheleq

I. חֶלְקָה noun feminine portion of ground; — absolute ׳ח Amos 4:7 (twice in verse) + 8 t.; construct חֶלְקַת Genesis 33:19 12t.; suffix חֶלְקָתִי Jeremiah 12:10; חֶלְקָתָם Job 24:18; portion of ground, 1 especially

a. הַשָּׂדֶה ׳ח = the clearly divided field Genesis 33:19; Joshua 24:32 (both E), 2 Samuel 23:11; Ruth 2:3; Ruth 4:3; 2 Kings 9:25; 1 Chronicles 11:13. Also

b. without השׂדה Amos 4:7 (twice in verse); 2 Samuel 14:30 (twice in verse); 2 Samuel 14:31; 2 Samuel 23:12; 2 Kings 3:19,25; 2 Kings 9:21,26 (twice in verse); 1 Chronicles 11:14; Job 24:18; of ׳יs land Jeremiah 12:10 (twice in verse) ("" כַּרְמִי); compare also proper name, of a location חלקת חַצֻּרִים 2 Samuel 2:16 field of sword-edges (Dr), ᵐ5 Ew^{G iii. 156, Eng. tr. 114} We read הַצֹּדִים ׳ח field of plotters or liers-in-wait (see Dr).

2 portion of ground assigned to one, מחקק ׳ח Deuteronomy 33:21 commander's portion.

II. [חֶלְקָה] noun feminine smooth part, smoothness, flattery; — construct חֶלְקַת Genesis 27:16; Proverbs 6:24; plural חֲלָקוֺת Psalm 12:3 3t.; —

1 smoothness, smooth part חֶלְקַת צַוָּארָיו Genesis 27:16.

2 plural slippery places Psalm 73:18 figurative of situation of wicked.

3 smoothness = flattery ׳שְׂפַת חִ Psalm 12:3, compare Psalm 12:4; חֶלְקַת לָשׁוֺן Proverbs 6:24; = substantive plural smooth things, i.e. agreeable, flattering things Isaiah 30:10. — 1.חֶלְקָה see below I. חלק.

Overview of Usage

חֶלְקָה occurs twenty-nine times in the Old Testament and is employed in two primary ways. Most frequently it denotes a defined tract of land—a “portion” or “parcel” often distinguished from adjoining acreage. Three occurrences (Genesis 27:16; 1 Samuel 17:40; Genesis 27:16 again? Actually only mention—they count) describe “smoothness,” highlighting the absence of hair or roughness. The term therefore conveys both physical texture and territorial ownership, and in either sense it frames decisive moments in Israel’s history.

Key Narrative Settings

1. Jacob’s Purchase at Shechem

Genesis 33:19 records Jacob buying “a piece of land” near Shechem. This same plot reappears in Joshua 24:32 when Joseph’s bones are buried there, binding patriarchal promise to conquest fulfilment. Located adjacent to the ancient well where Jesus later met the Samaritan woman (John 4:5–6), the parcel becomes a geographic testimony to covenant continuity.

2. Providence in Ruth

Ruth “happened to come to a portion of the field belonging to Boaz” (Ruth 2:3). The chance arrival in a chelqah highlights divine sovereignty directing ordinary steps toward redemptive ends, ultimately threading this Moabite widow into the Messianic line.

3. The Stand in the Lentil Plot

Shammah son of Agee “took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines, and the LORD brought about a great victory” (2 Samuel 23:11–12; paralleled in 1 Chronicles 11:13-14). A small chelqah becomes the stage for courage that preserves both crop and covenant people, exemplifying faithfulness in seemingly humble assignments.

4. Absalom’s Torch to Joab’s Field

To force an audience with Joab, Absalom ordered, “See, Joab’s field is next to mine… set it on fire” (2 Samuel 14:30). The burning of grain within a chelqah exposes the destructive ambition that later unravels David’s household.

5. Judgment on Moab

In Elisha’s day the LORD foretold that Israel would “ruin every good piece of land” in Moab (2 Kings 3:19, 25). The systematic devastation of chelqoth (“fields”) testifies that covenant blessing or curse extends to the soil itself.

6. Jeremiah’s Arrest En Route to His Portion

Jeremiah left Jerusalem “to receive his portion there among the people” (Jeremiah 37:12) but was seized as a deserter. Even the prophet’s personal chelqah becomes entangled in national rebellion, marking the nearness of Babylonian judgment.

7. The Smooth Neck of Jacob

In Genesis 27:16 Rebecca covers Jacob’s “smooth skin of his neck” with goatskins to deceive Isaac. The tactile nuance of chelqah contrasts Jacob’s softness with Esau’s hairiness, underscoring the tension between birthright and blessing.

Theological Themes

• Covenant Inheritance: Repeated references to purchased or inherited parcels remind readers that land is gift, not entitlement. Each chelqah echoes the promise in Genesis 12:7 and anticipates the ultimate “better country” (Hebrews 11:16).
• Divine Providence in the Ordinary: Fields for grazing, gleaning, or grain become arenas where God orchestrates lineage (Ruth) and deliverance (Shammah). Ministry often unfolds in commonplace settings entrusted to God’s care.
• Holiness Extending to Soil: Blessing or judgment acts upon tangible territory (2 Kings 3), affirming that the Creator’s moral governance embraces creation itself.
• Integrity and Deception: The “smooth” chelqah of Jacob’s neck embodies human schemes, set against God’s sovereign purposes that are never thwarted by deceit.

Historical and Geographic Insights

Archaeological surveys locate Jacob’s purchase at Tell Balata (ancient Shechem). The parcel aligns with the nucleus of tribal allotments in Ephraim and later becomes Samaria’s religious focal point. Fields in Bethlehem, Shunem, and Moab associated with chelqah references correspond to fertile terraces still cultivated today, illustrating the continuity of agricultural rhythms from antiquity.

Ministry Applications

1. Stewardship: Believers entrusted with any “portion”—whether land, vocation, or talent—are to guard it faithfully as Shammah did his lentils.
2. Reconciliation: Jacob’s parcel, scene of both strife and burial, challenges modern disciples to pursue peace over property disputes.
3. Providence and Mission: Ruth’s accidental arrival in Boaz’s chelqah encourages ministries to view seeming coincidences as divine appointments.
4. Warning Against Manipulation: Absalom’s incendiary use of Joab’s field and Jacob’s “smooth” deception caution leaders against leveraging possessions or appearance to force outcomes.

Representative Scripture Index

Genesis 27:16; Genesis 33:19; Joshua 24:32; Ruth 2:3; 2 Samuel 14:30–31; 2 Samuel 23:11–12; 2 Kings 3:19, 25; 1 Chronicles 11:13–14; Jeremiah 37:12; Nehemiah 11:35.

בְּחֶלְקַ֕ת בְּחֶלְקַ֖ת בְּחֶלְקַ֣ת בַּ֭חֲלָקוֹת בַּחֶלְקָ֖ה בַּחֶלְקָ֥ה בחלקה בחלקות בחלקת הַֽחֶלְקָה֙ הַחֶלְקָ֖ה הַחֶלְקָ֣ה הַחֶלְקָ֥ה הַחֶלְקָה֙ החלקה וְחֶלְקָ֛ה וחלקה חֲלָק֑וֹת חֲלָק֔וֹת חֶלְקַ֣ת חֶלְקַ֤ת חֶלְקַ֥ת חֶלְקַ֨ת חֶלְקַת֙ חֶלְקָ֣ה חֶלְקָ֤ה חֶלְקָתִ֑י חֶלְקָתָ֣ם חלקה חלקות חלקת חלקתי חלקתם מֵֽ֝חֶלְקַ֗ת מחלקת ba·ḥă·lā·qō·wṯ ba·ḥel·qāh Bachalakot bachelKah baḥălāqōwṯ baḥelqāh bə·ḥel·qaṯ bechelKat bəḥelqaṯ chalaKot chelKah chelKat chelkaTam chelkaTi ha·ḥel·qāh ḥă·lā·qō·wṯ hachelKah haḥelqāh ḥălāqōwṯ ḥel·qā·ṯām ḥel·qā·ṯî ḥel·qāh ḥel·qaṯ ḥelqāh ḥelqaṯ ḥelqāṯām ḥelqāṯî mê·ḥel·qaṯ mechelKat mêḥelqaṯ vechelKah wə·ḥel·qāh wəḥelqāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts