Original Word: מַהֲלָךְ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: mahalak
Pronunciation: mah-hah-lahk
Phonetic Spelling: (mah-hal-awk')
KJV: journey, walk
NASB: walk, free, journey
Word Origin: [from H1980 (הָלַך - go)]

1. a walk, i.e. a passage or a distance

journey, walk

From halak; a walk, i.e. A passage or a distance -- journey, walk.

see HEBREW halak

Word Origin
from halak
Definition
a walk, journey, a going
NASB Translation
free (1), journey (1), walk (3).

Occurrences in Scripture

מַהֲלָךְ appears four times in the Old Testament: Nehemiah 2:6, Ezekiel 42:4, Jonah 3:3, and Jonah 3:4. In each setting it marks a measurable span—whether of time, distance, or space—over which God’s purposes unfold.

A Measure of Royal Permission and Divine Timing (Nehemiah 2:6)

When Nehemiah sought leave to rebuild Jerusalem, the Persian king asked, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” (Nehemiah 2:6). מַהֲלָךְ frames the conversation: the king grants the precise duration Nehemiah requests, yet behind that royal approval stands the sovereignty of the King of kings who had already inclined the monarch’s heart (Nehemiah 2:8). The term therefore highlights the intersection of human planning and divine providence. Ministry leaders today find encouragement that schedules and permissions—often perceived as purely administrative—are arenas in which God works out His restoration plans.

Sacred Architecture and Ordered Worship (Ezekiel 42:4)

Ezekiel’s temple vision includes “an inner walkway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits long” (Ezekiel 42:4). Here מַהֲלָךְ describes a corridor that regulates priestly movement. The measured path underscores the holiness that governs approach to God; access is not haphazard but structured. For the church, the verse reminds worshipers that reverence and order complement spiritual vitality (1 Corinthians 14:40).

A Call to Repentance for a Great City (Jonah 3:3–4)

Nineveh’s vastness is conveyed by מַהֲלָךְ: “Nineveh was an exceedingly great city—a three-day journey across” (Jonah 3:3). Jonah’s first day’s progress becomes the platform for his warning, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!” (Jonah 3:4). The term establishes both the scale of the mission field and the urgency of the message. God matches the prophet’s steps to the city’s needs, illustrating that He apportions grace in proportion to the challenge. Evangelistic ministry likewise measures time and distance against the enormity of God’s compassion (Jonah 4:11).

Patterns of Journeying in Redemptive History

1. Commissioning: Like Nehemiah and Jonah, servants are often sent on specific, measurable tasks.
2. Boundary-setting: Ezekiel’s temple corridor mirrors the moral boundaries God sets for His people.
3. Completion: Every God-ordained מַהֲלָךְ has an endpoint; Nehemiah returns, Ezekiel’s vision looks to fulfillment, and Jonah’s preaching completes its circuit with citywide repentance.

Implications for Ministry Today

• Planning under Providence: Strategic timelines and travel itineraries should be bathed in prayer, recognizing that God superintends every mile and minute.
• Measured Worship: Physical spaces and liturgical structures can foster, rather than hinder, reverence when they reflect biblical principles.
• Urgent Evangelism: Vast “cities” of modern life—whether urban centers or digital realms—still require messengers who will traverse their own three-day “journeys” with the gospel.

Conclusion

מַהֲלָךְ, though a simple noun for distance or course, testifies that God assigns, orders, and completes every path He gives His people. From palace courts to prophetic streets and temple corridors, the measured journey serves the immeasurable purposes of the Lord.

מַֽהֲלָכֲךָ֖ מַהֲלַ֖ךְ מַהֲלַךְ֩ מהלך מהלכך ma·hă·lā·ḵă·ḵā ma·hă·laḵ mahalaCh mahalachaCha mahălaḵ mahălāḵăḵāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts