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נַחֲלָה

𐤍𐤇𐤋𐤄

nachălâh

H5159 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נחל to inherit, to receive, to be allotted

Definition

A possession or allotment received as an inheritance, whether land, property, or rights, especially those passed down as part of familial or tribal heritage; by extension, any apportioned share or entitlement. The term primarily denotes holdings or privileges received by inheritance, especially with reference to the Israelite distribution of land and rights among tribes and families. In some contexts, it can refer more generally to any granted share or inherited right, not limited to literal property.

Semantic Range

inheritance (as property or land), allocated portion, hereditary possession, entitlement passed by descent, share, estate, heritage (literal or metaphorical)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root נחל (nachal, to receive, inherit, obtain by lot), נַחֲלָה is a feminine noun denoting 'that which is received as an inheritance.' While the root connotes the general act of receiving or allotting (often by familial descent or by lot), the noun form specifically designates the outcome or result of this process—a given inheritance or portion.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, נַחֲלָה is most prominently used in contexts of land distribution among the Israelite tribes following the conquest of Canaan, reflecting both legal and familial entitlements (e.g., Joshua, Numbers). The term emphasizes the collective or familial dimension of inheritance, as opposed to personal property (רְכוּשׁ, rekhush). In post-exilic literature, nuance shifts from tribal allotments to familial or individual inheritance, with occasional metaphorical use for non-material endowments (e.g., participation in covenantal blessings or spiritual legacies). Not all English translations (e.g., 'heritage,' 'possession') capture its legal and lineage-based force within biblical society. The term is distinct from נַחַל (nachal, 'stream'), despite similarity in form. In later periods, 'inheritance' (נַחֲלָה) was also employed for intangible inheritances, such as wisdom or teaching. The notion of נַחֲלָה regularly functioned as a conceptual foundation for Israelite land tenure, identity, and the perpetuation of family lines within wider society. In Second Temple literature and beyond, 'inheritance' occasionally takes on broader moral or communal overtones, but retains its core connection to received allocation or entitlement.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from נָחַל (in its usual sense); properly, something inherited, i.e. (abstractly) occupancy, or (concretely) an heirloom; generally an estate, patrimony or portion; heritage, to inherit, inheritance, possession. Compare נַחַל.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נחל (n-ḥ-l) — to inherit, to receive, to be allotted

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2470 חָלָה inherited allotment
H5157 נָחַל in causing to inherit
H5158 נַחַל in the seasonal stream
H5160 נַחֲלִיאֵל Wadi of El

Word Forms

35 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5159-18 נַחֲלָֽה nachalah HNcfsa inheritance inherited portion 37
H5159-19 נַחֲלַ֖ת nachalat HNcfsc inheritance inherited portion of 34
H5159-26 נַחֲלָת֔/וֹ nachalato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his inheritance his inherited portion 31
H5159-20 נַחֲלָתָֽ/ם nachalatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their inheritance their inherited allotment 15
H5159-10 לְ/נַחֲלָ֑ה lenachalah HR/Ncfsa for an inheritance for an inheritance-portion 15
H5159-02 בְּ/נַחֲלָ֖ה benachalah HR/Ncfsa for an inheritance in an inherited allotment 11
H5159-22 נַחֲלָֽתְ/ךָ֔ nachalatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms of your inheritance your inherited allotment 9
H5159-25 נַחֲלָתִ֔/י nachalati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my inheritance my inherited portion 8
H5159-30 וְ/נַחֲלָ֖ה venachalah HC/Ncfsa nor inheritance and an inheritance-allotment 8
H5159-33 וְ/נַחֲלָ֣תְ/ךָ֔ venachalatekha HC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms and your inheritance and your inherited allotment 5

Occurrences in Scripture

222 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5159-30 Genesis 31:14 וְ/נַחֲלָ֖ה venachalah HC/Ncfsa or inheritance and an inheritance-allotment
H5159-04 Genesis 48:6 בְּ/נַחֲלָתָֽ/ם benachalatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp in their inheritance in their inherited allotment
H5159-22 Exodus 15:17 נַחֲלָֽתְ/ךָ֔ nachalatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms of your inheritance your inherited allotment
H5159-19 Numbers 16:14 נַחֲלַ֖ת nachalat HNcfsc inheritance inherited portion of
H5159-33 Numbers 18:20 וְ/נַחֲלָ֣תְ/ךָ֔ venachalatekha HC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms and your inheritance and your inherited allotment
H5159-10 Numbers 18:21 לְ/נַחֲלָ֑ה lenachalah HR/Ncfsa as an inheritance for an inheritance-portion
H5159-18 Numbers 18:23 נַחֲלָֽה nachalah HNcfsa inheritance inherited portion
H5159-10 Numbers 18:24 לְ/נַחֲלָ֑ה lenachalah HR/Ncfsa for an inheritance for an inheritance-portion
H5159-18 Numbers 18:24 נַחֲלָֽה nachalah HNcfsa inheritance inherited portion
H5159-06 Numbers 18:26 בְּ/נַחֲלַתְ/כֶ֑ם benachalatekhem HR/Ncfsc/Sp2mp as-inheritance-your in your inheritance
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