🔼The name Helkath: Summary
- Meaning
- Portion, Field
- Etymology
- From the noun חלקה (hlqh), field, from the verb חלק (halag), to divide and apportion.
🔼The name Helkath in the Bible
There is only one town named Helkath in the Bible, which was situated in the territory allotted to the tribe of Asher, in the far north of Canaan (Joshua 19:25). When the tribes gave some of their cities to the Levites, the tribe of Asher gave Helkath to the Gershonites (Joshua 21:31). The same list of city names is submitted in 1 Chronicles 6:75, and while there are many minor differences between the Chronicler and Joshua, the name Helkath is here given as the substantially different Hukok.
🔼Etymology of the name Helkath
The name Helkath derives from the form חלק (hlq) and is probably an alternate (or archaic) spelling of either of the nouns חלקה (hlqh), meaning portion or field:
חלק
Verb חלק (halaq I) means to divide and apportion. Noun חלק (heleq I) and חלקה (haluqqa) mean portion, tract of land, even one's mode of life. Noun חלקה (helqa I) means field. Noun מחלקת (mahaloqet) describes a division of some organization.
Verb חלק (halaq II) means to be smooth or slippery, either of items such as stones or speech and flattery. Nouns חלק (heleq II) and חלקה (halaqqa) describe smoothness or seductiveness of speech. Adjectives חלק (halaq) and חלק (halluq) mean smooth. The singular noun חלקה (helqa II) and the plural noun plural noun חלקלקות (halaqlaqqot) may describe smoothness, slipperiness, flattery, or pleasant nonsense.
🔼Helkath meaning
For a meaning of the name Helkath, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Portion, Field, Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names has just Portion and BDB Theological Dictionary proposes Portion, Possession.