H2505b H2505b
To be smooth or slippery; Hifil: to make smooth, to flatter with deceptive speech; also, to be divided (of heart).
A root whose physical meaning -- smooth, slippery -- generates a rich metaphorical field. The Hifil 'make smooth' applies literally to a metalworker polishing with a hammer (Isa 41:7), but far more often describes speech that has been dangerously polished: the strange woman who 'makes smooth her words' (Prov 2:16, 7:5), the self-flatterer in Psalm 36:2, and the wicked whose words 'are smoother than butter' (Ps 55:21). Proverbs 28:23 wisely observes that honest rebuke ultimately wins more favor than a flattering tongue. Hosea 10:2 may preserve a distinct sense or a wordplay on the homonymous root chalaq I ('to divide'): 'their heart is smooth/divided' -- a double entendre the prophet may have intended.
Senses
1. to flatter, make smooth (speech) — To flatter, use smooth or deceptive speech (Hifil). The most frequent New Testament-era sense: making words dangerously slick to manipulate. Spanish 'halaga' ('flatters') and 'alisan' ('they smooth') capture the polishing metaphor. Proverbs 2:16 and 7:5 warn against the 'strange woman' who 'makes smooth her words'; Psalm 36:2 describes the wicked who 'flatters himself in his own eyes'; Psalm 5:9 says of enemies 'their throat is an open grave, they make smooth their tongue.' Proverbs 28:23 provides the counter-wisdom: honest rebuke surpasses flattery. 6×
AR["أَكْثَرَ-مِنْ-مُملّقِ","تَمَلَّقَ","مَلِسَتْ","مُملّقٌ","يُمَلِّقُونَ"]·ben["-চাটুকারের-চেয়ে","তারা-মসৃণ-করে","তোষামোদ-করে","মসৃণ-করেছে","মুগ্ধ-করেছে","যে-চাটুকারি-করে"]·DE["[החליקה]","[מחליק]","[ממחליק]","er-schmeichelt-sich-selbst","sie-machen-smooth"]·EN["he-flatters-himself","more-than-one-who-flatters","she-makes-smooth","they-make-smooth","who-flatters"]·FR["de-partager","le-être-doux","partager","être-doux"]·heb["החליק","החליקה","יחליקון","מ-מחליק","מחליק"]·HI["चिकना-करता-है","चिकना-करने-वाला","चिकनी-करने-वाले-से","चिकने-हैं","वे-चापलूसी-करते-हैं"]·ID["daripada-yang-menyanjung","merayu-licik","yang-menjilat","yang-menyanjung"]·IT["chi-flatters","da-più-than-one-chi-flatters","ella-makes-smooth","liscio"]·jav["alus","kang-ngalem","langkung-saking-tiyang-kang-ngalem","ngala-mati","piyambakipun-ngalap"]·KO["아첨하는","아첨하는-자-보다","아첨하는도다","아첨하였도다","아첨한다"]·PT["lisonjeando","lisonjeia","lisonjeiam","mais-do-que-lisonjeador-de"]·RU["больше-чем-льстящий","лестят","льстящий","обольстил","сделавшей-гладкими.","сделавшей-гладкими;"]·ES["alisan","ha-alisado","halaga","más-que-el-que-lisonjea","que-lisonjea","se-adula"]·SW["ambembelezaye","anajipendekeza","hudanganya","kuliko-mwenye-kubembeleza-kwa","yamekuwa-laini","yanalaini"]·TR["düzleştirirler","pohpohladı","tatlıdır","yaltakçıdan-","yaltakçılık-eden","yağlı-olan"]·urd["اُس-نے-چاپلوسی-کی","سے-چاپلوسی-کرنے-والے","چاپلوسی-کرتی-ہے","چاپلوسی-کرنے-والا","چکنی","چکنی-ہیں"]
2. to be smooth (physical) — To be smooth or slippery in a physical sense (Qal/Hifil). Psalm 55:21 describes words that 'are smooth' (chalqu) as butter -- Spanish 'suaves fueron' -- though even here the physical image serves a moral point. Isaiah 41:7 provides the one purely literal usage: a craftsman 'smoothing with the hammer' (machiliq pattish) while fashioning an idol. French 'être doux' ('to be soft/gentle') reflects the tactile quality. 2×
AR["أَملَسُ","المُمَلِّسُ"]·ben["মসৃণ-হয়েছে","মসৃণকারী"]·DE["[מחליק]","sind-smooth"]·EN["are-smooth","with-the-hammer"]·FR["[מחליק]","être-doux"]·heb["חלקו","מחליק"]·HI["चिकना-करने-वाला"]·ID["yang-melicinkan"]·IT["[מחליק]","liscio"]·jav["ingkang-ngrata","piyambakipun-ngirimaken"]·KO["매끄럽게-하는-자가","부드러웠도다"]·PT["Mais-suaves-que","o-que-alisa"]·RU["гладки","разглаживающий"]·ES["alisador","suaves-fueron"]·SW["Laini-kuliko","anayesawazisha"]·TR["duzlestiren","pürüzsüzdü"]·urd["چمکانے-والا","ہَموار-تَھے"]
3. to be divided, slippery — To be divided or split -- of a heart that is unfaithful (Qal). Hosea 10:2 declares 'their heart is divided' (chalaq libbam), diagnosing Israel's attempt to worship both YHWH and the Baals. Spanish 'dividido,' German 'Teil,' and the LXX's emerisan ('they divided') all favor the 'divide' reading, which may represent a deliberate prophetic pun on the smoother sense of the same root: a 'slippery' heart is a 'divided' one. 1×
AR["انقَسَمَ"]·ben["বিভক্ত"]·DE["Teil"]·EN["is-divided"]·FR["partager"]·heb["חלק"]·HI["बँटा-हुआ"]·IT["[חלק]"]·jav["alus"]·KO["나누어졌느니라"]·PT["Dividido"]·RU["разделилось"]·ES["dividido"]·SW["imegawanyika"]·TR["kaygan"]·urd["منقسم-ہے"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
II. חָלַק vb. be smooth, slippery (NH adj. חָלָק smooth, empty, Arabic خَلَقَ make smooth, lie, forge, fabricate)— Qal Pf. ח׳ Ho 10:2; 3 mpl. חָֽלְקוּ ψ 55:22;—smooth, slippery, only fig.: Ho 10:2 of heart of faithless Isr. (so Ew Ke Wü Now RVm), We false; > Vrss (not 𝔊) Hi St who read חֻלַּק, divided is their heart; 𝔊 ἐμέρισαν; of words, smooth ψ 55:22 i.e. deceptive (‖ רַכּוּ דְבָרָיו…