H4276 H4276
Half — one of two equal portions, used for the half-shekel tax, divided spoils, and half-tribes.
A feminine noun meaning 'half' or 'one-half of a whole,' always appearing in construct or suffixed form to indicate half of some specified quantity. Its most famous usage is the half-shekel census tax: every Israelite twenty years and older contributed a machatzit hasheqel as 'ransom money' (Exod 30:13, 15; 38:26), a practice that persisted into Second Temple times. It also governs the division of war spoils in Numbers 31 — half for the soldiers, half for the congregation (Num 31:29, 30, 42, 47) — and designates the half-tribes of Manasseh in territorial allotments (Josh 21:25; 1 Chr 6:46). Nehemiah 8:3 uses the related sense of 'midpoint' for the middle of the day. Spanish 'mitad,' French 'moitie,' and German 'Halfte' all capture the partitive meaning.
Senses
1. half (portion) — One half of a whole, used in construct or with pronominal suffixes to specify what is being divided. Applied to the half-shekel atonement tax for the census (Exod 30:13, 15; 38:26), the equal division of war spoils between combatants and the assembly (Num 31:29, 30, 42, 47), half-tribe territorial designations (Josh 21:25; 1 Chr 6:46, 55), and the half-chariot command of Zimri (1 Kgs 16:9). In Nehemiah 8:3, the sense extends to 'midpoint' of the day. Spanish 'mitad' and German 'Halfte' consistently reflect the partitive meaning. 16×
AR["عَن-نِصفِ","مُنْتَصَفِ","مِن-نِصفِ","مِنْ-نِصْفِ","مِنْ-نِصْفِهِمْ","نِصفَ","نِصفَها","نِصفُ","نِصْفَهَا","نِصْفُ","نِصْفِ","وَ-مِن-نِصفِ","وَ-مِنْ-نِصْفِ","وَ-نِصْفَهَا","وَمِنْ-نِصْفِ"]·ben["-হইতে-অর্ধ","অর্ধেক","অর্ধেক-এর","অর্ধেক-থেকে","এবং-অর্ধেক-থেকে","এবং-তার-অর্ধেক","ও-হইতে-অর্ধ","তাদের-অর্ধেক-থেকে","তার-অর্ধেক","মধ্যভাগ"]·DE["And-von-Haelfte-von","Haelfte-von","Haelfte-von-es","[וממחצית]","[מחצית]","[ממחצית]","und-Haelfte-von-es","und-von-Haelfte-von","von-Haelfte-von","von-ihr-Haelfte"]·EN["And-from-half-of","and-from-half-of","and-half-of-it","from-half-of","from-their-half","half-of","half-of-it"]·FR["Et-de-moitié-de","[וממחצית]","[מחצית]","[ממחצית]","de-leur-moitié","de-moitié-de","et-de-moitié-de","et-moitié-de-cela","moitié-de","moitié-de-cela"]·heb["ו-מ-מחצית","ו-מחציתה","מ-חציתה","מ-מחצית","מחצית","מחציתה","מחציתו"]·HI["-से-आधे","आधा","आधा-उसका","आधे","आधे-उनके-से","आधे-से","उसका-आधा","और-आधा-उसका","और-आधे-से","दोपहर"]·ID["Dan-dari-setengah","dan-dari-setengah","dan-setengahnya","dari-setengah","dari-setengah-mereka","setengah","setengahnya"]·IT["E-da-metà-di","[וממחצית]","[מחצית]","[ממחצית]","da-half-di","da-loro-meta","da-meta-di","e-da-meta-di","e-meta-di-esso","half-di","half-di-esso","meta-di-esso","metà-di"]·jav["Lan-saking-sapalih","Lan-saking-sapalihing","Lan-saking-separoh","Saking-separohipun","lan-separuh","saking-sapalih","saking-satengah","saking-separoh","satengah","satengahipun","separuh"]·KO["그-반을","그것의-반","그들의-절반에서","그리고-그-반을","그리고-반에서-","그리고-부터-반","그리고-절반에서","반","반에서","부터-반","절반","절반에서","절반의"]·PT["De-sua-metade","E-de-metade-de","de-metade-de","e-sua-metade","metade-de","metade-dele","sua-metade"]·RU["И-от-половины","и-от-половины","и-половина-его","от-половины","от-половины-их","половина","половина-его","половину","половины"]·ES["Y-de-mitad-de","de-mitad-de","de-su-mitad","mitad-de","mitad-suya","su-mitad","y-mitad-suya"]·SW["Na-kutoka-nusu-ya","kutoka-nusu","kutoka-nusu-ya","kutoka-nusu-yao","na-kutoka-nusu-ya","na-nusu-yake","nusu","nusu-ya","nusu-yake"]·TR["-den-yarısından","-yarısından","-yarısından-onların","ve-den-yarısından","ve-yarısı","ve-yarısından","ve-yarısından-","yarısı","yarısına","yarısından-","yarısının"]·urd["-آدھے-سے","آدھا","آدھا-اس-کا","آدھے","اور-آدھا-اس-کا","اور-آدھے-سے","اور-سے-آدھے","اور-سے-آدھے-حصہ","اُس-کا-آدھا","دوپہر","سے-آدھے","سے-آدھے-حصہ","سے-آدھے-حصہ-ان-کے"]
Exod 30:13, Exod 30:13, Exod 30:15, Exod 30:23, Exod 38:26, Lev 6:20, Lev 6:20, Num 31:29, Num 31:30, Num 31:42, Num 31:47, Josh 21:25 (+4 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)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×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מַחֲצִית n.f. half, middle—cstr. מַחֲצִית Ex 30:13(×2) + 8 times; מַחֲצִת Nu 31:30, 47; sf. מַחֲצִיתוֹ Ex 30:23, מַחֲצִיתָהּ Lv 6:13(×2), מַחֲצִיתָם Nu 31:29— 1. half of a shekel Ex 30:13(×2), 15 cf. v 23; 38:26; the flour for offering Lv 6:13(×2), of spoils Nu 31:29, 30, 42, 47; of tribe Jos 21:25 (all P), 1 Ch 6:46, 55; of chariots 1 K 16:9. 2. middle מ׳ היּוֹם=midday, noon Ne 8:3 (cf. midnight, חָצוֹת, חֲצִי 2).