---
title: מְחֹלָה — dancing · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מְחֹלָה (4246), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 8 times: dancing. BDB 1906: n.f. id. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מְחֹלָה

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«מְחֹלָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **dancing** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 8 times · **Key:** 4246 · **BDB:** מְחוֹלָה

### Glosses

dancing(s) (7); the.dance (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

dancing [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4246/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. id. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4246/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. id.;—cstr. מְחֹלַת Ct 7:1; pl. מְחֹלֹת Ex 32:19; מְחֹלוֹת Ex 15:20 + 5 times; dancing, token of joyousness after victory, Ju 11:34 1 S 18:6; 21:12; 29:5; in worship, at feast Ju 21:21; act of praise to י׳ Ex 15:20 (song); in idolatrous worship Ex 32:19 (E); as graceful and beautiful Ct 7:1; accomp. by timbrel Ex 15:20 Ju 11:34, and by singing Ex 15:20 1 S 18:6 (where however read prob. Poʿlel Pt. הַמְּחֹלְלוֹת, cf. vb. חוּל supr.; so 𝔊 We Dr), 21:12; 29:5.

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Why these entries: BDB: same consonants, part of speech agrees, 8 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses (9 candidates); OSHB: same consonants, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (5 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מְחֹלָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4246/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Song of Songs 7:1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/SNG.7.1/)

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שׁ֤וּבִי שׁ֙וּבִי֙ הַשּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית שׁ֥וּבִי שׁ֖וּבִי וְנֶחֱזֶה־בָּ֑ךְ מַֽה־תֶּחֱזוּ֙ בַּשּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית כִּמְחֹלַ֖ת הַֽמַּחֲנָֽיִם׃

*Word for word:* return return O Shulammite.\[woman\] return return so that.we.may.look on you why? will.you.look on the.Shulammite \[woman\] like the.dance of the.two.groups

*JPS 1917:* Return, return, O Shulammite; Return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulammite? As it were a dance of two companies.

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[1 Samuel 29:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/1SA.29.5/)

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הֲלוֹא־זֶ֣ה דָוִ֔ד אֲשֶׁ֧ר יַעֲנוּ־ל֛וֹ בַּמְּחֹל֖וֹת לֵאמֹ֑ר הִכָּ֤ה שָׁאוּל֙ בַּֽאֲלָפָ֔יו וְדָוִ֖ד בְּרִבְבֹתָֽיו׃ס

*Word for word:* ? not \[is\].this David whom people.sing of him in (the) dancing(s) (cmp) he.has.struck.down Saul (on) his thousands and David (on).his ten thousands

*JPS 1917:* Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying: Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?'

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