---
title: חָלַק — be smooth · The Tanakh dictionary
description: חָלַק (lemma:חָלַק), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 9 times: be smooth. BDB 1906: vb. be smooth, slippery. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# חָלַק

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«חָלַק» in the Tanakh dictionary: **be smooth** — 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:** 9 times · **Key:** lemma:חָלַק · **BDB:** חָלַק²

### Glosses

she.makes.smooth (2); \[one.who\].smooths (1); \[who\].flatters (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

be smooth [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/lemma_3a_5d7_5b8_5dc_5b7_5e7/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. be smooth, slippery [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/lemma_3a_5d7_5b8_5dc_5b7_5e7/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. be smooth, slippery (NH adj. חָלָק smooth, empty, Arabic خَلَقَ make smooth, lie, forge, fabricate)— 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 מִשֶּׁמֶן). Pf. הֶחֱלִיק ψ 36:3, הֶחֱלִיקָה Pr 2:16; 7:5; Impf. יַחֲלִיקוּן ψ 5:10; Pt. מַחֲלִיק Pr 28:23 + 2 times; make smooth: lit. of idol-maker Is 41:7 c. acc. instr. פַּטִּישׁ hammer. fig. the tongue, i.e. flatter with it ψ 5:10; Pr 28:23, words, Pr 2:16; 7:5 אֲמָרֶיהָ הֶחֱלִיקָה; abs. deal smoothy, sq. אֶל־ ψ 36:3, עַל Pr 29:5.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 9 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses (9 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (11 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «חָלַק» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/lemma_3a_5d7_5b8_5dc_5b7_5e7/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 28:23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.28.23/)

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מ֘וֹכִ֤יחַ אָדָ֣ם אַ֭חֲרַי חֵ֣ן יִמְצָ֑א מִֽמַּחֲלִ֥יק לָשֽׁוֹן׃

*Word for word:* \[one.who\].reproves a.person after favor he.will.find more than.\[one.who\].makes.smooth \[the\].tongue

*JPS 1917:* He that rebuketh a man shall in the end find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue.

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[Proverbs 29:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.29.5/)

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גֶּ֭בֶר מַחֲלִ֣יק עַל־רֵעֵ֑הוּ רֶ֝֗שֶׁת פּוֹרֵ֥שׂ עַל־פְּעָמָֽיו׃

*Word for word:* a.man \[who\].flatters to neighbor his a.net \[is\].spreading on footsteps his

*JPS 1917:* A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his steps.

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