Word study
Portion
20 Hebrew words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: portion, portions. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “portion” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- חֵלֶק chêleqportion, tract, territorytranslated this way 40 times of its 64 uses · Strong’s H2506Noun · Translated: portion 35, share 9, portions 3, plot 3Full study and all 61 verses →
Genesis 14:24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share for the men who went with me— Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. They may take their portion.”
Leviticus 6:17 It must not be baked with leaven; I have assigned it as their portion of My food offerings. It is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering.
- אֶחָד echâdonetranslated this way 12 times of its 855 uses · Strong’s H259Number · Translated: one 278, first 43, and one 43, a 36Full study and all 688 verses →
- חֹק chôqsomething prescribed, a statute or duetranslated this way 10 times of its 122 uses · Strong’s H2706Noun · Translated: statutes 78, statute 10, portion 7, decree 7Full study and all 122 verses →
Exodus 29:28 This will belong to Aaron and his sons as a regular portion from the Israelites, for it is the heave offering the Israelites will make to the LORD from their peace offerings.
Leviticus 6:18 Any male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. This is a permanent portion from the food offerings to the LORD for the generations to come. Anything that touches them will become holy.”
- מָנָה mânâhpart, portiontranslated this way 10 times of its 13 uses · Strong’s H4490Noun · Translated: portion 6, portions 3, gifts 2, special diet 1Full study and all 13 verses →
Exodus 29:26 Take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and wave it before the LORD as a wave offering, and it will be your portion.
Leviticus 7:33 The son of Aaron who presents the blood and fat of the peace offering shall have the right thigh as a portion.
- תְּרוּמָה terûmâhcontribution, offeringtranslated this way 9 times of its 73 uses · Strong’s H8641Noun · Translated: offering 24, contribution 13, portion 8, contributions 7Full study and all 63 verses →
Ezekiel 45:1 “When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance, you are to set aside a portion for the LORD, a holy portion of the land 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits wide. This entire tract of land will be holy.
Ezekiel 48:8 Bordering the territory of Judah, from east to west, will be the portion you are to set apart. It will be 25,000 cubits wide, and the length of a tribal portion from east to west. In the center will be the sanctuary.
- חֶלֶב chelebfattranslated this way 7 times of its 88 uses · Strong’s H2459Noun · Translated: fat 63, fat portions 5, finest 3, best part 2Full study and all 69 verses →
Genesis 4:4 while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
Leviticus 6:12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning; it must not be extinguished. Every morning the priest is to add wood to the fire, arrange the burnt offering on it, and burn the fat portions of the peace offerings on it.
- אַזְכָּרָה azkârâhmemorial-offeringtranslated this way 7 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s H234Noun · Translated: memorial portion 7Full study and all 7 verses →
Leviticus 2:2 and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Numbers 5:26 Then the priest is to take a handful of the grain offering as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar; after that he is to have the woman drink the water.
- מְנָת menâthportiontranslated this way 6 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s H4521Noun · Translated: portion 3, portions 2, contributed 1, contribution 1Full study and all 8 verses →
Nehemiah 12:44 And on that same day men were appointed over the rooms that housed the supplies, contributions, firstfruits, and tithes. The portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites were gathered into these storerooms from the fields of the villages, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who were serving.
Psalm 11:6 On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur; a scorching wind will be their portion.
- חֶבֶל chebelcord, territory, bandtranslated this way 3 times of its 60 uses · Strong’s H2256Noun · Translated: cords 10, ropes 9, region 4, pain 3Full study and all 58 verses →
1 Chronicles 16:18 ‘I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.’
Psalm 105:11 “I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.”
- חָלַק châlaqdivide, sharetranslated this way 3 times of its 65 uses · Strong’s H2505Verb · Translated: divided 14, divide 9, distributed 4, dividing 3Full study and all 64 verses →
2 Chronicles 28:21 Although Ahaz had taken a portion from the house of the LORD, from the royal palace, and from the princes and had presented it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.
Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
- מַשְׂאֵת masêthuprising, utterance, burden, portiontranslated this way 2 times of its 13 uses · Strong’s H4864Noun · Translated: gift 2, tax 2, gifts 2Full study and all 12 verses →
Genesis 43:34 When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
- דָּבָר dâbârspeech, wordtranslated this way 2 times of its 1,244 uses · Strong’s H1697Noun · Translated: word 342, words 299, acts 51, Chronicles 42Full study and all 1,120 verses →
- כֹּהֵן kôhênpriesttranslated this way 2 times of its 726 uses · Strong’s H3548Noun · Translated: priest 387, priests 285, way the priest 8, priestly 5Full study and all 646 verses →
Genesis 47:22 However, he did not acquire the priests’ portion of the land, for it had been given to them by Pharaoh. They ate the rations that Pharaoh supplied; so they did not sell their land.
Numbers 6:20 The priest shall then wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. This is a holy portion for the priest, in addition to the breast of the wave offering and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.
- מִשְׁחָה mishchâhointmenttranslated this way 2 times of its 25 uses · Strong’s H4888Noun · Translated: anointing 22, portion 2, anointed 1Full study and all 24 verses →
Leviticus 7:35 This is the portion of the food offerings to the LORD for Aaron and his sons since the day they were presented to serve the LORD as priests.
Numbers 18:8 Then the LORD said to Aaron, “Behold, I have put you in charge of My offerings. As for all the sacred offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute.
- מִן minout of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that nottranslated this way 2 times of its 983 uses · Strong’s H4480Preposition · Translated: from 368, of 68, from me 36, some of 33Full study and all 917 verses →
Numbers 18:9 A portion of the most holy offerings reserved from the fire will be yours. From all the offerings they render to Me as most holy offerings, whether grain offerings or sin offerings or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons.
- פֶּה pehmouthtranslated this way 2 times of its 423 uses · Strong’s H6310Noun · Translated: mouth 207, mouths 43, command 38, lips 10Full study and all 396 verses →
Deuteronomy 21:17 Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.
2 Kings 2:9 After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken away from you?” “Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
- חֶלְקָה chelqâhportiontranslated this way 2 times of its 28 uses · Strong’s H2513Noun · Translated: field 9, plot 3, portion 2, plot of ground 2Full study and all 24 verses →
Deuteronomy 33:21 He chose the best land for himself, because a ruler’s portion was reserved for him there. He came with the leaders of the people; he administered the LORD’s justice and His ordinances for Israel.”
Job 24:18 They are but foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one turns toward their vineyards.
- גּוֹרָל gôrâllottranslated this way 2 times of its 74 uses · Strong’s H1486Noun · Translated: lot 35, lots 17, allotted 6, allotment 4Full study and all 66 verses →
Joshua 17:14 Then the sons of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one portion as an inheritance? We have many people, because the LORD has blessed us abundantly.”
Isaiah 34:17 He has allotted their portion; His hand has distributed it by measure. They will possess it forever; they will dwell in it from generation to generation.
- מִשְׁנֶה mishnehdouble, copy, secondtranslated this way 2 times of its 34 uses · Strong’s H4932Noun · Translated: second 11, double 4, Second District 4, twice 2Full study and all 33 verses →
Isaiah 61:7 Instead of shame, My people will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation, they will rejoice in their share; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.
- קֹדֶשׁ qôdeshsacred, sanctitytranslated this way 2 times of its 437 uses · Strong’s H6944Noun · Translated: holy 192, sanctuary 42, sacred 31, according to the sanctuary 24Full study and all 379 verses →
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.