Hebrew word · H4246

מְחוֹלָה

umecholot

dance

A dance, especially a round or group dance. It is usually connected with the root ḥ-w-l, 'to whirl, turn, writhe', and goes with the related noun māḥôl, 'dancing' (Ps 30:11; 149:3).

Appears 8 times in 8 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

dancing, dance

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Exodus 15:20

Range of meaning

A dance, especially a round or group dance. It is usually connected with the root ḥ-w-l, 'to whirl, turn, writhe', and goes with the related noun māḥôl, 'dancing' (Ps 30:11; 149:3). It is used for women's victory dances (Judg 11:34; 1 Sam 18:6; 21:11; 29:5), festival dances (Judg 21:21) and the dance in Song of Songs 7:1.

Against the English

'Dances' or 'dancing' is accurate in general. But to a modern reader 'dancing' may suggest solo or couples dancing, or something casual. The Hebrew points to coordinated group movement, probably in a circle. The YLT's 'choruses' follows the Greek choros, which joined a group dance with group singing.

Used elsewhere in the period

The LXX translates it choroi, 'choral dances'. In Greek culture a choros danced and sang at once, which fits verse 21 well. The phrase 'with drums and with dances' (bətuppîm ûvimḥōlōt) appears word for word in Judges 11:34, where Jephthah's daughter comes out to greet him after a victory.

From the study of Exodus 32:19

Range of meaning

From a root meaning to whirl or circle. It means round-dances or circle-dances, usually at victory or festival celebrations and often led by women (Exod 15:20; Judg 11:34; 21:21; 1 Sam 18:6; 21:11).

Against the English

'The dancing' (BSB, KJV, WEB). The Hebrew has no article and is plural, so 'dances' or 'dancing troupes.' The Vulgate's choros ('choral dances') catches the group sense.

How it drifted

A modern reader may imagine a party or partying. In context this is worship: dancing at a declared 'feast to YHWH' (32:5) around a cult image, which 32:6 calls 'rising up to play/revel' (letsacheq).

Used elsewhere in the period

The same word for Miriam's dance of praise after the sea crossing (15:20) is now used for the calf festival. The contrast is easy to hear: the same kind of celebration, now aimed at a made image.

From the study of Judges 11:34

Range of meaning

A round or line dance performed by a group, probably from a root meaning 'whirl, turn.' It is linked to festivals, victory celebrations and women's choruses.

Against the English

'Dances' or 'dancing' can suggest a single person dancing for joy. YLT's 'choruses' better captures that it was a group performance, often with singing.

How it drifted

Modern English 'dance' tends to suggest individual or couple dancing for fun. The biblical meḥolah was a public group ritual.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exodus 15:20 ('with hand-drums and with dances'); Judges 21:21 (the daughters of Shiloh 'come out to dance in the dances' at a festival); 1 Samuel 18:6; 21:11; 29:5 ('Saul has struck his thousands…', sung in the dances); Song of Songs 6:13 (7:1); Jeremiah 31:4, 13.

Where it appears

Exodus · 2

  1. Exodus 15:20 וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת׃ and with dancing

    Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.

    Here: Plural group dances. The word probably comes from a root meaning 'whirl' or 'go round', so it likely means circle or line dances done together. The pairing 'drums and dances' is a fixed phrase for women's victory celebrations.

  2. Exodus 32:19 וּמְחֹלֹ֑ת and dancing

    As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain.

    Here: Plural and with no article: 'dances,' groups circling in festival dance. It is the word used for Miriam's dance at the sea (15:20). Here it is worship dancing at the 'feast to YHWH' Aaron had announced (32:5).

Judges · 2

  1. Judges 11:34 וּבִמְחֹל֑וֹת and with dancing

    And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.

    Here: Women's group dances in a circle or line, done to welcome warriors home (compare Exodus 15:20; 1 Samuel 18:6). The plural suggests she leads a troupe of dancers, or at least that this was a full celebration.

  2. Judges 21:21 בַּמְּחֹלוֹת֒ in <the> dances

    and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

1 Samuel · 3

  1. 1 Samuel 18:6 וְהַמְּחֹל֔וֹת and the dancing

    As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments.

  2. 1 Samuel 21:11 בַמְּחֹלוֹת֙ with <the> dances

    But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”

  3. 1 Samuel 29:5 בַּמְּחֹל֖וֹת in <the> dances

    Is this not the David about whom they sing in their dances: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”

Song of Songs · 1

  1. Song of Songs 6:13 כִּמְחֹלַ֖ת like [the] dance of

    Come back, come back, O Shulammite! Come back, come back, that we may gaze upon you. Why do you look at the Shulammite, as on the dance of Mahanaim?

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.