TR: cheleq → meris (Portion/Share)

The Chain

Hebrew OT            LXX (Greek OT)          Greek NT
──────────           ───────────────          ────────
חֵלֶק (cheleq)   →   μερίς (meris)        →  μερίς (meris)
H2506, 63x           55x as translation       5x in NT
"portion, part"       of cheleq               "part, portion"
                      PMI: 30.41

OT Usage (Hebrew)

Strong's	Word	Occurrences	Primary Meaning
H2506	חֵלֶק (cheleq)	63	portion, part, share, allotment
H2505	חָלַק (chalaq)	55	to divide, apportion; to be smooth
H2513	חֶלְקָה (chelqah)	25	field, parcel of ground; smoothness

Key OT passages: - Deut 32:9 — "For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance" - Psa 119:57 — "Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words" - Isa 53:12 — "Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great"

Library: H2506-cheleq.md

LXX Bridge

H2506 cheleq → Greek (what Greek words translate this Hebrew word in LXX):

Hebrew	Greek Translation	Co-occ	Score	Notes
cheleq (H2506)	μερίς (G3310)	55	30.41	Primary equivalent — dominates
cheleq (H2506)	κληρονομία (G2817)	13	13.24	When inherited allotment is in view
cheleq (H2506)	κλῆρος (G2819)	9	11.14	When lot-based allotment is in view
cheleq (H2506)	μόχθος (G3449)	5	9.76	Ecclesiastes labor contexts
cheleq (H2506)	μερίζω (G3307)	4	9.54	Verbal form, dividing action

G3310 meris ← Hebrew (what Hebrew words this Greek word translates):

Greek	Hebrew Source	Co-occ	Score	Notes
meris (G3310)	חֵלֶק cheleq (H2506)	55	30.41	Primary source
meris (G3310)	חֶלְקָה chelqah (H2513)	18	21.36	Feminine form, field/parcel
meris (G3310)	מָנָה manah (H4490)	14	20.93	Weighed-out ration
meris (G3310)	מְנָת menath (H4521)	7	16.07	Allotment by law/courtesy
meris (G3310)	נַחֲלָה nachalah (H5159)	20	13.68	Permanent inheritance

Semantic shift in translation: meris in the LXX narrows the range of cheleq. The Hebrew word carries both the "allotted share" and "smooth/flattery" senses, but LXX meris covers only the "share/portion" meaning. The flattery occurrences (Job 17:5, Prov 7:21) are rendered differently in the LXX. The Greek word also serves as a catch-all for several other Hebrew "portion" words, broadening its scope.

NT Usage (Greek)

Strong's	Word	Occurrences	Primary Meaning
G3310	μερίς (meris)	5	portion, share, part
G3307	μερίζω (merizo)	14	to divide, distribute
G3313	μέρος (meros)	42	part, portion, region
G3311	μερισμός (merismos)	2	distribution, dividing

Key NT passages: - Luke 10:42 — "Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" - Acts 8:21 — "Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God" - Col 1:12 — "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" - 2 Cor 6:15 — "What part hath he that believeth with an infidel?"

Library: TODO(need G3310 study)

Direct OT-NT Quotations

No direct quotations of cheleq verses appear in the NT using meris. However, the concept of "having a part/portion" carries through: - Acts 8:21 echoes the OT formula "no part nor inheritance" (cf. Deut 10:9, Neh 2:20) - Col 1:12 uses meris alongside kleronomia, mirroring the Hebrew pairing of cheleq with nachalah

Continuity and Shifts

What stays the same across testaments: - The core sense of "one's rightful share in something larger" persists from OT through NT - The concept of exclusion from a portion ("no part nor lot") carries unchanged from Deut 10:9 to Acts 8:21

What shifts: - In the OT, cheleq is primarily territorial (land allotment) and existential (one's lot in life). In the NT, meris becomes relational and spiritual — one's share in the community of believers (Col 1:12) or one's chosen way of life (Luke 10:42) - The Ecclesiastes "portion under the sun" usage (temporary, earthly reward) has no NT parallel; the NT emphasizes eternal inheritance instead

---

Generated from: gather_trace_data.py, search_strongs.py (--lxx-map, --hebrew-source) Last updated: 2026-05-05