2516. Chelqi

Lexical Summary

Chelqi: Portion, share, inheritance

Original Word: חֶלְקִי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: Chelqiy
Pronunciation: khel-kee
Phonetic Spelling: (khel-kee')
KJV: Helkites
NASB: Helekites
Word Origin: [patronymically from H2507 (חֵלֶק - Portion)]

1. a Chelkite or descendant of Chelek

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Helkites

Patronymically from Cheleq; a Chelkite or descendant of Chelek -- Helkites.

see HEBREW Cheleq

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from chalaq
Definition
desc. of Helek
NASB Translation
Helekites (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

חֶלְקִי adjective, of a people of foregoing; only with article as substantive collective after מִשְׁמַּחַת Numbers 26:30.

Topical Lexicon

Historical Setting

The name חֶלְקִי (Chelki, “Helkite”) designates a family-clan counted among the descendants of Manasseh in the wilderness census conducted on the plains of Moab. Their sole explicit mention—“from Helek, the Helekite clan” (Numbers 26:30)—places them within the larger sub-tribe of Gilead, itself a branch of Joseph’s posterity through Manasseh.

Place within the Tribal Structure

1. Patriarchal Line: Joseph → Manasseh → Gilead → Helek → Helkites.
2. Census Function: The second wilderness census (Numbers 26) confirms their numbers for future military duty and land allotment, underscoring God’s faithfulness to preserve each household.
3. Territorial Allotment: Although the clan name does not recur in Joshua’s allotment narratives, Helek appears in Joshua 17:2 amid the six sons of Gilead who received holdings west of the Jordan. By extension, the Helkites shared in the inheritance assigned to Manasseh both east (Gilead) and west (the Jezreel valley region), affirming that no family was overlooked in the division of the land.

Covenant Significance

The appearance of even a single clan name in the inspired record illustrates the meticulous nature of divine covenant keeping. Yahweh promised Abraham that his seed would inherit Canaan; the census and subsequent allotment verify the outworking of that promise down to individual families. The Helkites stand as a witness that God “is faithful to all His promises” (Joshua 21:45).

Ministry Applications

• Individual Worth within the Body: As the Helkites received mention once yet shared fully in Israel’s inheritance, so every believer—however obscure—has an allotted place in Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:18).
• Intergenerational Faithfulness: The preservation of the Helkite line from Egypt to Canaan urges modern families to cultivate enduring faith, trusting the Lord to sustain future generations (Psalm 103:17-18).
• Stewardship of Inheritance: Their participation in the land reminds the Church to lay hold of the “inheritance that is imperishable” (1 Peter 1:4), stewarding present grace while anticipating future fullness.

Echoes in Redemptive History

The root concept behind the clan’s ancestor Helek (“portion”) anticipates the ultimate “portion” found in the Lord Himself (Psalm 73:26). Israel’s tribal shares pointed forward to the perfect inheritance secured by Jesus Christ, “who is our peace” and unites every tribe and family under the new covenant (Ephesians 2:14-19).

Summary

Though mentioned only once, the Helkites exemplify God’s unwavering attention to each covenant household, the unity of Israel’s tribal system, and the certainty that every promised portion will be honored. Their brief appearance invites believers today to trust the same faithful God for preservation, inheritance, and eternal belonging.

Forms and Transliterations

הַֽחֶלְקִֽי׃ החלקי׃ ha·ḥel·qî HachelKi haḥelqî

Englishman's Concordance

Numbers 26:30
HEB: לְחֵ֕לֶק מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַֽחֶלְקִֽי׃
NAS: of Helek, the family of the Helekites;
KJV: of Helek, the family of the Helekites:
INT: of Helek the family of the Helekites

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2516
1 Occurrence

ha·ḥel·qî — 1 Occ.