4235. Machol
Lexical Summary
Machol: Mahol

Original Word: מָחוֹל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Machowl
Pronunciation: mah-KHOHL
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-khole')
KJV: Mahol
NASB: Mahol
Word Origin: [the same as H4234 (מָחוֹל - dancing)]

1. dancing
2. Machol, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Mahol

The same as machowl; dancing; Machol, an Israelite -- Mahol.

see HEBREW machowl

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from the same as machoz
Definition
father of Heman
NASB Translation
Mahol (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. מָחוֺל proper name, masculine father of Heman, etc., 1 Kings 5:11, ᵐ5 Μαλ, A Μαουλ, ᵐ5L Μααλα.

מְחוֺלָה see II. אָבֵל above; see also מְחֹלָה.

מַחֲזֶה, מֶחֱזָה, מַחֲזִיאוֺת see חזה.

מחח (√ of following; compare Arabic IV. be fat, also contain marrow).

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Background

מָחוֹל (machol) lies on the verb root חוּל, “to whirl, twist, writhe,” and developed the concrete sense of rhythmic whirling in festive dance. It came to denote both the act of dancing and, by metonymy, places or groups associated with it. While the term is rare, the concept of holy rejoicing through movement saturates Israel’s account (Exodus 15:20; Psalm 150:4).

Biblical Occurrence

1 Kings 4:31 records “the sons of Mahol,” renowned sages whose wisdom was eclipsed only by Solomon’s: “He was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol—and his fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations”. Whether “Mahol” is taken as a personal name or an honorific meaning “dance,” the lone occurrence preserves a link between joyous artistic expression and cultivated insight.

Dance in Israel’s Worship Culture

Scripture consistently pairs machol-type rejoicing with praise:
• Miriam leads Israel in tambourine dance after the Red Sea deliverance (Exodus 15:20).
• David “danced before the LORD with all his might” when the Ark entered Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:14).
• The Psalter commands, “Let them praise His name with dancing” (Psalm 149:3) and “Praise Him with tambourine and dancing” (Psalm 150:4).
• Prophets envision restored dance in the messianic age: “Then the maidens will rejoice in the dance” (Jeremiah 31:13).

Together these passages show dance as a bodily proclamation of God’s victory, covenant joy, and eschatological hope.

The Sons of Mahol and the Tradition of Wisdom

Ancient Near-Eastern courts prized sages skilled in poetry, music, and riddles (compare Proverbs 1:6). The “sons of Mahol” likely belonged to such a guild. If “Mahol” originally signified “dance,” the title may point to a Levitical household where musical and choreographic service fostered reflection on God’s works. In surrounding nations, wisdom and the arts were often divorced from holiness; Israel’s wise-men demonstrate that aesthetic gifting is meant to exalt the Lord (1 Chronicles 25:1–7).

Theological Significance

1. Wholeness of Worship: Machol underscores that worship engages spirit, mind, and body. True wisdom, epitomized in Solomon, flourishes in a life where the whole person moves in harmony with God’s order (Deuteronomy 6:5).
2. Joy as Apologetic: The exuberance implied by machol projects a testimony to the nations. Israel was to be seen rejoicing in the Lord, inviting observers into covenant life (Psalm 67:4).
3. Christological Trajectory: Messiah’s kingdom restores the dance lost through exile and sin; the New Covenant outpouring of the Spirit renews praise that involves every faculty (Acts 3:8; Revelation 19:6-7).

Ministry Insights and Application

• Encourage congregations to reclaim biblically grounded, modest physical expression as a response to redemption.
• Integrate the arts into discipleship; artistic excellence can serve wisdom and evangelism, as with the sons of Mahol.
• Teach that embodied joy anticipates the resurrection, when redeemed bodies will join fully in worship.
• Guard against performances that glorify self rather than the Lord, reflecting David’s humility rather than Michal’s scorn (2 Samuel 6:16-23).

Summary

Though מָחוֹל appears only once, its roots and associations weave through Scripture, binding corporate joy, artistic gifting, and godly wisdom into a single tapestry. The solitary reference in 1 Kings 4:31 thus opens a doorway to a richer biblical theology of dance that calls the church to celebrate God’s salvation with heart, mind, and movement until faith becomes sight and the redeemed “will leap like calves released from the stall” (Malachi 4:2).

Forms and Transliterations
מָח֑וֹל מחול mā·ḥō·wl maChol māḥōwl
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Kings 4:31
HEB: וְדַרְדַּ֖ע בְּנֵ֣י מָח֑וֹל וַיְהִֽי־ שְׁמ֥וֹ
NAS: the sons of Mahol; and his fame
KJV: the sons of Mahol: and his fame
INT: and Darda the sons of Mahol become and his fame

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4235
1 Occurrence


mā·ḥō·wl — 1 Occ.

4234
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