🔼The name Halak: Summary
- Meaning
- Smooth
- Etymology
- From the adjective חלק (halaq), smooth.
🔼The name Halak in the Bible
It's not clear whether Halak was meant to be a name, but the ASV, NAS, NIV and even KJV believe it is, namely the name of a mountain in the southern extreme of the land that was conquered by Joshua (Joshua 11:17, 12:7). The JSP and Darby translations don't reckon Halak as a name and speak of the bare mountain (JSP) and the smooth mountain (Darby).
Both times this mountain is mentioned, it is stated that Mount Halak "rises toward Seir," which immediately brings to mind the decidedly un-identical twins Jacob and Esau, who too were smooth (halaq) and hairy (sa'ir).
🔼Etymology of the name Halak
The name Halak is identical to the adjective חלק (halaq), meaning smooth, from the verb חלק (halaq II), meaning to be smooth or slippery:
חלק
Verb חלק (halaq I) means to divide and apportion. Noun חלק (heleq I) and חלקה (haluqqa) mean portion, tract of land, even one's mode of life. Noun חלקה (helqa I) means field. Noun מחלקת (mahaloqet) describes a division of some organization.
Verb חלק (halaq II) means to be smooth or slippery, either of items such as stones or speech and flattery. Nouns חלק (heleq II) and חלקה (halaqqa) describe smoothness or seductiveness of speech. Adjectives חלק (halaq) and חלק (halluq) mean smooth. The singular noun חלקה (helqa II) and the plural noun plural noun חלקלקות (halaqlaqqot) may describe smoothness, slipperiness, flattery, or pleasant nonsense.
🔼Halak meaning
For a meaning of the name Halak, NOBSE Study Bible Name List has Smooth, but both Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names and BDB Theological Dictionary don't consider Halak a name. BDB Theological Dictionary lists its occurrences in Joshua 11:17 and 12:7 under the adjective חלק (halaq), meaning smooth.