Nahalal

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Nahal'al or Na'halal. (pasture). One of the cities of Zebulun, given with its "suburbs," to the Merarite Levites. Joshua 21:35. It is the same which in Joshua 19:15, is inaccurately given, in the Authorized Version, as Nahallal, the Hebrew being in both cases identical. Elsewhere, it is called Nahalol. Judges 1:30. It is identified with the modern Malul, a village in the plain of Esdraelon.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

NAHALAL (in Judges 1:30 Nahalol ). A town of Zebulun ( Joshua 19:15 ), given to the Levites ( Joshua 21:35 ). Its inhabitants were not expelled by the Zebulunites, but were made tributary ( Judges 1:30 ). A possible site is ‘Ain Mahil , north of Nazareth, on the hill which formed the limit of Zebulun to the east. Another is Ma‘lul , a village west of Nazareth, and on the south border of Zebulun.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Joshua 19:15; Joshua 21:35; Judges 1:30. A city of Zebulun, given to the Merarite Levites. Now Malul in the Esdraelon plain; four miles W. of Nazareth. Being in the plain Israel could not drive out of it the Canaanites with their chariots, which could act on the level ground.

Holman Bible Dictionary

Joshua 19:15Judges 1:30Joshua 19:15Joshua 21:35Judges 1:30

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

A city of Zebulon. (Joshua 19:15) The meaning of this name is strength, from Hallal.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

See NAHALLAL.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Nahalal', נִהֲלָל, pasture; Sept. Νααλώλ v.r. Ναβάαλ, and even Σελλά ; Vulg. Nahum 1 lol; Auth. Vers. once "Nahallal," Joshua 19:15), a city, in the tribe of Zebulun, on the border of Issachar (Joshua 19:15), but inhabited by Canaanites tributary to Israel (Judges 1:30, where the name is "Nahalol"), given with its "suburbs" to the Merarite Levites (Joshua 21:35). It is mentioned between Kithlish and Shimron. Eusebius erroneously locates it E. of the Jordan (Onomast. s.v. Νειλά ). "The Jerusalem Talmud (Megillah, chapter 1; Maaser Sheni, chapter 5), as quoted by Schwarz (Palest. page 172) and Reland (Palest. page 717), asserts that Nahalal (or Mahalal, as it is in some copies) was in postBiblical times called Maohlul; and this Schwarz identifies with the modern Malul, a village in the plain of Esdraelon under the, mountains which enclose the plain on the north, four miles west of Nazareth, and two from Japhia; an identification concurred in by Van de Velde (Memoir, s.v.). One Hebrew MS. (30 Kennicott) lends countenance to it by reading מהלל, i.e. Mahalal, in Joshua 21:35. If the town was in the great plain, we can understand why the Israelites were unable to drive out the Canaanites from it, since their chariots must have been extremely formidable as long as they remained on level or smooth ground." This site, however, has been appropriated by Porter to that of the ancient MARALAH (See Maralah) (q.v.).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

nā´hal - al ( נחלל , naḥălāl  ; Codex Vaticanus, Βαιθμάν , Baithmán  ; Codex Alexandrinus Νααλώλ , Naalṓl , and other forms): A city in the territory of Zebulun assigned with its suburbs to the Merarite Levites, out of which the Canaanite inhabitants were not driven ( Joshua 19:15 , the King James Version (incorrectly) "Nahallal"; 21:35; Judges 1:30 , "Nahalol"). In the Talmud Jerusalem ( Meg ., i. 1) it is identified with Mahlul. This name might correspond either with ‛Ain Māhil , or with Ma‛lūl . The former lies about 3 1/2 miles Northeast of Nazareth on a hill near the eastern boundary of Zebulun. The latter is situated about 3 1/2 miles West of Nazareth, near the southern border of Zebulun. The change of "n" to "m" is not unusual.