מִכְלָה (mikh.la.ah)
mikh.la.ah
fold
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun mikhlah refers to a physical enclosure or fold, typically used for livestock. It denotes a confined space where animals are kept safe, distinguishing it from open pastures by its function as a protective barrier.
This term appears in only three biblical passages, carrying distinct imagery in each. In Habakkuk 3:17, the prophet describes a time of severe famine when flocks vanish from their folds (gazar mimmikhlah tson), emphasizing total loss. Conversely, Psalm 50:9 uses it to describe goats taken from their enclosures as sacrifices, while Psalm 78:70 speaks of David being chosen from among the sheep in their folds to lead Israel.
The word highlights the transition between safety and vulnerability. Whether describing the absence of animals during disaster or the selection of a leader from among them, mikhlah serves as a concrete marker of where the flock belongs and how they are managed.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mikhlah describes a physical enclosure for livestock, a place of shelter and boundary. In the ancient world, sheep were vulnerable to predators and harsh weather outside these walls. The fold represented safety, order, and the shepherd’s care. When the Bible mentions this structure, it is often marking a transition between protection and exposure.
For your faith life, this imagery reminds us that belonging matters. In Psalm 78, David is chosen from among the sheep in their folds, showing that God often works through ordinary, protected communities. Yet Habakkuk warns of times when those folds are empty, highlighting how deeply we feel loss when safety vanishes. Even so, the image points to a Shepherd who gathers and guards His people, offering stability even when circumstances change.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- from/ folds/ your1×
- from/ [the] folds of1×
- from/ [the] fold1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מִֽ/מִּכְלְאֹ֥ת1×
- מִ֝/מִּכְלְאֹתֶ֗י/ךָ1×
- מִ/מִּכְלָה֙1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 78:70
He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
This verse uses the fold to ground David’s humble origins before God elevates him, showing that leadership often begins in ordinary, protected settings.
-
Habakkuk 3:17
For even though the fig tree doesn’t flourish, nor fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive fails, the fields yield no food, the flocks are cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls,
Here the empty fold signals total economic and social collapse, making the prophet’s subsequent faith all the more striking against such stark loss.
-
Psalms 50:9
I have no need for a bull from your stall, nor male goats from your pens.
God references goats from the pens to clarify that He does not need human sacrifices, redirecting the focus from ritual to sincere worship.