Lexical Definition

‎מְלָאכָה‎ mᵉlâʼkâh (mel-aw-kaw') work ^H:N-F
from the same as ‎מֲלְאָךְ‎

business, [phrase] cattle, [phrase] industrious, occupation, ([phrase] -pied), [phrase] officer, thing (made), use, (manner of) work((-man), -manship).

• properly, deputyship, i.e. ministry
• generally, employment (never servile) or work (abstractly or concretely)
• also property (as the result of labor)

1) occupation, work, business
1a) occupation, business
1b) property
1c) work (something done or made)
1d) workmanship
1e) service, use
1f) public business
1f1) political
1f2) religious

See Greek: αἴνεσις · ἐργάζομαι · ἐργασία · ἔργον · λειτουργία · παρακαταθήκη

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מְלָאכָה‎₁₆₇ noun feminine occupation, work (for *‎מַלְאָכָה‎; compare Phoenician ‎מלאכת‎ labour) — ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Exod 12:16 + 102 t.; ‎מְלָ֑אכֶת‎ 2Chr 13:10 construct ‎מְלֶאכֶת‎ Exod 35:24 + 42 t.; suffix ‎מְלַאכְתְּךָ‎ Jonah 1:8 ‎מְלַאכְתֶּ֑ךָ‎ Exod 20:9 + 2 t.; ‎מְלַאכְתּוֺ‎ Gen 2:2 + 13 t.; plural construct ‎מַלְאֲכוֺת‎ 1Chr 28:19 suffix ‎מַלְאֲכוֺתֶיךָ‎ Ps 73:28 —

1. occupation, business, ‎מַה מְּלַאכְתְּךָ‎ what is thy occupation Jonah 1:8 business of a steward Gen 39:11 (J); diligent in business Prov 22:29 slack in business Prov 18:9.

2. property in which one is occupied, ‎רעהוּ‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ his neighbour's property Exod 22:7*; Exod 22:10* (E); possessions of herds and flocks Gen 33:14 (J), 1Sam 15:9 (compare ‎מִקְנֶה‎); ‎רבה‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ great property 2Chr 17:13.

3. work as something done or made:
a. of God in creation Gen 2:2 (twice in verse); Gen 2:3 (P), in judgment Jer 50:25, in general Ps 73:28.
b. of men, ‎עור‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ leather-work Lev 13:48; Lev 13:51 (P), ‎השׂדה‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ work in the field 1Chr 27:26 in building Prov 24:27 +, the walls of Jerusalem Neh 4:5* +, making the tabernacle and its furniture Exod 36:2 +, the temple 1Kgs 5:30* +; work of the potter Jer 18:3, of the seaman Ps 107:23, of the Levites 1Chr 26:29, of priests in the sacrifices 2Chr 29:34 ‎מְלָאכֶת (ה)עֲבֹדָה‎ phrase of P, Exod 35:24; Exod 36:1; Exod 36:3; Lev 23:7; Lev 23:8; Lev 23:21; Lev 23:25; Lev 23:35; Lev 23:36; Num 28:18; Num 28:25; Num 28:26; Num 29:1; Num 29:12; Num 29:35 also 1Chr 9:13; 1Chr 9:19; 1Chr 28:13; 1Chr 28:20; 2Chr 24:12 ‎לעבדה‎ ‎׳‎‎המ‎ 1Chr 23:24 ‎׳‎‎עבדה למ‎ Exod 36:5 (P); compare the phrase ‎׳‎‎עֹשֵׂה המ‎ workmen Ezra 3:9; Neh 2:16 ‎׳‎‎עֹשִׂים במ‎ 1Kgs 5:30*; 1Kgs 9:23 +; ‎׳‎‎כל מ‎ any work forbidden on the Sabbath Exod 20:9; Exod 20:10; Lev 23:3 (P) Deut 5:13; Deut 5:14; Jer 17:22; Jer 17:24 on holy convocations Exod 12:16; Lev 16:29; Lev 23:28; Lev 23:30; Lev 23:31; Num 29:7 (P).

4. workmanship, ‎כל מלאכה‎ in every kind of workmanship, phrase of P: Exod 31:3; Exod 31:5; Exod 35:29; Exod 35:31; Exod 35:33; Exod 35:35 and Chronicles: 1Chr 22:15; 1Chr 28:21; 1Chr 29:5; 1Kgs 7:14.

5. service, use Lev 7:24; Lev 11:32; Judg 16:11; Ezek 28:13.

6. public business:
a. political 1Kgs 11:28; 1Chr 29:6; Dan 8:27; Esth 3:9; Esth 9:3.
b. religious, putting away foreign wives Ezra 10:13 ‎יהוה‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ 1Chr 26:30 ‎הַקֹּדֶשׁ‎‎׳‎‎מ‎ Exod 36:4; Exod 38:24 (P), ‎קדשׁ הקדשׁים‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ 1Chr 6:34* ‎אהל‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ ‎מועד‎ Exod 35:21 (P), ‎׳‎‎בית י‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ 1Chr 23:4; Ezra 3:8; Ezra 6:22; Neh 10:34*; Neh 11:22.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References