ma.cha.tsit denotes a designated half or portion, including shares, measured amounts, and part of a day.

The attested uses chiefly designate one portion of a divided group or possession, especially the share of Israel or a tribal group. The same construct-noun form also occurs with measured amounts and, in one passage, with part of a day.

1. A designated share of a group or possession · dominant

   In Numbers 31:29, Numbers 31:30, Numbers 31:42, and Numbers 31:47, the construct form marks the portion of the sons of Israel from which persons and animals are taken and given to the priest or Levites; the APB renders these clauses with “their half” and “the half of the sons of Israel.” The APB likewise describes “half the chariotry” in 1 Kings 16:9 and a “half-tribe of Manasseh” in Joshua 21:25.

   Numbers 31:29Numbers 31:30Numbers 31:42Numbers 31:471 Kings 16:9Joshua 21:25
2. One portion of a specified measure · common

   In Exodus 30:13, Exodus 30:15, and Exodus 38:26, the construct form occurs in clauses specifying the required amount in relation to a shekel; the APB renders the amount as “half a shekel.” In Exodus 30:23, it qualifies the stated quantity of cinnamon, where the APB renders “its half.”

   Exodus 30:13Exodus 30:15Exodus 38:26Exodus 30:23
3. Part of the day · occasional

   In Nehemiah 8:3, the construct form occurs in the statement of how long the reading continued; the APB renders the time span as “until half the day.”

   Nehemiah 8:3

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the clearer clauses, the APB presents the term with expressions such as “half a shekel,” “their half,” “the half of the sons of Israel,” and “half the day.” Its wording does not isolate the term's contribution in every occurrence.