3162. machaira
Strong's Lexicon
machaira: Sword

Original Word: μάχαιρα
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: machaira
Pronunciation: MAH-khai-rah
Phonetic Spelling: (makh'-ahee-rah)
Definition: Sword
Meaning: a sword.

Word Origin: Derived from μάχη (machē), meaning "battle" or "fight."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - H2719 (חֶרֶב, chereb): Often translated as "sword," used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament to denote a weapon of war or judgment.

Usage: The term "machaira" refers to a short sword or dagger, commonly used in the ancient world for both military and domestic purposes. In the New Testament, it is often used metaphorically to represent conflict, division, or the Word of God as a tool for spiritual warfare.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, the machaira was a versatile weapon, favored for its effectiveness in close combat. It was a symbol of authority and power, often carried by soldiers and officials. The machaira was also used in sacrificial rituals, highlighting its dual role in both life-taking and life-giving contexts.

HELPS Word-studies

3162 χaira – properly, a slaughter-knife; a short sword or dagger mainly used for stabbing; (figuratively) an instrument for exacting retribution.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
perhaps from machomai
Definition
a short sword or dagger
NASB Translation
sword (23), swords (6).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3162: μάχαιρα

μάχαιρα, genitive μαχαίρας (so (with R G) Lachmann in Luke 21:24) and μαχαίρης, dative μάχαιρα. (so (with R G) Lachmann in Luke 22:49; Acts 12:2) and μαχαίρῃ (between which forms the manuscripts vary, cf. (Scrivener, Collation, etc., p. lvi.; Tdf. Proleg., p. 117; WHs Appendix, p. 156a); Winers Grammar, 62 (61); Buttmann, 11; Delitzsch on Hebrews 11:34, p. 584 note), , (akin to μάχη and Latinmactare);

1. a large knife, used for killing animals and cutting up flesh: Homer, Pindar, Herodotus, at.; hence, Genesis 22:6, 10; Judges 19:29 Alex., for מַאֲכֶלֶת.

2. a small sword, distinguished from the large sword, the ῤομφαία (Josephus, Antiquities 6, 9, 5 ἀποτεμνει τήν κεφαλήν τῇ ῤομφαία τῇ ἐκείνου (Goliath's), μάχαιραν, οὐκ ἔχων αὐτός), and curred, for a cutting stroke; distinct also from ξίφος, a straight sword, for thrusting, Xenophon, r. eq. 12, 11, cf. Hell. 3, 3, 7; but the words are frequently used interchangeably. In the N. T. universally, a sword (the Sept. often for חֶרֶב): as a weapon for making or repelling an attack, Matthew 26:47, 51, 52,(55); Mark 14:43, 47; Luke 22:36, 38, 49, 52; John 18:10; Acts 16:27; Hebrews 11:37; Revelation 6:4; Revelation 13:10,(14); by a Hebraism, στόμα μαχαίρας, the edge of the sword (חֶרֶב פִּי, Genesis 34:26; Joshua 8:24; 1 Samuel 13:22; Judges 3:16, etc. (but in the Sept. the rendering στόμα ξίφους or στόμα ῤομφαίας is more common)): Luke 21:24; Hebrews 11:34; μάχαιρα δίστομος (see δίστομος), Hebrews 4:12. of the sword as the instrument of a magistrate or judge: death by the sword, Romans 8:35; ἀναιρεῖν τινα μάχαιρα, Acts 12:2; τήν μαχαίρας φόρειν, to bear the sword, is used of him to whom the sword has been committed, viz. to use when a malefactor is to he punished; hence, equivalent to to have the power of life and death, Romans 13:4 (so ξίφος, ξιφη ἔχειν, Philostr. vit. Apoll. 7, 16; vit. sophist. 1, 25, 2 (3), cf. Dion Cass. 42, 27; and in the Talmud the king who bears the sword, of the Hebrew king). Metaphorically, μάχαιρα, a weapon of war, is used for war, or for quarrels and dissensions that destroy peace; so in the phrase βαλεῖν μάχαιραν ἐπί τήν τήν, to send war on earth, Matthew 10:34 (for which Luke 12:51 says διαμερισμόν); μάχαιρα τοῦ πνεύματος, the sword with which the Spirit subdues the impulses to sin and proves its own power and efficacy (which sword is said to be ῤῆμα Θεοῦ (cf. Buttmann, 128 (112))), Ephesians 6:17 (on the genitive in this passage cf. Ellicott or Meyer).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
sword.

Probably feminine of a presumed derivative of mache; a knife, i.e. Dirk; figuratively, war, judicial punishment -- sword.

see GREEK mache

Forms and Transliterations
μαχαιρα μαχαίρα μάχαιρα μάχαιρά μαχαιραι μάχαιραι μαχαίραις μαχαιραν μάχαιραν μάχαιράν μαχαίρας μαχαιρη μαχαίρῃ μαχαιρης μαχαίρης μαχαιρων μαχαιρών μαχαιρῶν μαχβάρ machaira máchaira machairai máchairai machairan máchairan máchairán machaire machairē machaírei machaírēi machaires machairēs machaíres machaírēs machairon machairôn machairōn machairō̂n
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 10:34 N-AFS
GRK: εἰρήνην ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν
NAS: to bring peace, but a sword.
KJV: peace, but a sword.
INT: peace but a sword

Matthew 26:47 N-GFP
GRK: πολὺς μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων
NAS: crowd with swords and clubs,
KJV: multitude with swords and staves,
INT: great with swords and clubs

Matthew 26:51 N-AFS
GRK: ἀπέσπασεν τὴν μάχαιραν αὐτοῦ καὶ
NAS: and drew out his sword, and struck
KJV: and drew his sword, and struck
INT: drew the sword of him and

Matthew 26:52 N-AFS
GRK: Ἀπόστρεψον τὴν μάχαιράν σου εἰς
NAS: to him, Put your sword back
KJV: Put up again thy sword into his
INT: Return the sword of you into

Matthew 26:52 N-AFS
GRK: οἱ λαβόντες μάχαιραν ἐν μαχαίρῃ
NAS: who take up the sword shall perish
KJV: that take the sword shall perish
INT: the [ones] having taken [the] sword by [the] sword

Matthew 26:52 N-DFS
GRK: μάχαιραν ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀπολοῦνται
NAS: shall perish by the sword.
KJV: shall perish with the sword.
INT: [the] sword by [the] sword will perish

Matthew 26:55 N-GFP
GRK: ἐξήλθατε μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων
NAS: Have you come out with swords and clubs
KJV: a thief with swords and staves
INT: are you come out with swords and clubs

Mark 14:43 N-GFP
GRK: ὄχλος μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων
NAS: by a crowd with swords and clubs,
KJV: multitude with swords and staves,
INT: a crowd with swords and clubs

Mark 14:47 N-AFS
GRK: σπασάμενος τὴν μάχαιραν ἔπαισεν τὸν
NAS: by drew his sword, and struck
KJV: drew a sword, and smote
INT: having drawn the sword struck the

Mark 14:48 N-GFP
GRK: ἐξήλθατε μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων
NAS: to them, Have you come out with swords and clubs
KJV: a thief, with swords and [with] staves
INT: are you come out with swords and clubs

Luke 21:24 N-GFS
GRK: πεσοῦνται στόματι μαχαίρης καὶ αἰχμαλωτισθήσονται
NAS: by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive
KJV: by the edge of the sword, and
INT: they will fall by [the] edge of [the] sword and will be led captive

Luke 22:36 N-AFS
GRK: καὶ ἀγορασάτω μάχαιραν
NAS: has no sword is to sell his coat
KJV: no sword, let him sell
INT: and buy a sword

Luke 22:38 N-NFP
GRK: Κύριε ἰδοὺ μάχαιραι ὧδε δύο
NAS: are two swords. And He said
KJV: here [are] two swords. And he said
INT: Lord behold swords here [are] two

Luke 22:49 N-DFS
GRK: πατάξομεν ἐν μαχαίρῃ
NAS: shall we strike with the sword?
KJV: shall we smite with the sword?
INT: will we strike with [the] sword

Luke 22:52 N-GFP
GRK: ἐξήλθατε μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων
NAS: Him, Have you come out with swords and clubs
KJV: a thief, with swords and staves?
INT: have you come out with swords and clubs

John 18:10 N-AFS
GRK: Πέτρος ἔχων μάχαιραν εἵλκυσεν αὐτὴν
NAS: having a sword, drew
KJV: Peter having a sword drew it,
INT: Peter having a sword drew it

John 18:11 N-AFS
GRK: Βάλε τὴν μάχαιραν εἰς τὴν
NAS: Put the sword into the sheath;
KJV: Put up thy sword into the sheath:
INT: Put the sword into the

Acts 12:2 N-DFS
GRK: ἀδελφὸν Ἰωάννου μαχαίρῃ
NAS: of John put to death with a sword.
KJV: the brother of John with the sword.
INT: brother of John with a sword

Acts 16:27 N-AFS
GRK: σπασάμενος τὴν μάχαιραν ἤμελλεν ἑαυτὸν
NAS: he drew his sword and was about
KJV: he drew out his sword, and would
INT: having drawn his sword was about himself

Romans 8:35 N-NFS
GRK: κίνδυνος ἢ μάχαιρα
NAS: peril, or sword?
KJV: peril, or sword?
INT: danger or sword

Romans 13:4 N-AFS
GRK: εἰκῇ τὴν μάχαιραν φορεῖ θεοῦ
NAS: for it does not bear the sword for nothing;
KJV: he beareth not the sword in vain: for
INT: in vain the sword he wears of god

Ephesians 6:17 N-AFS
GRK: καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος
NAS: OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit,
KJV: and the sword of the Spirit,
INT: and the sword of the Spirit

Hebrews 4:12 N-AFS
GRK: ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν μάχαιραν δίστομον καὶ
NAS: two-edged sword, and piercing
KJV: any twoedged sword, piercing even to
INT: than any sword two-edged even

Hebrews 11:34 N-GFS
GRK: ἔφυγον στόματα μαχαίρης ἐδυναμώθησαν ἀπὸ
NAS: the edge of the sword, from weakness
KJV: the edge of the sword, out of
INT: escaped [the] mouths of [the] sword acquired strength out of

Hebrews 11:37 N-GFS
GRK: ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρης ἀπέθανον περιῆλθον
NAS: they were put to death with the sword; they went about
INT: by slaughter of [the] sword they died they wandered

Strong's Greek 3162
29 Occurrences


μάχαιρα — 2 Occ.
μάχαιραι — 1 Occ.
μάχαιραν — 12 Occ.
μαχαίρῃ — 5 Occ.
μαχαίρης — 4 Occ.
μαχαιρῶν — 5 Occ.















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