Lexical Summary kashshil: Fool Original Word: כַּשִּׁיל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance an axe From kashal; properly, a feller, i.e. An axe: see HEBREW kashal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kashal Definition an axe NASB Translation hatchet (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs כַשִּׁיל noun [masculine] axe (according to Vrss and context; Late Hebrew id.; ᵑ7 Jeremiah 46:22; probably from felling; Aramaic loan-word according to Frä74; but word not commonin Aramaic) — וְכַילַמּוֺת יַהֲלֹמוּן ׳בְּכ Paslm Jer 74:6. Topical Lexicon Entry: כַּשִּׁיל (kashshil) Material culture and practical use The word depicts a small, sharp-edged chopping implement—roughly a hatchet—fashioned of iron or bronze and fitted to a wooden handle. In daily life such tools cleared timber, trimmed beams, and split firewood. In warfare they doubled as breaching devices for gates or paneling (compare 2 Samuel 5:8; Jeremiah 22:7, where other terms for axes appear). Their portability made them the preferred instrument for rapid, indiscriminate destruction. Biblical occurrence Psalm 74:6 records the term’s sole appearance: “And now they smash all its carved work with hatchets and axes”. The psalm laments the enemy’s invasion of the sanctuary, probably during the Babylonian assault of 586 BC. “Kashshil” stands beside a broader word for larger axes; together they picture a systematic stripping of the temple’s cedar paneling and ornate carvings (see 1 Kings 6:18, 29 for the craftsmanship earlier installed). By pairing two cutting tools, the poet conveys violence that is both brutal and meticulous: every sacred carving is reduced to splinters. Historical and theological significance 1. Sign of covenant judgment Moses had warned that persistent covenant violation would lead to invasion and desecration of the sanctuary (Leviticus 26:31; Deuteronomy 28:49-52). The hatchet in Psalm 74 fulfills those warnings. The tool symbolizes not merely military defeat but the tearing down of Israel’s unique worship identity. 2. Contrast with Solomon’s construction Solomon built with “cedar beams and boards” in quiet reverence; “no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built” (1 Kings 6:7). The invader reverses this atmosphere: iron now clangs within the holy courts, proclaiming exile. 3. Foreshadowing ultimate restoration The psalm moves from devastation (verses 3-8) to petition (verses 12-23), anticipating God’s vindication. Later prophets echo this hope: “The glory of this latter house will be greater than the former” (Haggai 2:9). The temporary triumph of the hatchet cannot cancel the Lord’s redemptive purposes culminating in the new covenant temple made of living stones (1 Peter 2:5). Ministry applications • Guard the holy: spiritual leaders are stewards of doctrine and worship; vigilance prevents subtle “hatchets” of false teaching from dismantling Christ’s church (Acts 20:29-31). Related imagery Other Hebrew tools of destruction—garzen (Deuteronomy 19:5), kardom (Jeremiah 46:22), maqqebet (Judges 4:21)—appear in contexts of felling trees or breaking structures. “Kashshil,” though rarer, heightens the motif of carving undone; the artistry of men is only secure when dedicated to God and protected by Him (Psalm 127:1). Devotional reflection Each blow of the hatchet in Psalm 74:6 reminds modern readers that sin’s consequences reach even cherished, beautiful things. Yet the same passage drives us to the covenant-keeping God whose final word is not ruin but resurrection. Forms and Transliterations בְּכַשִּׁ֥יל בכשיל bə·ḵaš·šîl bechashShil bəḵaššîlLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 74:6 HEB: פִּתּוּחֶ֣יהָ יָּ֑חַד בְּכַשִּׁ֥יל וְ֝כֵֽילַפֹּ֗ת יַהֲלֹמֽוּן׃ NAS: They smash with hatchet and hammers. KJV: thereof at once with axes and hammers. INT: carved all hatchet and hammers smash 1 Occurrence |
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