Lexical Summary mahamorah: Exchange, Barter Original Word: מַהֲמֹרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance deep pit From an unused root of uncertain meaning; perhaps an abyss -- deep pit. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition a flood, watery pit NASB Translation deep pits (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מַהֲמֹרָה] noun feminine flood (compare Arabic √), or watery pit (properly place of flowing waters; compare Symm βοθύνους, and Late Hebrew, NHWBiii. 40) — only plural מַהֲמֹרוֺת Psalm 140:11 (Gr Che מכמרות, nets, see below כמר; compare רֶשֶׁת Psalm 140:6). Topical Lexicon Scriptural Occurrence and Context The noun appears once, in Psalm 140:10, within David’s plea for deliverance from violent men. The psalmist prays: “May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into the miry depths, never to rise again” (Psalm 140:10). The imagery places the wicked in a place of inescapable ruin—simultaneously fiery and swamp-like—underscoring utter finality. Imagery of Descent and Finality By coupling “fire” with “miry depths,” the verse layers two complementary biblical pictures of judgment: consuming flames (Isaiah 66:24; Revelation 20:14-15) and engulfing waters or pits (Numbers 16:30-33; Psalm 69:2). Together they portray a punishment that is both active (burning) and imprisoning (submersion), leaving no avenue of escape. The word thus serves to heighten the contrast between the fleeting power of the wicked and the enduring sovereignty of God. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Near-Eastern cisterns, quarries, and refuse pits were notorious for trapping victims in darkness and sludge. A person thrown into such a place could not climb the slick walls; death by suffocation or starvation was common. David evokes that cultural awareness, transforming a familiar civil penalty into a theological statement: God Himself will consign evildoers to a pit from which no human intervention can rescue them. Theological Implications of Divine Justice 1. Certainty of Judgment – The single occurrence reinforces the theme that divine retribution is neither arbitrary nor reversible (cf. Proverbs 11:21). Relation to Other Biblical Passages • Psalm 55:23 – “You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction.” Christological and Eschatological Considerations Jesus bore the wrath symbolized by both fire and pit (Matthew 26:38; Luke 22:44), offering believers deliverance from the ultimate mahamorah. Yet those who reject the atonement remain exposed to “the lake that burns with fire and sulfur” (Revelation 21:8), the eschatological fulfillment of Psalm 140:10. Practical Ministry Application • Encouragement in persecution: When evil seems ascendant, Psalm 140:10 assures believers that God’s justice will prevail. Summary מַהֲמֹרָה embodies the certainty, completeness, and moral necessity of divine judgment. Though mentioned once, its vivid depth-and-fire imagery reverberates through Scripture, pointing both to the peril of unrepentant wickedness and to the safety found in God’s steadfast covenant mercy. Forms and Transliterations בְּ֝מַהֲמֹר֗וֹת במהמרות bə·ma·hă·mō·rō·wṯ bemahamoRot bəmahămōrōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 140:10 HEB: בָּאֵ֥שׁ יַפִּלֵ֑ם בְּ֝מַהֲמֹר֗וֹת בַּֽל־ יָקֽוּמוּ׃ NAS: into the fire, Into deep pits from which they cannot KJV: into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again. INT: may burning may they be cast deep cannot rise 1 Occurrence |
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