Lexical Summary mechi: Wiping, Blotting Original Word: מְחִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance engines From machah; a stroke, i.e. Battering-ram -- engines. see HEBREW machah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom machah Definition a smiting NASB Translation blow (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מְחִי noun [masculine] only in מְחִי קָבֳלּוֺ Ezekiel 26:9 the stroke of his battering ram (compare (מ)מחיו Ecclus 42:5 smiting a deceitful servant, margin מוסד). III. מָחָה see מֹחַ below מחח. מְחוּגָה see חוג. below, Topical Lexicon Overview מְחִי (Strong’s Hebrew 4239) denotes a striking or smiting blow. Its lone appearance in Ezekiel 26:9 anchors the term in the imagery of siege warfare, where persistent, forceful impacts bring down fortified structures. Biblical Usage Ezekiel 26 records the prophetic oracle against the great coastal city of Tyre. Verse 9 describes Nebuchadnezzar’s assault: “He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his axes” (Ezekiel 26:9). Here מְחִי depicts the relentless, pounding strikes that batter rams delivered against city walls. The noun is purposely vivid. It evokes the repetitive, rhythmic thud of wood and iron meeting stone—an audio-visual symbol of inevitable judgment. Historical Background Battering rams were standard Neo-Babylonian siege engines, consisting of heavy beams tipped with metal and suspended by chains in a protective frame. Soldiers would swing the beam to concentrate kinetic force on one point of a wall. Archaeology and contemporary reliefs (notably from Nineveh) confirm their effectiveness. Thus Ezekiel’s audience would immediately picture the terrifying spectacle: clouds of dust, shaking ramparts, and the slow crumble of towers. מְחִי encapsulates that siege experience in a single word. Theological Significance 1. Instrument of Divine Judgment Tyre’s pride and mercantile arrogance (Ezekiel 27:3) drew divine censure. The “blows” were not merely Babylonian aggression; they were Yahweh’s ordained means of humbling a city that exalted itself above Judah’s misfortune (Ezekiel 26:2). מְחִי therefore communicates more than military force; it conveys the certainty of God’s verdict executed in history. 2. Certainty and Finality The prophetic context emphasizes repetition—walls struck again and again until collapse. In a broader canonical perspective, repeated blows recall the cumulative chastisements that fell on Egypt (Exodus 7–12) and on Israel herself (2 Kings 17:13–18). The motif underscores that when people harden themselves against earlier warnings, divine retribution intensifies until resistance is shattered. 3. Echoes in Eschatology Later prophets use similar siege imagery to portray final judgment on the nations (Zechariah 14:1–3; Revelation 18). While מְחִי itself does not recur, its conceptual equivalent reappears whenever Scripture pictures God’s unstoppable advance against entrenched wickedness. Ministry Application 1. Warning Against Pride Tyre’s downfall cautions communities and individuals who trust in wealth, strategy, or geographic advantage. Spiritual strongholds—intellectual, moral, or cultural—may stand unbreached for a season, yet the “blows” of divine discipline can and will penetrate them. 2. Call to Repentance Each מְחִי of the battering ram was an opportunity for Tyre’s leaders to surrender. Likewise, incremental corrections in a believer’s life are mercies inviting repentance before ultimate collapse (Hebrews 12:5–11). 3. Comfort in God’s Justice The prophecy assured exiled Judah that oppressive powers would face recompense. Pastoral ministry can likewise appeal to God’s proven pattern: He defends His covenant people and rights historic wrongs, even when adversaries appear impregnable. Related Hebrew Roots and Themes Though מְחִי occurs only once, it is related conceptually to: These terms broaden the semantic field of divine infliction, linking physical impacts with covenantal consequences. Conclusion מְחִי stands as a linguistic monument to the precision of prophetic fulfillment. One word, describing one military action, confirms that when the Lord declares judgment, no wall—whether of stone or human pride—can long withstand the repeated blows of His purpose. Forms and Transliterations וּמְחִ֣י ומחי ū·mə·ḥî umeChi ūməḥîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 26:9 HEB: וּמְחִ֣י קָֽבָלּ֔וֹ יִתֵּ֖ן NAS: The blow of his battering rams KJV: And he shall set engines of war INT: the blow of his battering will direct 1 Occurrence |
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