Lexical Summary mechillah: Forgiveness, pardon Original Word: מְחִלָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cave From chalal; a cavern (as if excavated) -- cave. see HEBREW chalal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chalal Definition a hole NASB Translation holes (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מְחִלָּה] noun feminine hole, מְחִלּוֺת עָפָר holes of the dust Isaiah 2:19 ("" מְעָרוֺת צֻרִים caves of the rocks). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imageryמְחִלָּה portrays a hollowed-out space—an artificially or naturally bored hole, tunnel, or shaft in the earth. While other Hebrew terms depict spacious caves (מְעָרָה) or clefts (נְקִיק), מְחִלָּה emphasises a darker, cramped refuge that must be entered by stooping or crawling. It evokes vulnerability, secrecy, and the instinctive urge to hide when terror strikes. Biblical Occurrence Isaiah 2:19 sets the only canonical use: “Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.” Here מְחִלָּה stands parallel to “caves in the rocks,” intensifying the scene of worldwide panic at the Day of the LORD. Historical and Cultural Background The hills of Judah and Ephraim are riddled with karstic limestone cavities and man-cut tunnels used for grain storage, water access, and military hideouts. Archaeology at Beth-Shemesh, Maresha, and Qumran reveals extensive subterranean networks only large enough to crawl through, perfectly illustrating מְחִלָּה. During invasions (e.g., Midianite oppression, Judges 6:2) and persecutions (1 Samuel 13:6), Israelites frequently retreated to such cramped shelters. Theological Significance 1. Terror of the Holiness of God The word captures humanity’s reflex to evade unveiled holiness. Faced with divine majesty, sinful people instinctively seek the deepest recess—yet no earthly refuge can shield from omnipresent judgment (Amos 9:2-3; Jeremiah 23:24). 2. Unmasking False Security Isaiah’s prophecy unmasks material idols (Isaiah 2:20) and political alliances (Isaiah 30:1-2) by showing that, when the LORD “rises to shake the earth,” even fortified cities collapse and people scramble into mere holes. 3. Contrast with Redemptive Shelter Scripture elsewhere offers a better hiding place: “You are my hiding place” (Psalm 32:7). Thus מְחִלָּה stands as a negative foil to the positive refuge found in covenant relationship. Prophetic and Eschatological Application Isaiah’s image is echoed in Revelation 6:15-17, where kings and slaves alike call “to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us…’” The identical flight pattern links the first advent prophecies to the final consummation. The consistency affirms: • The Day of the LORD is literal, future, and global. Practical Ministry Insights • Preaching: Use מְחִלָּה to illustrate the futility of self-made coverings versus the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement (Hebrews 10:19-22). Intertextual Connections • Judges 6:2; 1 Samuel 14:11 – Historical precedents of hiding in holes during enemy oppression. Summary מְחִלָּה encapsulates the final, vain resort of unrepentant humanity when confronted with divine glory. Its singular occurrence in Isaiah shines a floodlight on the contrast between futile human concealment and the secure refuge offered in the righteous King. Forms and Transliterations וּבִמְחִלּ֖וֹת ובמחלות ū·ḇim·ḥil·lō·wṯ ūḇimḥillōwṯ uvimchilLotLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 2:19 HEB: בִּמְעָר֣וֹת צֻרִ֔ים וּבִמְחִלּ֖וֹת עָפָ֑ר מִפְּנֵ֞י NAS: of the rocks And into holes of the ground KJV: of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, INT: caves of the rocks holes of the ground for 1 Occurrence |
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