4262. machmud or machmod
Lexical Summary
machmud or machmod: Delight, desirable thing, precious thing, object of desire

Original Word: מַחְמֻד
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: machmud
Pronunciation: makh-mood' or makh-mod'
Phonetic Spelling: (makh-mood')
KJV: pleasant thing
NASB: precious things
Word Origin: [from H2530 (חָמַד - covet)]

1. desired
2. (hence) a valuable

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
pleasant thing

Or machmuwd {makh-mood'}; from chamad; desired; hence, a valuable -- pleasant thing.

see HEBREW chamad

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from chamad
Definition
a desirable or precious thing
NASB Translation
precious things (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[מַחְמֹד] noun [masculine] desirable, precious thing; — מַחֲמֻדֶיהָ Lamentations 1:7, מַחֲמוֺדֵיהֶם Lamentations 1:11 Kt (Qr מַחֲמַדֵּיהֶם). Perhaps ׳מַחֲמַדּ to be read in both; compare Sta§ 273 a.

I. חמה (√ of following; compare Arabic protect, guard, RSK 136 LagBN 156; DlPr 91; BAS ii. 43 compare an Assyrian ê mû, surround, guard, compare Modern Syriac id.; Ethiopic III. 1 means contract affinity, be joined by affinity, probably denominative)

Topical Lexicon
Entry: מַחְמֻד (Strong’s Hebrew 4262)

Overview of the Word’s Sense

Although appearing only twice, מַחְמֻד gathers into a single noun the ideas of “precious delight,” “desired treasure,” and “object of loveliest worth.” When the prophets chose this term, they were pointing to more than material valuables; they were identifying whatever the people of God once cherished as evidence of the Lord’s favor.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Lamentations 1:7 – “Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old.”
2. Lamentations 1:11 – “They have exchanged their precious treasures for food to restore their lives.”

Both lines appear in the opening dirge that mourns the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., when Babylon stripped the city of wealth, sanctuary vessels, leadership, and security—all once regarded as proofs of divine blessing.

Historical Setting

Jeremiah’s lament was composed after the Babylonian army razed Jerusalem, demolished Solomon’s temple, and led her nobles into exile. The national catastrophe exposed Judah’s rebellion (Lamentations 1:18) and unmasked the fragility of every “delight” apart from covenant faithfulness. The treasures now lying in enemy hands included the gold and bronze articles dedicated for worship (2 Kings 25:13–15) and the agricultural abundance once enjoyed in the land “flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). The word מַחְמֻד therefore stands as a witness to the reversal of Israel’s fortunes: prized objects became plunder, and what once testified to divine favor became evidence of divine judgment.

Theological Significance

1. Perishable Delights. Mַחְמֻד underscores that earthly delights, though good gifts, are temporary. The prophet’s grief is sharpened not merely by loss but by the realization that sin had cheapened the nation’s desire, turning what should have led to worship into an idol of security (Deuteronomy 8:11–14).
2. Covenant Memory. The term calls the faithful to recall that all delights originate in the Lord. By using a noun of affection in a poem of sorrow, Jeremiah forces the reader to compare past grace with present discipline and to seek restoration through repentance.
3. Anticipation of True Desire. Haggai 2:7 foretells the coming of “the Desire of all nations,” a different but related Hebrew root. Lamentations 1 shows the failure of temporal treasures; Haggai promises an ultimate, unfailing desire fulfilled in the glory of the second temple and, ultimately, in Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

Christological Implications

The stripping of Jerusalem’s מַחְמֻד foreshadows the humiliation Christ would endure, “though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Where Judah’s delights were taken because of her sin, the Lord voluntarily laid aside His visible glory to redeem sinners. He is now the “precious cornerstone” (1 Peter 2:6), the everlasting מַחְמֻד that cannot be plundered.

Intertextual Echoes

Isaiah 64:11 speaks of “our beautiful and glorious temple,” using another form from the same root group, showing how temple worship was the quintessential delight.
Ezekiel 24:25 predicts the loss of “the desire of your eyes,” referring to the sanctuary, blending personal affection with corporate worship.

These texts align with Lamentations by presenting divine presence, not gold or grain, as the believer’s supreme treasure.

Ministry and Discipleship Applications

1. Diagnose Disordered Loves. Churches and believers are called to identify any substitute delights that might eclipse devotion to Christ (Matthew 6:21).
2. Cultivate Eternal Perspective. Teaching on מַחְמֻד encourages believers to invest in “treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20), knowing that earthly possessions are vulnerable, but spiritual riches are secure.
3. Comfort the Afflicted. Lamentations gives language for grief without despair. By acknowledging lost delights honestly, pastors can guide sufferers toward hope in the unchanging character of God (Lamentations 3:22–24).
4. Inspire Generous Worship. As Jerusalem’s treasures were originally dedicated to temple service, so the church is urged to dedicate its resources to gospel advance, echoing Paul’s call to be “rich in good works” (1 Timothy 6:18).

Devotional Reflection

Reading Lamentations 1 invites believers to remember both their own past delights and the ultimate delight of God’s presence. When earthly treasures fade, the covenant Lord remains. In Christ, every loss of מַחְמֻד is a summons to value the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).

Forms and Transliterations
מַחֲמַדֵּיהֶ֛ם מַחֲמֻדֶ֔יהָ מחמדיה מחמדיהם ma·ḥă·mad·dê·hem ma·ḥă·mu·ḏe·hā machamaddeiHem machamuDeiha maḥămaddêhem maḥămuḏehā
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Englishman's Concordance
Lamentations 1:7
HEB: וּמְרוּדֶ֔יהָ כֹּ֚ל מַחֲמֻדֶ֔יהָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֖וּ
NAS: all her precious things That were from the days
KJV: and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days
INT: and homelessness all her precious after were from

Lamentations 1:11
HEB: [מַחֲמֹודֵּיהֶם כ] (מַחֲמַדֵּיהֶ֛ם ק) בְּאֹ֖כֶל
NAS: They have given their precious things for food
INT: bread have given pleasant thing food to restore

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4262
2 Occurrences


ma·ḥă·mad·dê·hem — 1 Occ.
ma·ḥă·mu·ḏe·hā — 1 Occ.

4261
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