Lexical Summary machmal: Desire, precious, beloved, desirable thing Original Word: מַחְמָל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance pitieth From chamal; properly, sympathy; (by paronomasia with machmad) delight -- pitieth. see HEBREW chamal see HEBREW machmad Brown-Driver-Briggs [מַחְמָל] noun [masculine] thing pitied, object of compassion, only construct מַחְמַד עיניכם וּמַחְמַל נַפְשְׁכֶם Ezekiel 24:21 object of your eyes' desire, and of your soul's compassion. Topical Lexicon Canonical Context The word מַחְמָל appears a single time, in Ezekiel 24:21, where the Lord foretells the desecration of the Jerusalem temple, calling it “the pride of your strength, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart”. Placed in a chapter that also records the prophet’s enacted sign of personal bereavement, the term heightens the emotional force of God’s announced judgment: the very object Israel cherished most would be removed. Textual Observations 1. Singular occurrence: Its solitary use creates a literary spotlight, marking the temple as uniquely precious in Israel’s affections. Historical Background Ezekiel prophesied from Babylon during the last days of Judah. Despite earlier deportations, many Judeans believed the temple guaranteed their safety. When Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem (588–586 BC), their confidence proved misplaced. By portraying the temple as “mahmal,” Ezekiel exposes the false security that sentimental attachment can foster when separated from genuine obedience (Jeremiah 7:4–11). Theological Significance 1. Holiness over sentiment: God’s holiness outranks even the most treasured symbols of religion. A building, however sacred, cannot shield unrepentant hearts. Prophetic Implications The destruction anticipated in Ezekiel 24 foreshadows later prophetic patterns. Jesus likewise lamented the temple’s downfall (Matthew 24:2), emphasizing that outward grandeur without inner fidelity invites ruin. Both events point forward to a final purification in which only what is truly holy endures (Zechariah 14:20–21). Practical Ministry Applications 1. Evaluate cherished institutions: Churches, programs, or traditions may become modern “mahmal” if they displace wholehearted devotion to Christ. Leaders must guard against sentimental idolatry. Christological and Eschatological Reflections Jesus Christ, “the true tabernacle not made by hands” (Hebrews 9:24), surpasses every earthly sanctuary. Whereas the temple in Ezekiel became an object God would not spare, the Father did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all (Romans 8:32). In Him the believer finds an imperishable “desire of the heart,” and in the New Jerusalem “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Revelation 21:22). Summary מַחְמָל encapsulates the intensity of Israel’s affection for the temple and, by contrast, the gravity of God’s judgment upon unfaithfulness. Its lone appearance in Ezekiel 24:21 confronts every generation with a searching question: Do we cherish the gifts of God more than God Himself? The word thus functions as both warning and invitation—warning against misplaced trust and invitation to make the Lord alone the supreme treasure of the soul. Forms and Transliterations וּמַחְמַ֣ל ומחמל ū·maḥ·mal umachMal ūmaḥmalLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 24:21 HEB: מַחְמַ֥ד עֵֽינֵיכֶ֖ם וּמַחְמַ֣ל נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם וּבְנֵיכֶ֧ם NAS: of your eyes and the delight of your soul; KJV: and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons INT: the desire of your eyes and the delight of your soul and your sons 1 Occurrence |
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