Lexical Summary machats: To smite, wound, pierce, shatter Original Word: מַחַץ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance stroke From machats; a contusion -- stroke. see HEBREW machats NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom machats Definition a severe wound NASB Translation bruise (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַ֫חַץ noun [masculine] severe wound; — only construct מַחַץ מַכָּתוֺ יִרְמָּא Isaiah 30:26 of ׳יs restoration of his people ("" חָבַשׁ שֶׁבֶר עַמּוֺ). מַחְצֵב see חצב. מֶחֱצָה, מַחֲצִית see חצה. Topical Lexicon Occurrence in Scripture מַחַץ appears once in the Hebrew Bible, Isaiah 30:26. In context the prophet declares, “The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days, on the day the Lord binds up the brokenness of His people and heals the wounds He inflicted” (Berean Standard Bible). Here מַחַץ depicts a grievous, open wound that Yahweh Himself has struck yet also promises to mend. Prophetic Context in Isaiah 30 Isaiah 30 confronts Judah’s self-reliance and political alliances with Egypt. Divine chastening would fall because the nation trusted human power rather than the covenant Lord (Isaiah 30:1-5). Nevertheless, the oracle moves from threat to hope. The promised “healing of the wounds” signals eschatological restoration when light is intensified and creation itself reflects renewed favor. מַחַץ, therefore, stands at the hinge between judgment for covenant infidelity and the lavish mercy that follows repentance. Theological Significance of Divine Wounding and Healing 1. Divine Discipline: Scripture frequently presents God as both the One who smites and the One who heals (Deuteronomy 32:39; Hosea 6:1). מַחַץ crystallizes this dual role—reminding believers that discipline arises from covenant love, not caprice (Hebrews 12:5-11). Historical and Cultural Background In the Ancient Near East, wounds sustained in battle often left warriors permanently scarred. Healing required skilled physicians and time, symbolizing costly recovery. Isaiah’s audience understood מַחַץ as a life-threatening blow, underscoring how severe divine discipline could be. Yet the language of binding up and healing surpassed human medical capability, emphasizing Yahweh’s unique, saving power. Ministry Implications • Preaching: Use Isaiah 30:26 to affirm that the same God who confronts sin also provides complete healing through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Practical Application for Believers 1. Recognize divine wounds as invitations to return to covenant faithfulness. Forms and Transliterations וּמַ֥חַץ ומחץ ū·ma·ḥaṣ uMachatz ūmaḥaṣLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 30:26 HEB: שֶׁ֣בֶר עַמּ֔וֹ וּמַ֥חַץ מַכָּת֖וֹ יִרְפָּֽא׃ NAS: and heals the bruise He has inflicted. KJV: and healeth the stroke of their wound. INT: the fracture of his people the bruise has inflicted and heals 1 Occurrence |
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