Lexical Summary mechqar: Investigation, search, inquiry Original Word: מֶחְקָר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance deep place From chaqar; properly, scrutinized, i.e. (by implication) a recess -- deep place. see HEBREW chaqar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chaqar Definition a range (an area to explore) NASB Translation depths (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מֶחְקָר] noun masculine range (as place to be explored), מֶחְקְרֵיאָֿ֑רֶץ Psalm 95:4 (compare חֵקֶר Job 38:16). Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Conceptual Background מֶחְקָר (meḥqār) evokes the notion of a place so deeply recessed that it can be reached only by determined searching or excavation. It moves beyond mere physical depth, encompassing the hidden, the mysterious, and the unsearchable. The word derives from the root חקר, “to investigate, to search out,” and therefore carries the nuance of depths that defy easy comprehension. In Scripture this imagery consistently underlines the vastness of creation and the impossibility of exhausting God’s wisdom. Canonical Context: Psalm 95:4 Psalm 95 is a call to joyful worship that grounds praise in the Lord’s absolute sovereignty over creation. Verse 4 sets the scope: “In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him.” (Psalm 95:4) Here מֶחְקָר highlights the “depths of the earth.” The psalmist deliberately pairs the unreachable recesses below with the inaccessible peaks above. Yahweh’s hand encloses both; nothing lies outside His dominion. This single usage is enough to stamp the term with themes of sovereignty, security, and reverent awe. Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty: Owning both the depths and the heights asserts God’s lordship over the totality of creation (cf. Psalm 24:1). Connection with Other Biblical Imagery • תהום (tehom, “deep”) – Genesis 1:2; Psalm 36:6 Though these terms differ lexically, they converge conceptually on the inscrutability of God’s works and ways. Together they build a robust biblical motif of depth that invites worship rather than mere curiosity. Christological and New Testament Resonance The Old Testament emphasis on unsearchable depths finds fulfillment in Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). The Spirit who “searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10) makes those treasures known to believers. Thus, the solitary מֶחְקָר of Psalm 95:4 quietly anticipates the fuller revelation granted in the gospel, where infinite profundity meets personal accessibility. Historical and Cultural Insights Ancient Near Eastern cosmologies often assigned the depths to chaotic deities or unpredictable forces. Psalm 95 subverts that worldview: the deepest chambers of the earth are not autonomous realms but possessions in Yahweh’s hand. Israel’s worshipers therefore approached God not in fear of cosmic chaos but in confidence that the entire created order, visible and invisible, is stabilized by His grasp. Pastoral and Liturgical Significance Psalm 95 has been sung for centuries as the Venite in corporate worship, and מֶחְקָר undergirds its call: Homiletical and Devotional Uses • Sermon: “Held in His Hand: From Earth’s Deepest Caverns to the Heights of Grace.” In a single appearance, מֶחְקָר opens a vista toward the unsearchable greatness of God. The believer, confronted with depths unreachable to human probing, is invited to bow in worship, rest in security, and press on in the joyful exploration of the One whose hand holds all things. Forms and Transliterations מֶחְקְרֵי־ מחקרי־ mechkerei meḥ·qə·rê- meḥqərê-Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 95:4 HEB: אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדוֹ מֶחְקְרֵי־ אָ֑רֶץ וְתוֹעֲפ֖וֹת NAS: hand are the depths of the earth, KJV: In his hand [are] the deep places of the earth: INT: whose hand are the depths of the earth the peaks 1 Occurrence |
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