Lexical Summary mekerah: Sale, transaction Original Word: מְכֵרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance habitation Probably from the same as kuwr in the sense of stabbing; a sword -- habitation. see HEBREW kuwr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kur Definition (probably some kind of) weapon NASB Translation swords (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מְכֵרָה] noun [feminine] probably the name of a weapon, only plural suffix כְּלֵי חָמָס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם Genesis 49:5 weapons of violence are their ׳מ (other conjectures see in Di). Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Hebrew 4380 מְכֵרָה appears once in the Old Testament and designates the cutting implements—“knives” or “swords”—that Simeon and Levi employed for violent revenge. In Genesis 49:5 Jacob denounces these instruments as vehicles of wrongdoing, setting the term forever in a context of unholy aggression. Single Old Testament Occurrence Genesis 49:5: “Simeon and Levi are brothers; their knives are wicked weapons.” The word translated “knives” (מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם) functions metonymically: the tools represent the character of the men who wield them. Historical Context: Simeon and Levi at Shechem The background to Jacob’s censure is the slaughter of the men of Shechem (Genesis 34). Outraged by Dinah’s violation, Simeon and Levi deceived the city, disarmed it through forced circumcision, and then “took their swords and killed every male” (Genesis 34:25). Jacob’s dying prophecy exposes the spiritual enormity of that act: the same implements that should have protected covenant family and neighbor became “instruments of violence.” מְכֵרָה thus memorializes a breach of covenantal ethics within Israel’s founding generation. Symbolic and Theological Implications 1. Moral Accountability. Jacob’s pronouncement shows that human violence, even when provoked by injustice, incurs divine scrutiny. The tribe’s later scattering in Israel (Genesis 49:7; Joshua 19:1; Joshua 21:1–3) fulfills the prophetic judgment tied to these very weapons. Ministry Lessons • Means Matter. Jacob’s condemnation reminds believers that the morality of an act includes the means employed. Ministry conducted with coercive or manipulative “weapons” contradicts the gospel. Contrast with Holy Warfare Later, Israel is commanded to wield the sword in divinely sanctioned battles (Deuteronomy 20:1). The difference lies not in metal but mandate. מְכֵרָה illustrates that unauthorized violence, however justifiable it appears, stands outside covenant obedience. New Testament Echoes • Luke 22:36–38 distinguishes literal swords from the spiritual struggle Christ’s kingdom advances. Practical Application Believers today wield many “implements” (words, platforms, influence). מְכֵרָה challenges the church to ensure these tools are consecrated, not corrupted. Whenever ministry instruments further self-interest or vengeance, they resemble the wicked weapons Jacob condemned. When employed in humility and obedience, they become instruments of grace, aligned with the mission of the Prince of Peace. Forms and Transliterations מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ מכרתיהם׃ mə·ḵê·rō·ṯê·hem mecheroteiHem məḵêrōṯêhemLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 49:5 HEB: כְּלֵ֥י חָמָ֖ס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ NAS: are brothers; Their swords are implements KJV: of cruelty [are in] their habitations. INT: are implements of violence their swords 1 Occurrence |
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