4388. maktesh

Lexicon

maktesh: Mortar

Original Word: מַכְתֵּשׁ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: maktesh
Pronunciation: mak-taysh'
Phonetic Spelling: (mak-taysh')
Definition: Mortar
Meaning: a mortar, a socket

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

hollow place, mortar

From kathash; a mortar; by analogy, a socket (of a tooth) -- hollow place, mortar.

see HEBREW kathash

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from kathash
Definition
mortar
NASB Translation
hollow (1), mortar (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מַכְתֵּשׁ noun masculine mortar (place of pounding, braying; compare Palmyrene proper name, masculine מכתש = contundens Vog^{No. 97}) — absolute ׳מ Proverbs 27:22 (see foregoing); hollow resembling a mortar Judges 15:19 (whence came forth a water-spring; compare GFM), Zephaniah 1:11 #NAME? Jerusalem, compare Schw^{ZAW x. (1890), 173 f}.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root verb כָּתַשׁ (katash), meaning "to pound" or "to crush."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The corresponding Greek entry in Strong's Concordance is G2629, καταβάλλω (kataballo), which means "to throw down" or "to cast down." While not a direct translation, the concept of casting down or crushing aligns with the idea of a mortar as a tool for breaking down substances. The Greek term captures the essence of forceful action, similar to the Hebrew מַכְתֵּשׁ in its metaphorical applications.

Usage: The term מַכְתֵּשׁ is used in the context of a mortar, a vessel in which substances are pounded or crushed. It is also used metaphorically to describe a place or situation of crushing or grinding.

Context: The Hebrew word מַכְתֵּשׁ appears in the Old Testament and is primarily associated with the concept of a mortar, a tool used for grinding or crushing substances. This term is used in Proverbs 27:22, where it metaphorically describes the process of trying to separate folly from a fool, illustrating the difficulty of changing inherent nature through external pressure: "Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him." (BSB)

The imagery of a mortar is significant in ancient Hebrew culture, as it was a common household tool used for preparing food and other materials. The metaphorical use of מַכְתֵּשׁ in Proverbs highlights the futility of attempting to change a person's inherent character through forceful means.

Additionally, מַכְתֵּשׁ is mentioned in Zephaniah 1:11, where it refers to a specific location in Jerusalem known as "Maktesh," a market district or a place of commerce that would experience judgment and destruction: "Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off." (BSB) This usage underscores the theme of divine judgment and the inevitable downfall of those who trust in material wealth.

Forms and Transliterations

בַּֽמַּכְתֵּ֡שׁ במכתש הַמַּכְתֵּ֣שׁ המכתש bam·maḵ·têš bammachTesh bammaḵtêš ham·maḵ·têš hammachTesh hammaḵtêš

Englishman's Concordance

Judges 15:19
HEB: אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶת־ הַמַּכְתֵּ֣שׁ אֲשֶׁר־ בַּלֶּ֗חִי
NAS: split the hollow place that is in Lehi
KJV: clave an hollow place that [was] in the jaw,
INT: split God the hollow which the jaw

Proverbs 27:22
HEB: אֶת־ הָאֱוִ֨יל ׀ בַּֽמַּכְתֵּ֡שׁ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָ֭רִיפוֹת
NAS: a fool in a mortar with a pestle
KJV: a fool in a mortar among
INT: pound A fool A mortar along crushed

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4388
2 Occurrences

bam·maḵ·têš — 1 Occ.
ham·maḵ·têš — 1 Occ.