4389. Maktesh
Lexical Summary
Maktesh: mortar

Original Word: מַכְתֵּשׁ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: Maktesh
Pronunciation: mak-TAYSH
Phonetic Spelling: (mak-taysh')
KJV: Maktesh
NASB: mortar
Word Origin: [the same as H4388 (מַכתֵּשׁ - hollow)]

1. dell
2. the Maktesh, a place in Jerusalem

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Maktesh

The same as maktesh; dell; the Maktesh, a place in Jerusalem -- Maktesh.

see HEBREW maktesh

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from maktesh
Definition
a place probably in Jer.
NASB Translation
mortar (1).

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrence

Maktesh appears once, in Zephaniah 1:11. The noun denotes “the Mortar,” a hollow, bowl-shaped depression inside Jerusalem that served as a bustling commercial quarter.

Geographical and Historical Setting

Most interpreters locate Maktesh in the Tyropoeon Valley, the natural “hollow” between Mount Zion and the Temple Mount. Archaeological soundings reveal densely packed buildings, workshops, and market stalls from the late eighth and seventh centuries B.C., matching Zephaniah’s time frame. Phoenician and Judean traders likely met here, drawn by easy access to the Kidron Valley routes and by proximity to the Temple, whose worshipers generated steady commerce. The shape of the valley—surrounded by higher ridges—evoked the image of a mortar, giving the quarter both its name and prophetic symbolism.

Economic Character

Zephaniah addresses “merchants” and “all who weigh out silver,” highlighting Maktesh as Jerusalem’s financial hub. Weights, scales, and silver ingots uncovered nearby confirm an active money-changing trade. Such economic vigor was not condemned in itself; the prophet targets dishonest gain, complacency, and a false sense of security rooted in wealth rather than in the covenant Lord.

Prophetic Message

“Wail, O dwellers of the Mortar, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off.” (Zephaniah 1:11)

The single verse stands in a larger oracle (Zephaniah 1:10–13) announcing divine visitation on every social stratum. The imagery of a mortar suggests pounding—the judgment of God grinding the unrepentant. The surrounding verses emphasize suddenness (“a loud crash from the Fish Gate”) and thoroughness (“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons”). Maktesh thus functions both as a literal neighborhood and as a metaphor for commercial pride pulverized under righteous wrath.

Theological Themes

1. Divine ownership of wealth. All silver ultimately belongs to the Lord (Haggai 2:8). Zephaniah reminds the market class that prosperity without piety invites ruin.
2. Universal accountability. Judgment reaches the palace, the gate, and the market alike (Zephaniah 1:10–13), echoing Amos’s call to justice in commerce (Amos 8:4–6).
3. Eschatological foreshadowing. The localized destruction of Maktesh previews the comprehensive “day of the Lord” when every worldly system opposed to God collapses (Zephaniah 1:14–18; Revelation 18).

Intertextual Resonance

The word-picture of a mortar links to Proverbs 27:22, where pounding a fool in a mortar cannot separate folly from him. In Zephaniah the city itself becomes the “fool” destined for crushing. Further, the money-changer motif anticipates Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple courts (Matthew 21:12–13), reinforcing the principle that worship and commerce must harmonize under divine holiness.

Ministry Implications

• Preaching: Maktesh offers a vivid illustration when warning congregations against materialism.
• Discipleship: Believers engaged in business can examine practices for integrity, remembering God’s ownership.
• Urban mission: The passage invites prayer for commercial districts—that they become platforms for righteous witness rather than centers of exploitation.

Lessons for Contemporary Believers

1. Geography does not grant immunity; even the city that housed Solomon’s Temple faced judgment when hearts strayed.
2. Economic success apart from covenant faithfulness is fleeting.
3. God’s redemptive goal includes purifying the marketplace, pointing forward to the New Jerusalem where commerce and worship coexist in perfect righteousness (Revelation 21:24–26).

Maktesh, though mentioned only once, therefore stands as a powerful biblical snapshot: a hollow crowded with merchants, echoing with the prophet’s wail, and forever testifying that the Lord who measures silver also weighs the hearts of His people.

Forms and Transliterations
הַמַּכְתֵּ֑שׁ המכתש hammachTesh
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Zephaniah 1:11
HEB: הֵילִ֖ילוּ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הַמַּכְתֵּ֑שׁ כִּ֤י נִדְמָה֙
NAS: O inhabitants of the Mortar, For all
KJV: ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant
INT: Wail inhabitants of the Mortar for will be silenced

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4389
1 Occurrence


ham·maḵ·têš — 1 Occ.

4388
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