Lexical Summary melqach or malqach: Tongs Original Word: מֶלְקָח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance snuffers, tongs Or malqach {mal-kawkh'}; from laqach; (only in dual) tweezers -- snuffers, tongs. see HEBREW laqach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom laqach Definition tongs, snuffers NASB Translation snuffers (3), tongs (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs מֶלְקָחַ֫יִם, [מַלְקָחַיִם] noun [masculine] dual tongs, snuffers; — 1 tongs used at altar of temple, for lifting coal, in Isaiah's vision, Isaiah 6:6. 2 lamp snuffers, in temple 1 Kings 7:49 2Chronicles 4:21; in tabernacle suffix ( reference to lamp-stand, מְנוֺרָה) מַלְקָחֶיהָ Exodus 25:38; Exodus 37:23; Numbers 4:9 (all P). Topical Lexicon Physical Description and Core Function מֶלְקָח denotes a set of hand-held tongs or snuffers fashioned for the sacred handling of fire and light within Israel’s places of worship. In the Tabernacle and later the Temple they were forged of “pure gold” (Exodus 25:38; 1 Kings 7:49), attesting both to the holiness of their task and to the permanence of the divine light they served. Their primary use was to trim wicks, remove spent fragments, and transfer burning coals, thus ensuring a steady, smokeless flame before the Lord. Role in Tabernacle Worship (Exodus) When the golden lampstand was first prescribed, the tongs were listed as an inseparable companion piece: “The wick trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold” (Exodus 25:38). Crafted by Bezalel (Exodus 37:23), they stood as evidence that every detail of Israel’s worship—even routine maintenance—was to manifest the beauty of holiness. By daily trimming the lamps, the priests maintained the perpetual light that symbolized God’s presence and guidance (compare Exodus 27:20-21). Levitical Custody and Transport (Numbers 4:9) During wilderness journeys the Kohathites were charged to “take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand … together with its lamps, lamp snuffers, trays, and all its oil jars” (Numbers 4:9). The inclusion of the tongs among items first wrapped and then carried underscores their sanctity; ordinary hands were forbidden direct contact lest holy things be profaned or lives endangered (Numbers 4:15). Placement in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings and 2 Chronicles) Solomon multiplied the Tabernacle pattern fivefold, placing ten lampstands before the inner sanctuary “and the flowers, lamps, and tongs of gold” (1 Kings 7:49; 2 Chronicles 4:21). Gold of the “purest” quality reiterated an unbroken continuity between Mosaic worship and the monarchy, while the presence of multiple sets of tongs points to an expanded ministry of light in the house where God’s name dwelt. Prophetic Vision and Symbolic Purification (Isaiah 6:6) The word reappears dramatically in Isaiah’s commissioning: “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar” (Isaiah 6:6). Here מֶלְקָח bridges the heavenly and earthly liturgies. A seraph—sinless yet reverent—uses tongs to mediate the purifying coal, highlighting the altar’s overwhelming holiness and prefiguring the atoning work that cleanses human lips for prophetic service. Theological and Practical Implications 1. Holiness in the Smallest Act: Every flicker of the sanctuary flame was subject to divine specification. Believers learn that the maintenance of spiritual light—doctrine, witness, worship—requires deliberate, reverent attention. Christological Foreshadowing Gold speaks of deity; the lampstand points to the True Light (John 8:12); the tongs suggest the necessary but often unseen ministry that keeps that light undimmed. In Revelation 1:12-13 the risen Christ walks among seven golden lampstands, Himself the High Priest who tends the lamps of His churches. The humble מֶלְקָח therefore foreshadows Christ’s ongoing work of refining, correcting, and sustaining His people by the Spirit. Devotional Application • Maintain the Lamp: Regular self-examination and confession are the spiritual “trimming” that prevents smoky witness. In the seemingly minor utensil of the מֶלְקָח, Scripture reveals a theology of worship that reaches from Sinai’s golden furniture to the throne-room vision, calling every generation to faithful stewardship of the light entrusted to them. Forms and Transliterations בְּמֶ֨לְקַחַ֔יִם במלקחים וְהַמֶּלְקַחַ֖יִם וּמַלְקָחֶ֥יהָ והמלקחים ומלקחיה מַלְקָחֶ֖יהָ מלקחיה bə·mel·qa·ḥa·yim beMelkaChayim bəmelqaḥayim mal·qā·ḥe·hā malkaCheiha malqāḥehā ū·mal·qā·ḥe·hā umalkaCheiha ūmalqāḥehā vehammelkaChayim wə·ham·mel·qa·ḥa·yim wəhammelqaḥayimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 25:38 HEB: וּמַלְקָחֶ֥יהָ וּמַחְתֹּתֶ֖יהָ זָהָ֥ב NAS: Its snuffers and their trays KJV: And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes INT: snuffers and their trays gold Exodus 37:23 Numbers 4:9 1 Kings 7:49 2 Chronicles 4:21 Isaiah 6:6 6 Occurrences |
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