Lexical Summary maar: Nakedness, bareness Original Word: מַעַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance nakedness, proportion From arah; a nude place, i.e. (literally) the pudenda, or (figuratively) a vacant space -- nakedness, proportion. see HEBREW arah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom arah Definition a bare or naked place NASB Translation clear space (1), Maareh-geba* (1), nakedness (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מַעֲרֶה], מַ֫עַר noun [masculine] bare, naked place (hence Μαραθών, Marathon, according to LewyFremdw. 144); — 1 bare place, or space: construct מִמַּעֲרִהגָּֿ֑בַע Judges 20:33 bare (open) space of Geba' (si vera 1.; but see II. מַעֲרָב); כְּמַעַראִֿישׁ 1 Kings 7:36 according to the clear space on each (plate, see לוּחַ). 2 suffix מַעְרֵח Nahum 3:5 figurative of Nineveh (pudenda exposed in shameful punishment; compare עֶרְוָה). Topical Lexicon Semantic and Conceptual Overview מַעַר portrays an exposed or open area. In physical settings it can refer to an empty panel or space; in moral-prophetic settings it speaks of the shame of uncovered privacy. The core notion of “laid bare” therefore links artistry with accountability: what is open is intended either for ornamentation that glorifies God or for judgment that exposes sin. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Kings 7:36 “On the panels and frames he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was space, with wreaths all around.” Here מַעַר marks the undecorated intervals on each bronze stand crafted for Solomon’s temple. These gaps were not left void; they were filled with imagery that proclaimed the majesty of the LORD. The openness invited adornment consistent with the sanctuary’s holiness. “Behold, I am against you,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will lift your skirts over your face; I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame.” Nineveh’s “nakedness” (מַעֲרַיִךְ) is the same word, underscoring the awful reversal: what should have been concealed is forcibly displayed. The city famed for imposing shame on others is itself disgraced before the world. Historical Background Solomon’s Temple (tenth century B.C.) represented ordered beauty, with nothing haphazard. Huram-Abi’s bronze stands were mobile platforms for the lavers; the engravings in every מַעַר declared that even functional objects must be filled with meaning. Nineveh (seventh century B.C.) was capital of Assyria, notorious for cruelty. Nahum’s oracle, delivered after Thebes fell in 663 B.C. and before Nineveh fell in 612 B.C., assures Judah that oppressive power cannot hide behind walls; the LORD will expose it. Theological Themes 1. Divine Ownership of Space Whether architectural or moral, every open area belongs to the LORD. He reserves the right to fill it with His glory or uncover it in judgment. 2. Glory Versus Shame The temple engravings illustrate glory given voluntarily; Nineveh’s exposure illustrates shame imposed by God. Humanity either yields its “spaces” for God’s honor or finds them stripped and disgraced. 3. Accountability of Nations Assyria’s downfall demonstrates that geopolitical might offers no refuge from divine scrutiny. The prophetic use of מַעַר insists that historical actors—individual or corporate—stand open before the LORD of Hosts. Pastoral and Homiletical Applications • Personal Sanctification: Believers are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Unfilled or secret areas of life should be engraved with holiness, not left vacant for sin to exploit. Christological and Redemptive Significance Jesus Christ endured public exposure on the cross (Hebrews 12:2), bearing our shame so that believers might be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The One who was willingly laid bare now stands as the rightful Lord who fills His people with glory instead of disgrace. Key Insights for Ministry • Invite the Spirit to search the “unengraved spaces” of heart and community. מַעַר therefore moves from ornamental gaps in temple furniture to the moral gaps in human rebellion, urging every generation to choose filling over exposing, glory over shame, and voluntary consecration over enforced humiliation. Forms and Transliterations כְּמַֽעַר־ כמער־ מַעְרֵ֔ךְ מערך kə·ma·‘ar- kəma‘ar- kemaar ma‘·rêḵ ma‘rêḵ maRechLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 7:36 HEB: אֲרָי֣וֹת וְתִמֹרֹ֑ת כְּמַֽעַר־ אִ֥ישׁ וְלֹי֖וֹת NAS: and palm trees, according to the clear space on each, KJV: and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, INT: lions and palm to the clear each wreaths Nahum 3:5 2 Occurrences |
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