Lexical Summary maqtsuah: Corner, angle, corner piece Original Word: מַקְצֻעָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance plane From qatsa'; a scraper, i.e. A carving chisel -- plane. see HEBREW qatsa' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom qatsa Definition a scraping tool NASB Translation planes (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מַקָצֻעָה] noun [feminine] scraping tool, used in fashioning idols; — plural בַּמַּקָצֻעוֺת Isaiah 44:13. II. קצע (√ of following; compare Aramaic קָטַע, Topical Lexicon Overview מַקְצֻעָה designates the carpenter’s plane, a hand-tool for shaving and smoothing wood. Though attested only once (Isaiah 44:13), its single use vividly advances Isaiah’s satire on idolatry by spotlighting the painstaking labor behind a powerless god. Context within Isaiah 44 “The woodworker measures with a line and marks out an outline with chalk; he shapes it with chisels and outlines it with a compass; he fashions it in the likeness of man…” (Isaiah 44:13). Here the prophet catalogs the craftsman’s equipment to expose the absurdity of worshiping what one’s own tools have refined. The plane stands among rule, chalk, chisel, and compass as evidence that the idol is the offspring of finite skill, not divine power. Carpentry in the Ancient Near East Iron Age excavations at sites such as Megiddo reveal bronze and iron planes remarkably akin to later Roman models. Craftsmen sat on the ground, wood braced with their feet, drawing the plane toward themselves to produce smooth, level surfaces for furniture, paneling, and cult objects. Isaiah’s hearers could almost smell the cedar curls and hear the rasp, heightening the irony that such artistry results in an inert figurine. Symbolic Force of the Plane 1. Human effort vs. divine ease: Each shaving removed by the plane underscores the toil required to shape an idol, contrasting with the Creator who “speaks” worlds into existence (Genesis 1:3). Theological Themes • Creator–creature divide: Tools highlight creaturely dependence on raw materials, underscoring the Lord’s uniqueness as Maker of all (Isaiah 44:24). Ministry Applications • Preaching: Use Isaiah 44 to confront modern “hand-made” idols—careers, technology, image—shaped by talent yet void of life. Christological Resonance Jesus, known as “the carpenter” (Mark 6:3), likely wielded a plane. Unlike Isaiah’s craftsman who crafts false gods, the Carpenter of Nazareth is true God, the One through whom “all things were made” (John 1:3). The irony invites worship of the Craftsman, not the craft. Related Biblical Imagery • Jeremiah 10:3–5: Similar satire of idols shaped by axe and chisel. Reflection Questions 1. Which “planes” in our lives are shaping idols of security or status? The lone appearance of מַקְצֻעָה reminds readers that the most refined human artistry cannot confer life. Only the hands once trained at the workbench—now scarred by nails—can fashion hearts fit for the living God. Forms and Transliterations בַּמַּקְצֻע֔וֹת במקצעות bam·maq·ṣu·‘ō·wṯ bammaktzuot bammaqṣu‘ōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 44:13 HEB: בַשֶּׂ֔רֶד יַעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ בַּמַּקְצֻע֔וֹת וּבַמְּחוּגָ֖ה יְתָאֳרֵ֑הוּ NAS: He works it with planes and outlines KJV: he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out INT: chalk works planes A compass and outlines 1 Occurrence |
    |
cut off, also Arabic 
break off (if for 
, RSJPhil. xvi. 74), 
place where something is cut off or ends abruptly RSbelow; Sabean קצע apparently cut off, or the like, SabDenkm91).