4741. maqtsuah
Lexical Summary
maqtsuah: Corner, angle, corner piece

Original Word: מַקְצֻעָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: maqtsu`ah
Pronunciation: mahk-tsoo-AH
Phonetic Spelling: (mak-tsoo-aw')
KJV: plane
NASB: planes
Word Origin: [from H7106 (קָצַע - To end)]

1. a scraper, i.e. a carving chisel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
plane

From qatsa'; a scraper, i.e. A carving chisel -- plane.

see HEBREW qatsa'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from 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, 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).

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).
2. Precision without perception: The idol, though exquisite, cannot perceive (Psalm 115:5–7). The craftsman’s accuracy is meaningless before a God whose wisdom founded the earth (Proverbs 3:19).
3. Self-deception: Half the tree warms the dinner; the other half, planed and polished, receives worship (Isaiah 44:15–17). The plane thus becomes a symbol of the heart’s capacity for delusion (Romans 1:22–23).

Theological Themes

• Creator–creature divide: Tools highlight creaturely dependence on raw materials, underscoring the Lord’s uniqueness as Maker of all (Isaiah 44:24).
• Works-based religion exposed: Idols are literally “works of their hands” (Acts 7:41), anticipating Paul’s contrast between grace and works (Ephesians 2:8–9).
• Covenant loyalty: Against the backdrop of carpentry, God declares, “I have redeemed you” (Isaiah 44:22), reminding Israel that salvation is not self-fashioned.

Ministry Applications

• Preaching: Use Isaiah 44 to confront modern “hand-made” idols—careers, technology, image—shaped by talent yet void of life.
• Discipleship: Contrast self-shaping with God’s sanctifying workmanship (Philippians 1:6).
• Evangelism: Present the living Carpenter, Jesus, against lifeless idols. The plane smooths wood; Christ smooths hearts.

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.
Amos 7:7–8: Plumb line—another tool—used by God to judge.
Exodus 31:1–5: Spirit-filled craftsmanship of Bezalel, showing art in service of true worship.

Reflection Questions

1. Which “planes” in our lives are shaping idols of security or status?
2. How does recognizing God as Creator free us from the need to craft objects of trust?
3. What does the Incarnate Carpenter teach about true craftsmanship and true worship?

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‘ōwṯ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman'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

Strong's Hebrew 4741
1 Occurrence


bam·maq·ṣu·‘ō·wṯ — 1 Occ.

4740
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