4742. mequtsah

Lexical Summary

mequtsah: End, extremity, border

Original Word: מְקֻצְעָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: mquts`ah
Pronunciation: meh-KOO-tsah
Phonetic Spelling: (mek-oots-aw')
KJV: corner
Word Origin: [from H7106 (קָצַע - To end) in the denominative sense of bending]

1. an angle

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

corner

From qatsa' in the denominative sense of bending; an angle -- corner.

see HEBREW qatsa'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from qatsa, q.v.

Brown-Driver-Briggs

קָצַע verb denominative Hoph`al Participle מְהֻקְצָעוֺת (Ew^{§ 192 d} Ol^{§ 78 c} Ges^{§ 53q. s}.) Ezekiel 46:22 cornered ? set in corners ? strike out with M (compare Ol) ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 Hi Kö^{i. 1, 294} Co Berthol Toy Krae.- Exodus 26:23; Exodus 36:28 see מִקְצֹעַ.

Topical Lexicon

Term and Concept

מְקֻצְעָה designates the corner section or corner frame of the tabernacle’s wooden structure. In both occurrences it is plural, pointing to the paired, purpose-built frames that bound the western end of the sanctuary.

Biblical Occurrences

Exodus 26:23 – “And two boards you are to make for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear.”

Exodus 36:28 – “And he made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear.”

Architectural Function in the Tabernacle

1. Stabilization: The tabernacle’s upright acacia boards were set in silver bases. The corner frames tied the north and south rows together, providing rigidity at the point of greatest lateral stress.
2. Completion: The corners formed the western “back wall,” symbolically closing the sacred space where the ark of the covenant rested.
3. Alignment: By joining the sides at precise right angles, the corner boards preserved the tabernacle’s divinely revealed proportions (Exodus 25:9).

Symbolic and Theological Themes

• Cohesion and Unity – The frames knit separate walls into a single dwelling. They picture the unity of God’s people who, “being fitted together, grow into a holy temple in the Lord” (compare Ephesians 2:21).
• Security of God’s Presence – The most holy place was enclosed on three sides by these frames, stressing that God’s presence is both accessible through grace and yet securely guarded.
• Anticipation of the Cornerstone – The stabilizing role of the מְקֻצְעָה foreshadows the messianic “cornerstone,” fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:6). As the tabernacle corner kept the structure true, so Christ establishes and aligns the living temple of believers.

Historical Considerations

Early Jewish commentaries emphasized that the tabernacle corners echoed the corners of the earth, testifying that the God who dwelt in Israel’s midst is Lord of the whole world. Christian writers such as Origen and Augustine drew typological lines from the tabernacle’s corners to the four Gospels that perfectly frame the revelation of Christ.

Ministry Applications

1. Church Leadership – As the corner pieces bore particular weight, so mature leaders strengthen and unify congregations (Philippians 1:27).
2. Doctrine – Sound teaching at the “corners” of Christian belief guards the faith from collapse, ensuring that every ministry line and curtain hangs in proper relation to the gospel.
3. Personal Integrity – Believers are called to be “corner frames” in daily life, bringing stability and cohesion to family, workplace, and community through consistent obedience.

Intertextual Echoes

The motif of corners resurfaces in visions of the restored temple (Ezekiel 41:21) and the new Jerusalem whose twelve foundations and right-angled perfection complete what the tabernacle corners began (Revelation 21:16). In every case, the corner element conveys stability, beauty, and divine order.

Summary

Though mentioned only twice, מְקֻצְעָה holds rich architectural and theological value. It secures the earthly dwelling of God, prefigures the unifying work of Christ, and calls contemporary believers to be steadfast, true, and integrative elements in the house that God continues to build.

Forms and Transliterations

לִמְקֻצְעֹ֖ת למקצעת lim·quṣ·‘ōṯ limkutzOt limquṣ‘ōṯ

Englishman's Concordance

Exodus 26:23
HEB: קְרָשִׁים֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה לִמְקֻצְעֹ֖ת הַמִּשְׁכָּ֑ן בַּיַּרְכָתָֽיִם׃
KJV: shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle
INT: boards shall make the corners of the tabernacle the rear

Exodus 36:28
HEB: קְרָשִׁים֙ עָשָׂ֔ה לִמְקֻצְעֹ֖ת הַמִּשְׁכָּ֑ן בַּיַּרְכָתָֽיִם׃
KJV: made he for the corners of the tabernacle
INT: boards made the corners of the tabernacle the rear

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4742
2 Occurrences

lim·quṣ·‘ōṯ — 2 Occ.