4818. merkabah

Lexicon

merkabah: Chariot

Original Word: מֶרְכָּבָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: merkabah
Pronunciation: mer-kaw-BAH
Phonetic Spelling: (mer-kaw-baw')
Definition: Chariot
Meaning: a chariot

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

chariot

Feminine of merkab; a chariot -- chariot. See also Beyth ham-Marka-bowth.

see HEBREW merkab

see HEBREW Beyth ham-Marka-bowth

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
fem. of merkab
Definition
a chariot
NASB Translation
chariot (23), chariots (21).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מֶרְכָּבָה noun feminine chariot; — absolute ׳מ Judges 4:13 +, construct מִרְכֶּ֫בֶת Genesis 41:43; suffix מֶרְבַּבְתּוֺ Genesis 46:29 +; plural מַרְכָּבוֺת Zechariah 6:1 +; construct מַרְכְּבוֺת 2 Kings 23:11 +, בֹת- Exodus 15:4; suffix מַרְכְּבֹתֶיךָ Micah 5:10; Habakkuk 3:8, etc.; — chariot (often "" סוּס(יםׅ, 1 Samuel 8:11 פָרָשִׁים): especially war-chariot, Egyptian, Exodus 14:25 (J), Exodus 15:4 (song), 2 Chron 14:8; from Muƒri in North Syria (according to Wkl, see מצרים near the end, compare Kit^{1Kings 10. 28} Benz^ib.) 1 Kings 10:29 2Chronicles 1:17; Can., Joshua 11:6,9 (JE), Judges 4:15 ("" רֶכֶב), Judges 5:28 ("" id.); Assyria, Isaiah 2:7; Nahum 3:2; foe from north Jeremiah 4:13, nations in General Haggai 2:22; Israel and Judah 1 Kings 20:33; 1 Kings 22:35 2Chronicles 18:34; 2 Kings 9:27; 2 Kings 10:15; 2Chronicles 35:24; Micah 5:10; figurative of ׳יs chariots Isaiah 66:15; Habakkuk 3:8, compare (in vision) Zechariah 6:1,2(twice in verse); Zechariah 6:3 (twice in verse); ׳מ for dignity and display Genesis 41:43 (E), Genesis 46:29 (J), 1 Samuel 8:11 (twice in verse); 2 Samuel 15:1; 2 Kings 5:21,26, מַדְכְּבוֺת בְּבוֺדֶ֑ךָ Isaiah 22:18 (iron.); used in flight 2 Kings 23:11 (idolatrous); ׳הַמּ הַכְּרוּבִים (read ׳מִדְכֶּבֶת הַכּ, ᵐ5 Benz) 1 Chronicles 28:18 (on this conception of cherubin in temple see Benz); ׳מ in similes: ׳כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אוֺפַן הַמּ 1 Kings 7:33, ׳בְּקוֺל מ Joel 2:3; on the obscure עַמִּי נָדִיב ׳מַר Songs 6:12 chariots of my people, a prince (?) see especially Bu.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root רָכַב (rakav), meaning "to ride" or "to mount."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G716: ἅρμα (harma) • A chariot, used in the New Testament to describe a vehicle for war or ceremonial purposes, similar to its Hebrew counterpart.

This entry provides a comprehensive understanding of the term מֶרְכָּבָה, highlighting its significance in biblical texts and its role in the cultural and historical context of the ancient Near East.

Usage: The term מֶרְכָּבָה appears in various contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible, primarily referring to chariots used in battle, royal processions, or as symbols of power and prestige.

Context: The Hebrew word מֶרְכָּבָה (merkavah) is frequently encountered in the Old Testament, where it denotes a chariot, a key element in ancient Near Eastern warfare and royal display. Chariots were typically two-wheeled vehicles drawn by horses, used by armies for their speed and mobility on the battlefield. They were also symbols of military might and royal authority.

In the biblical narrative, chariots are often associated with the armies of Egypt, Canaan, and other neighboring nations. For instance, in Exodus 14:7, Pharaoh's pursuit of the Israelites includes "six hundred of the best chariots." The chariot is also a symbol of divine intervention and power, as seen in 2 Kings 2:11, where Elijah is taken up to heaven in a "chariot of fire."

The use of chariots extended beyond warfare; they were part of royal processions and ceremonies, reflecting the wealth and status of the king. In 1 Kings 10:26, Solomon's accumulation of chariots and horses is noted as a sign of his prosperity and the strength of his kingdom.

The imagery of the chariot is also employed metaphorically in the prophetic and poetic literature of the Bible, symbolizing speed, strength, and the swift execution of God's will.

Forms and Transliterations

בְּמִרְכֶּ֤בֶת בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּ֣וֹ בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֔ה בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֖ה בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֛ה בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה במרכבה במרכבת במרכבתו הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֑ה הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֖ה הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֗ה הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֛ה הַמֶּרְכָּבָֽה׃ המרכבה המרכבה׃ וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָה֙ וּמֶרְכָּבָ֖ה וּמַרְכָּב֔וֹת וּמַרְכָּב֖וֹת ובמרכבה ומרכבה ומרכבות לְמַרְכְּבֹתָֽיו׃ למרכבתיו׃ מֶרְכַּבְתּ֔וֹ מֶרְכַּבְתּ֖וֹ מֶרְכַּבְתּֽוֹ׃ מֶרְכָּבָ֖ה מֶרְכָּבָ֤ה מֶרְכָּבָה֙ מַרְכְּב֖וֹת מַרְכְּב֣וֹת מַרְכְּב֥וֹת מַרְכְּבֹ֥ת מַרְכְּבֹתֵיהֶ֖ם מַרְכְּבֹתֶ֖יךָ מַרְכְּבֹתֶֽיךָ׃ מַרְכְּבֹתָ֑יו מַרְכְּבֹתָ֔יו מַרְכְּבוֹתָ֔יו מַרְכְּבוֹתָֽיו׃ מַרְכָּב֗וֹת מַרְכָּבוֹת֙ מרכבה מרכבות מרכבותיו מרכבותיו׃ מרכבת מרכבתו מרכבתו׃ מרכבתיהם מרכבתיו מרכבתיך מרכבתיך׃ bam·mer·kā·ḇāh bammerkāḇāh bammerkaVah bə·mer·kaḇ·tōw bə·mir·ke·ḇeṯ bəmerkaḇtōw bemerkavTo bəmirkeḇeṯ bemirKevet ham·mer·kā·ḇāh hammerkāḇāh hammerkaVah lə·mar·kə·ḇō·ṯāw ləmarkəḇōṯāw lemarkevoTav mar·kā·ḇō·wṯ mar·kə·ḇō·ṯāw mar·kə·ḇō·ṯê·hem mar·kə·ḇō·ṯe·ḵā mar·kə·ḇō·w·ṯāw mar·kə·ḇō·wṯ mar·kə·ḇōṯ markāḇōwṯ markaVot markəḇōṯ markəḇōṯāw markəḇōṯêhem markəḇōṯeḵā markəḇōwṯ markəḇōwṯāw markeVot markevoTav markevoTeicha markevoteiHem mer·kā·ḇāh mer·kaḇ·tōw merkāḇāh merkaḇtōw merkaVah merkavTo ū·ḇam·mer·kā·ḇāh ū·mar·kā·ḇō·wṯ ū·mer·kā·ḇāh ūḇammerkāḇāh ūmarkāḇōwṯ umarkaVot ūmerkāḇāh umerkaVah uvammerkaVah

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 41:43
HEB: וַיַּרְכֵּ֣ב אֹת֗וֹ בְּמִרְכֶּ֤בֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה֙ אֲשֶׁר־
NAS: in his second chariot; and they proclaimed
KJV: in the second chariot which he had; and they cried
INT: ride chariot his second after

Genesis 46:29
HEB: וַיֶּאְסֹ֤ר יוֹסֵף֙ מֶרְכַּבְתּ֔וֹ וַיַּ֛עַל לִקְרַֽאת־
NAS: prepared his chariot and went
KJV: made ready his chariot, and went up
INT: prepared Joseph his chariot and went to meet

Exodus 14:25
HEB: אֵ֚ת אֹפַ֣ן מַרְכְּבֹתָ֔יו וַֽיְנַהֲגֵ֖הוּ בִּכְבֵדֻ֑ת
NAS: He caused their chariot wheels
KJV: And took off their chariot wheels,
INT: to swerve wheels their chariot drive difficulty

Exodus 15:4
HEB: מַרְכְּבֹ֥ת פַּרְעֹ֛ה וְחֵיל֖וֹ
NAS: Pharaoh's chariots and his army
KJV: Pharaoh's chariots and his host
INT: chariots Pharaoh's army

Joshua 11:6
HEB: תְּעַקֵּ֔ר וְאֶת־ מַרְכְּבֹתֵיהֶ֖ם תִּשְׂרֹ֥ף בָּאֵֽשׁ׃
NAS: and burn their chariots with fire.
KJV: and burn their chariots with fire.
INT: their horses hough their chariots and burn fire

Joshua 11:9
HEB: עִקֵּ֔ר וְאֶת־ מַרְכְּבֹתֵיהֶ֖ם שָׂרַ֥ף בָּאֵֽשׁ׃
NAS: and burned their chariots with fire.
KJV: and burnt their chariots with fire.
INT: their horses houghed their chariots and burned fire

Judges 4:15
HEB: סִֽיסְרָ֛א מֵעַ֥ל הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֖ה וַיָּ֥נָס בְּרַגְלָֽיו׃
NAS: alighted from [his] chariot and fled
KJV: lighted down off [his] chariot, and fled away
INT: and Sisera and from chariot and fled foot

Judges 5:28
HEB: אֶֽחֱר֔וּ פַּעֲמֵ֖י מַרְכְּבוֹתָֽיו׃
NAS: do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry?'
KJV: why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
INT: delay the hoofbeats of his chariots

1 Samuel 8:11
HEB: וְשָׂ֥ם לוֹ֙ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּ֣וֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁ֔יו וְרָצ֖וּ
NAS: and place [them] for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen
KJV: and appoint [them] for himself, for his chariots, and [to be] his horsemen;
INT: will take and place his chariots his horsemen will run

1 Samuel 8:11
HEB: וְרָצ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י מֶרְכַּבְתּֽוֹ׃
NAS: and they will run before his chariots.
KJV: before his chariots.
INT: will run before his chariots

2 Samuel 15:1
HEB: לוֹ֙ אַבְשָׁל֔וֹם מֶרְכָּבָ֖ה וְסֻסִ֑ים וַחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים
NAS: provided for himself a chariot and horses
KJV: prepared him chariots and horses,
INT: provided Absalom A chariot and horses and fifty

1 Kings 7:33
HEB: כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֖ה אוֹפַ֣ן הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֑ה יְדוֹתָ֣ם וְגַבֵּיהֶ֗ם
NAS: [was] like the workmanship of a chariot wheel.
KJV: [was] like the work of a chariot wheel:
INT: the workmanship wheel of a chariot their axles their rims

1 Kings 10:29
HEB: וַֽ֠תַּעֲלֶה וַתֵּצֵ֨א מֶרְכָּבָ֤ה מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ בְּשֵׁ֣שׁ
NAS: A chariot was imported from Egypt
KJV: And a chariot came up and went out
INT: up exported chariot of Egypt six

1 Kings 12:18
HEB: הִתְאַמֵּץ֙ לַעֲל֣וֹת בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֔ה לָנ֖וּס יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
NAS: to mount his chariot to flee
KJV: to get him up to his chariot, to flee
INT: made to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem

1 Kings 20:33
HEB: וַֽיַּעֲלֵ֖הוּ עַל־ הַמֶּרְכָּבָֽה׃
NAS: out to him, and he took him up into the chariot.
KJV: to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.
INT: took into the chariot

1 Kings 22:35
HEB: הָיָ֧ה מָעֳמָ֛ד בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֖ה נֹ֣כַח אֲרָ֑ם
NAS: was propped up in his chariot in front
KJV: was stayed up in his chariot against
INT: become was propped his chariot front of the Arameans

2 Kings 5:21
HEB: וַיִּפֹּ֞ל מֵעַ֧ל הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֛ה לִקְרָאת֖וֹ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר
NAS: him, he came down from the chariot to meet
KJV: him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet
INT: came from the chariot to meet and said

2 Kings 5:26
HEB: אִ֛ישׁ מֵעַ֥ל מֶרְכַּבְתּ֖וֹ לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ הַעֵ֞ת
NAS: turned from his chariot to meet
KJV: turned again from his chariot to meet
INT: the man from his chariot to meet A time

2 Kings 9:27
HEB: הַכֻּ֣הוּ אֶל־ הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֗ה בְּמַֽעֲלֵה־ גוּר֙
NAS: him too, in the chariot. [So they shot him] at the ascent
KJV: Smite him also in the chariot. [And they did so] at the going up
INT: Shoot in the chariot the ascent of Gur

2 Kings 10:15
HEB: אֵלָ֖יו אֶל־ הַמֶּרְכָּבָֽה׃
NAS: and he took him up to him into the chariot.
KJV: and he took him up to him into the chariot.
INT: about to the chariot

2 Kings 23:11
HEB: בַּפַּרְוָרִ֑ים וְאֶת־ מַרְכְּב֥וֹת הַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ שָׂרַ֥ף
NAS: and he burned the chariots of the sun
KJV: and burned the chariots of the sun
INT: which the precincts the chariots of the sun burned

1 Chronicles 28:18
HEB: בַּמִּשְׁקָ֑ל וּלְתַבְנִ֣ית הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֗ה הַכְּרֻבִ֤ים זָהָב֙
NAS: for the model of the chariot, [even] the cherubim
KJV: for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims,
INT: weight the model of the chariot the cherubim and gold

2 Chronicles 1:17
HEB: וַיּוֹצִ֨יאוּ מִמִּצְרַ֤יִם מֶרְכָּבָה֙ בְּשֵׁ֣שׁ מֵא֣וֹת
NAS: They imported chariots from Egypt
KJV: out of Egypt a chariot for six
INT: exported of Egypt A chariot six hundred

2 Chronicles 9:25
HEB: אֻֽרְי֤וֹת סוּסִים֙ וּמַרְכָּב֔וֹת וּשְׁנֵים־ עָשָׂ֥ר
NAS: for horses and chariots and 12,000
KJV: for horses and chariots, and twelve
INT: stalls horses and chariots both ten

2 Chronicles 10:18
HEB: הִתְאַמֵּץ֙ לַֽעֲל֣וֹת בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֔ה לָנ֖וּס יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
NAS: to mount his chariot to flee
KJV: to get him up to [his] chariot, to flee
INT: made to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem

44 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4818
44 Occurrences

bam·mer·kā·ḇāh — 5 Occ.
bə·mer·kaḇ·tōw — 1 Occ.
bə·mir·ke·ḇeṯ — 1 Occ.
ham·mer·kā·ḇāh — 9 Occ.
lə·mar·kə·ḇō·ṯāw — 1 Occ.
mar·kā·ḇō·wṯ — 2 Occ.
mar·kə·ḇōṯ — 4 Occ.
mar·kə·ḇō·ṯāw — 4 Occ.
mar·kə·ḇō·ṯe·ḵā — 2 Occ.
mar·kə·ḇō·ṯê·hem — 2 Occ.
mer·kā·ḇāh — 4 Occ.
mer·kaḇ·tōw — 3 Occ.
ū·mar·kā·ḇō·wṯ — 2 Occ.
ū·mer·kā·ḇāh — 1 Occ.
ū·ḇam·mer·kā·ḇāh — 3 Occ.