Lexical Summary mashcheth: Destruction, corruption, ruin Original Word: מַשְׁחֵת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance destroying For mashchiyth; destruction -- destroying. see HEBREW mashchiyth NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shachath Definition ruin, destruction NASB Translation destroying (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַשְׁחֵת noun [masculine] id.; — כְּ לִי מַשְׁחֵתוֺ Ezekiel 9:1. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence The noun appears once, in Ezekiel 9:1, designating the lethal instrument carried by the six heavenly agents summoned to execute judgment on Jerusalem: “Bring near the executioners of the city, each with his weapon of destruction in hand” (Berean Standard Bible). Historical Setting Ezekiel’s vision takes place in 592 B.C., four years after the first Babylonian deportation. Jerusalem’s leadership remained hardened in idolatry, social injustice, and covenant infidelity. The approaching Babylonian armies were the visible means of judgment, yet Ezekiel 9 unveils the unseen spiritual reality: the Lord Himself directs angelic agents and their “weapon of destruction,” underscoring that the fall of the city is ultimately an act of divine justice, not mere geopolitical accident. Exegetical Insight In Hebrew narrative the word is paired with “each man,” stressing individuality and precision. The vision does not depict indiscriminate slaughter; it follows the Lord’s prior command to mark the foreheads of all who “sigh and groan over all the abominations” (Ezekiel 9:4). Thus the instrument functions within a moral framework: holiness must confront sin, yet mercy preserves the faithful remnant. Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty in Judgment – The Lord appoints both the agents and the means of punishment (Isaiah 10:5). Connections with the Wider Canon • Exodus 12:23 portrays “the destroyer” who strikes Egypt yet spares homes under the blood of the lamb, an early parallel of selective judgment. Implications for Ministry and Discipleship • Preaching must uphold both the kindness and severity of God (Romans 11:22), warning against complacency while offering the hope of refuge in Christ. Application for the Contemporary Church The lone appearance of this term magnifies rather than diminishes its weight: it crystallizes the moment divine patience yields to judgment. Modern disciples are called to respond in three ways: persistent repentance, fervent intercession, and courageous proclamation of the gospel that alone delivers from the coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Forms and Transliterations מַשְׁחֵת֖וֹ משחתו maš·ḥê·ṯōw mashcheTo mašḥêṯōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 9:1 HEB: וְאִ֛ישׁ כְּלִ֥י מַשְׁחֵת֖וֹ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ NAS: each with his destroying weapon KJV: even every man [with] his destroying weapon INT: each weapon his destroying his hand 1 Occurrence |
    |