Lexical Summary mathkoneth or mathkuneth: Measure, proportion, pattern Original Word: מַתְכנֶת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance composition, measure, state, tale Or mathkuneth {math-koo'-neth}; from takan in the transferred sense of measuring; proportion (in size, number or ingredients) -- composition, measure, state, tale. see HEBREW takan NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom takan Definition measurement, tally, proportion NASB Translation proportions (2), quota (1), specifications (1), standard (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַתְכֹּ֫נֶת noun feminine measurement, tale, proportion; — 1 construct הַלְּבֵנִים ׳מ Exodus 5:3 (J) the tale of bricks (compare 1.תֹּכֶן). 2 suffix בֻּנְתּוֺ- measurement, proportion, of ephah and bath Ezekiel 45:11; of composition of sacred oil Exodus 30:32, תָּהּ- Exodus 30:37 (P); of temple, its measurement, proportion תּוֺ-2Chronicles 24:13. תַּכְּרִיךְ see כרך. תֵּל and compounds see תלל. Topical Lexicon Concept and Scope Strong’s Hebrew 4971 describes a fixed measure, quota, or prescribed formula. It embraces both tangible quantities (bricks, dry and liquid volume) and intangible specifications (recipes for holy materials), emphasizing exactness ordained by authority. Occurrences and Immediate Contexts • Exodus 5:8 – Pharaoh binds Israel to the former “quota” of bricks, illustrating oppressive control that refuses adjustment even when straw is withheld. Patterns of Usage The noun always stands in close relationship to authority: Pharaoh’s civil mandate, Moses’ cultic instructions, royal oversight of the temple, and prophetic regulation of future worship. Whether used in oppression or devotion, it underscores accountability to a higher standard. Historical and Cultural Background In the Ancient Near East, standardized weights and measures safeguarded commerce and cult. Egypt kept detailed brick tallies; Israel’s tabernacle service depended on precise recipes; later Judah employed professional guilds to restore Solomon’s temple; Ezekiel projects renewed order after exile. Each setting demonstrates that covenant life was measured—literally and figuratively—by divine decree. Theological Significance 1. Holiness Requires Precision. The Lord says of the anointing oil, “It is holy, and it shall be holy to you” (Exodus 30:32). Exact replication for personal use would blur the boundary between sacred and secular. Implications for Worship and Ministry • Guard the distinction between holy and common; innovations must never tamper with the gospel’s “once for all” (Jude 3) composition. Typological Echoes and Canonical Trajectory The precise “measure” anticipates the New Jerusalem where “the city was laid out as a square… He measured the city with the rod” (Revelation 21:16). God’s final dwelling place is perfectly proportioned, reflecting the flawless character toward which all earlier measures pointed. Devotional Reflection Believers can pray: “Teach us to number our days” (Psalm 90:12). As Israel’s brickmakers, craftsmen, and priests worked within God’s measures, so Christians steward time, talents, and treasure within boundaries set by grace, trusting that the Lord who assigns the quota also supplies the straw. Forms and Transliterations בְּמַ֨תְכֻּנְתָּ֔הּ במתכנתה וּבְמַ֨תְכֻּנְתּ֔וֹ ובמתכנתו מַתְכֹּ֨נֶת מַתְכֻּנְתּ֖וֹ מַתְכֻּנְתּֽוֹ׃ מתכנת מתכנתו מתכנתו׃ bə·maṯ·kun·tāh beMatkunTah bəmaṯkuntāh maṯ·kō·neṯ maṯ·kun·tōw matKonet maṯkōneṯ matkunTo maṯkuntōw ū·ḇə·maṯ·kun·tōw ūḇəmaṯkuntōw uveMatkunToLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 5:8 HEB: וְאֶת־ מַתְכֹּ֨נֶת הַלְּבֵנִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר NAS: But the quota of bricks which KJV: And the tale of the bricks, INT: the quota of bricks which Exodus 30:32 Exodus 30:37 2 Chronicles 24:13 Ezekiel 45:11 5 Occurrences |
    |