מַגְזֵרָה (mag.ze.rah)
mag.ze.rah
axe
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun magzerah refers specifically to an axe or a heavy cutting tool. In the Hebrew Bible, it is not used for everyday woodworking but appears in contexts involving forced labor and destruction. The word denotes a sharp instrument capable of felling trees or breaking stone.
This term occurs only once in Scripture, in 2 Samuel 12:31. There, David subjects the captives of Rabbah to this fate, forcing them to work with axes and other iron tools. The usage highlights the harsh reality of subjugation, where such instruments become symbols of servitude rather than construction.
Its rarity underscores its specific function. Unlike general words for tools, magzerah points directly to the action of cutting or chopping. Translators typically render it simply as "axe," preserving the concrete image of a weaponized or labor-intensive implement in the narrative of war and conquest.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word for axe appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in a scene of profound human suffering. In 2 Samuel 12:31, David forces the captives of Rabbah to work under saws and iron axes. This is not a tool for building a home, but an instrument of forced labor and subjugation. It reminds us that sin often leads to brokenness and loss of freedom.
Yet Scripture does not leave us in this darkness. The same God who sees the oppressed also promises restoration. When we face harsh circumstances or feel weighed down by guilt, we can look to Christ, who took on the heavy burden of our sin. He offers a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light (Matthew 11:30). Our hope lies not in our own strength, but in His grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ at/ [the] axes of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּֽ/בְ/מַגְזְרֹ֣ת1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 12:31
He brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work under saws, under iron picks, under axes of iron, and made them go to the brick kiln; and he did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
This verse uniquely uses the term to describe the iron axes forced upon Ammonite captives, highlighting its association with harsh servitude rather than construction.