מַזְמֵרָה (maz.me.rah)
maz.me.rah
pruner
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun mazmerah refers to a pruning knife, a sharp tool used by vineyard workers to cut away dead or excess branches. It appears only three times in the Old Testament, specifically in Isaiah 2:5 and Micah 4:3. In these contexts, the word is part of a vivid image where nations beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning knives.
This transformation highlights a shift from instruments of war to tools of agriculture and care. The sources identify it simply as a pruning knife, emphasizing its practical function in maintaining fruit-bearing vines. By converting weapons into mazmerahs, the prophetic vision suggests that God’s peace involves not just the cessation of conflict, but the active cultivation of life and growth.
The rarity of the term makes its appearance significant. It anchors the metaphor in the daily reality of ancient Israelite farming, where careful pruning was essential for harvest. The word itself points to precision and renewal, reminding readers that divine peace is not merely passive but requires diligent, hands-on work to sustain.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mazmerah describes a sharp knife used by vineyard workers to cut away dead branches so the remaining vines can produce fruit. In Isaiah and Micah, this tool appears in a striking vision where nations melt down their swords and spears to make farming implements instead of weapons. This image shows that true peace is not just the absence of fighting, but the active choice to nurture life and growth.
For your daily walk, this reminds us that God’s work often involves careful, hands-on attention. Just as a gardener must regularly trim away what hinders growth, we are invited to let God help us remove habits or worries that block our spiritual fruitfulness. It is a gentle call to trust that He knows exactly what needs to be cut away for your good.
This promise of peace encourages us to focus on cultivating relationships and character rather than defending ourselves. When we lay down our defenses, we create space for God to prune us with love, leading to a harvest of joy and stability that lasts far longer than any victory in conflict.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- with <the>/ pruning knives1×
- into/ pruning knives1×
- <into>/ pruning knives1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/מַזְמֵר֔וֹת2×
- בַּ/מַּזְמֵר֔וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 2:4
He will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
This verse establishes the core metaphor by showing spears being transformed into pruning hooks, linking the cessation of war directly to agricultural care.
-
Micah 4:3
and he will judge between many peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations afar off. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war any more.
Here the same vision is repeated to emphasize that this peace applies to 'strong nations afar off,' extending the hope beyond Israel to all peoples.
-
Isaiah 18:5
For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and he will cut down and take away the spreading branches.
This occurrence uses the word in its literal agricultural sense, describing the specific act of cutting sprigs and branches before the harvest to ensure quality fruit.