מַחֲנָק (ma.cha.naq)
ma.cha.naq
strangling
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun maḥănāq denotes the physical act of strangling or suffocation, specifically understood as a method of execution. It appears only once in the entire Old Testament, located in Job 7:15, where it serves as a stark image of desperate relief.
In this context, Job uses the word to express his preference for death over his current suffering. He states that he would rather be strangled than continue living with such agony. The term highlights the intensity of his despair, portraying death not as a peaceful release but as a violent, immediate end to pain.
Because this is its sole occurrence, the word carries no broader theological tradition or extended semantic range in Scripture. It remains a precise descriptor of a brutal mode of death, illustrating the extreme lengths to which Job feels driven by his affliction.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When you are in deep pain, it is honest to admit that life feels unbearable. Job used a harsh word for suffocation to describe his despair. He did not pretend to be strong. He let God know exactly how heavy his burden was.
This verse shows that God can handle your rawest emotions. You do not need to hide your exhaustion or your anger. Bringing these feelings into the light is an act of trust, not a failure of faith.
Even in your darkest moments, you are seen and known. This honesty opens a space for grace to meet you where you are, rather than where you think you should be.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- strangling1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַחֲנָ֣ק1×
Key Verses
-
Job 7:15
so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.
This is the only occurrence of the word in Scripture, used by Job to express a desperate preference for death over continued suffering.