מָחַץ (ma.chats)
ma.chats
to wound
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 11 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb machats describes a violent act of striking that results in severe injury or total destruction. It is not a minor bruise but a forceful blow intended to shatter, as seen when God strikes down enemies in the Psalms (Psalm 7:6) or when nations are broken in battle (Numbers 21:29). The word carries the weight of decisive, crushing power.
Its root sense implies piercing through to cause damage. In Job 16:12, it describes how God has torn the afflicted person apart, highlighting its use for both physical trauma and overwhelming distress. This intensity distinguishes it from milder terms for hitting or scolding.
Translators often render machats as "smite," "wound," or "break," depending on whether the context is military conflict or personal suffering. The consistent thread is the severity of the impact, leaving no doubt about the force behind the action.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The verb machats describes a forceful blow that causes deep injury or total destruction. It is not a minor bruise but a decisive strike intended to shatter. In Scripture, this word often appears in contexts of battle or divine judgment, highlighting the overwhelming power of God against His enemies. Yet it also captures the intensity of personal suffering, as seen when Job describes being torn apart by affliction.
For your faith, this word reminds us that no force is beyond God’s control. Whether He is striking down oppressors or allowing trials to pierce our lives, His authority is absolute. The same power that wounds also has the capacity to heal and bind up, as seen in Job 5:18. This duality offers comfort: even in moments of crushing pain, you are held by a God who is sovereign over both destruction and restoration.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 11 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- he shatters3×
- you have shattered1×
- shatter1×
- it will wound [them]1×
- he shattered1×
- and/ she smashed1×
- and/ it will shatter1×
- and/ I shattered/ them1×
- I wound1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מָחַ֤צְתָּ1×
- מָחַ֙צְתִּי֙1×
- מָחַ֖ץ1×
- מָ֥חַץ1×
- מָ֣חַץ1×
- מְחַ֨ץ1×
- יִמְחָֽץ\׃1×
- יִ֝מְחַ֗ץ1×
- וּ/מָחַץ֙1×
- וּ/מָחֲצָ֥ה1×
- וָ/אֶמְחָצֵ֖/ם1×
Key Verses
-
Job 5:18
For he wounds and binds up. He injures and his hands make whole.
This verse pairs the wounding with healing, showing that God’s striking is not final but leads to restoration.
-
Deuteronomy 32:39
“See now that I myself am he. There is no god with me. I kill and I make alive. I wound and I heal. There is no one who can deliver out of my hand.
Here the word emphasizes God’s exclusive sovereignty over life and death, leaving no room for other powers.
-
Psalms 110:6
He will judge among the nations. He will heap up dead bodies. He will crush the ruler of the whole earth.
The crushing of rulers illustrates the decisive nature of divine judgment against earthly opposition.
-
Judges 5:26
She put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer. With the hammer she struck Sisera. She struck through his head. Yes, she pierced and struck through his temples.
This historical account uses the word to describe a violent, fatal blow in battle, highlighting its physical severity.