מַכָּה (mak.kah)
mak.kah
wound
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 42 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun makkah refers to a blow, strike, or the resulting wound. Derived from the verb for striking, it captures the physical impact of violence, whether from a weapon, a scourge, or divine judgment. The word appears in contexts ranging from agricultural threshing to military slaughter and personal injury.
Its usage spans several distinct areas. In historical narratives like Joshua and Judges, it often denotes mass slaughter in battle. In the prophetic books, particularly Jeremiah, it frequently describes national calamities or plagues sent by God. It also appears in legal texts regarding corporal punishment and in poetic imagery of physical suffering.
A notable feature is its application to both human conflict and divine action. While it can describe a simple wound on a soldier, it carries heavier weight when describing the "plagues" of Deuteronomy or the "wound" of Jerusalem in Jeremiah. This duality highlights how ancient Israelites viewed national disasters as direct strikes from God.
Translators render makkah variously as blow, wound, plague, or slaughter depending on context. The consistent element is the idea of a decisive impact that causes damage. Whether physical or metaphorical, the word emphasizes the consequence of being struck.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word makkah describes a decisive impact, whether it is a physical wound from battle or the heavy weight of divine correction. In the Old Testament, this term bridges the gap between human violence and God’s sovereign judgment. It reminds us that actions have consequences, and that even in times of national crisis or personal suffering, there is a profound sense of purpose behind the events we face.
For the believer, this word offers a sobering but comforting perspective on discipline. While makkah can describe the tragedy of war or the pain of injury, it also appears in wisdom literature to illustrate how correction can cleanse the heart. It invites us to view our trials not as random accidents, but as moments where God is actively shaping our character and drawing us back to Him.
When we encounter suffering, we do not need to fear that God is absent. Instead, we can trust in His faithful presence amidst the storm. This word encourages us to seek understanding rather than just comfort, knowing that our Creator uses even difficult experiences to refine our faith and restore our relationship with Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 42 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a defeat7×
- wounds/ its4×
- the/ wounds3×
- a blow3×
- the/ slaughter2×
- plague2×
- and/ wound[s]2×
- ¿/ like/ [the] striking? of1×
- wound/ your1×
- wound/ my1×
- the/ wound1×
- striking1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַכָּ֣ה5×
- מַכָּ֖ה5×
- מַכָּ֥ה4×
- הַ/מַּכִּים֙3×
- מַכָּ֔ה2×
- הַ/מַּכָּ֖ה2×
- מַכּוֹתֶֽי/הָ\׃1×
- מַכּוֹתֶֽ/הָ\׃1×
- מַכּוֹתֶ֑י/הָ1×
- מַכֹּתֶֽ/הָ\׃1×
- מַכֹּ֣תְ/ךָ֔1×
- מַכָּתֵֽ/ךְ\׃1×
Key Verses
-
I Samuel 4:8
Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
This verse highlights the theological weight of makkah by recalling how God’s plagues demonstrated His power over Egyptian gods, showing that divine strikes are acts of sovereignty rather than mere misfortune.
-
Proverbs 20:30
Wounding blows cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the innermost parts.
Here the word shifts from judgment to wisdom, suggesting that corrective discipline serves a purifying function for the inner person, offering hope that pain can lead to moral clarity.
-
II Kings 8:29
King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel from the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
This reference grounds the abstract concept of 'wound' in human reality, showing how physical injury from conflict becomes a catalyst for political and spiritual decisions among kings.