מַפֻּחַ (map.pu.ach)
map.pu.ach
bellow
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun mapṿuḥ refers to bellows, the device used to blow air into a fire to increase its heat. It is an extremely rare word in Scripture, appearing only once in the entire Hebrew Bible.
This single occurrence is found in Jeremiah 6:29, where the prophet uses it as a vivid metaphor. God describes the people as silver being refined in a furnace, but the bellows blow fiercely without success because the wicked remain unrepentant. The image highlights the futility of divine judgment when hearts are hardened; no matter how intense the heat, the impurities do not separate from the metal.
Because the term is so scarce, it carries significant weight in this specific context. It underscores the seriousness of spiritual stubbornness, showing that external pressure or trials cannot produce genuine purity if the internal will remains fixed on evil. The word serves as a stark illustration of failed refinement.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mapṿuḥ describes bellows, the tool used to pump air into a fire so it burns hotter. In Scripture, this image appears only once, in Jeremiah 6:29. Here, God compares His people to silver being refined. The bellows blow with great force, yet the impurities remain because the hearts of the people are hardened against repentance.
This picture reminds us that external pressure does not always change internal character. Trials and difficulties can feel like intense heat, but true transformation comes from a willing heart. When we resist God’s work, even the strongest circumstances may not produce the purity He desires. It is a sobering thought that our response to hardship determines whether it refines or merely consumes us.
Yet this warning also points to hope. The desire for refinement remains in God’s plan. If our hearts are open, even the fiercest fires can purify us. We do not need to fear the heat if we trust the Refiner’s purpose. He seeks purity, not destruction, and His patience waits for our willing return.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] bellow[s]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַפֻּ֔חַ1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 6:29
The bellows blow fiercely. The lead is consumed in the fire. In vain they go on refining, for the wicked are not plucked away.
This verse uses the bellows metaphor to show that divine judgment fails to purify when the people’s hearts remain unrepentant despite intense pressure.